On his website, explosions expert witness William E. Gale, Jr., PhD, PE, CSP, CFEI, CFII, writes on Fire Testing.
Large scale and full scale fire testing typically involves recreating an entire section of the subject occupancy or involved structure – sometimes one room (compartment) will suffice or sometimes it may be necessary to recreate an entire commercial kitchen or residential house. This process depends on the extent to which pre-fire conditions can be established, such as materials of construction, construction details, ventilation provisions, furnishings, interior finish details, etc.