In 1958, before the flooding of the Seaway, six houses and two larger buildings were scheduled to be burned in the vacant village of Aultsville.
This was an important study headed by National Research Council Canada's Division of Building Research to study the effects of controlled burning structures.
 Contributors to this project were the British Joint Fire Research Organization, the US Federal Civil Defense Authority, the Ontario Fire Marshal and staff, and lastly the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.
The director was G.W. Shorter who was Head of Fire Section (for his division) as well Assistant Director N.B. Hutcheon.

In the General Report, significant observances are made from the Smoke and Sound Measurements and the Temperature Measurements, to the Ventilation Rate Measurements and the Radiant Temperature of Openings.
 Other sections of the study also included Radiometer Measurements, Resistance Thermometer Measurements, a Gas Analysis, and to conclude, the Summary Report.

The purpose of these created fires was to determine the survival of the occupants, spread by radiation, and ventilation rates; listed in the study as a, b, and c. The study was also used to validate evidence of time-temperature curves – normally used for performing fire resistance tests.
The section under Survival of Occupants writes about whether or not noise of a fire would be useful to people upstairs in a house before the time in which survival would become unattainable.
Note the fact that smoke detectors were not common until the 1960s; even then used primarily for museums, art galleries, and electronic equipment protection.

Locally, the fires became known as the St. Lawrence Burns and were watched by spectators who once occupied the village.
Aultsville's volunteer fire chief observed several of the burns, including that of his own home.
According to George Hickey, who was a teacher at the local high school and considered somewhat of a local historian, not many of the residents were aware of the scheduled burns.
For many, the burns were considered devastating to watch after already losing their homes to the Seaway.

The National Film Board of Canada filmed all of the controlled fires at Aultsville and produced a 20-minute documentary about them called Setting Fires For Science.
Additionally, Donald Brittain wrote and directed a series of films called St. Lawrence Burns, No.
1–8 about the fires.
In 1958, before the flooding of the Seaway, six houses and two larger buildings were scheduled to be burned in the vacant village of Aultsville. This was an important study headed by National Research Council Canada's Division of Building Research to study the effects of controlled burning structures.  Contributors to this project were the British Joint Fire Research Organization, the US Federal Civil Defense Authority, the Ontario Fire Marshal and staff, and lastly the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. The director was G.W. Shorter who was Head of Fire Section (for his division) as well Assistant Director N.B. Hutcheon.
In the General Report, significant observances are made from the Smoke and Sound Measurements and the Temperature Measurements, to the Ventilation Rate Measurements and the Radiant Temperature of Openings.  Other sections of the study also included Radiometer Measurements, Resistance Thermometer Measurements, a Gas Analysis, and to conclude, the Summary Report. 
The purpose of these created fires was to determine the survival of the occupants, spread by radiation, and ventilation rates; listed in the study as a, b, and c. The study was also used to validate evidence of time-temperature curves – normally used for performing fire resistance tests. The section under Survival of Occupants writes about whether or not noise of a fire would be useful to people upstairs in a house before the time in which survival would become unattainable. Note the fact that smoke detectors were not common until the 1960s; even then used primarily for museums, art galleries, and electronic equipment protection.
Locally, the fires became known as the St. Lawrence Burns and were watched by spectators who once occupied the village. Aultsville's volunteer fire chief observed several of the burns, including that of his own home. According to George Hickey, who was a teacher at the local high school and considered somewhat of a local historian, not many of the residents were aware of the scheduled burns. For many, the burns were considered devastating to watch after already losing their homes to the Seaway.
The National Film Board of Canada filmed all of the controlled fires at Aultsville and produced a 20-minute documentary about them called Setting Fires For Science. Additionally, Donald Brittain wrote and directed a series of films called St. Lawrence Burns, No. 1–8 about the fires.
Aultsville, Ontario