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Many cultural and heritage structures are constructed using timber materials in China. Timber buildings are very common in historic and cultural blocks and rural areas of Southwest China. Many of them have been destroyed during fire and exert an inestimable loss to people and society. This work is aimed at investigating the temperature distribution, flame and smoke behavior within timber compartments. A full-scale experiment was built and carried out. The timber building groups consist of four compartments placed in two platforms of different heights. Temperature profiles were obtained by thermocouples arranged at corresponding positions. Fire behavior both in and out of compartments, as well as structural failure, were examined. A smoke detection system was applied to record the arrival time of smoke at a specific position. Cameras were also employed to observe and record the fire growth. The potential route of smoke is revealed. The results suggest that not only the common route of smoke should be taken into consideration in designing smoke detection systems but also the unconventional path of the gaps. The obtained data of temperature profiles will provide useful information for the prevention of historic and cultural timber buildings in Southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]