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Engineering Laboratory

Fire Research Division

News and Updates

Keyword

Topic Area

2018 Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute Technical Meeting (ESSCI 2018)

March 4, 2018

The NIST Flammability Reduction group traveled to State College (Pennsylvania State University) for the 2018 Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute

Fire Testing of New Building Materials

June 8, 2017

New, lighter, cheaper, sustainable and recyclable building materials are entering the market every day as developers try to lower costs and shrink their carbon

Image of a wheelchair in front of an elevator

NIST Study Provides Voice for Evacuation Needs of Mobility Impaired

August 26, 2016

A fire alarm sounds. An announcement comes over the office public address system: "A fire has been reported in the building. This is not a drill. Please move to

NIST, Partners Set Research Agenda for Protecting Firefighters from Harm

March 23, 2016

If there is anything common among the 1.1 million firefighters—both career and volunteer—serving in the United States, it's that at any moment, they may be

NIST Report: Science-Based Data Collection Key to Better Wildland Fire Defense

February 24, 2016

A new report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes how researchers analyzed a major 2011 Texas wildland fire using a rigorous

NIST Study of Colorado Wildfire Shows Actions Can Change Outcomes

November 9, 2015

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—A new study of Colorado's devastating 2012 Waldo Canyon wildfire demonstrates that prompt and effective action can significantly change the

Research Roadmap Traces the Path to 'Smart' Fire Fighting

June 18, 2015

Interconnected technologies can help to reduce nation's fire toll When responding to the more than 1.2 million blazes reported annually, the nation's

Why Firefighters Get Steam Burns: Exploratory Study Underway

April 27, 2015

A mystery has raged for decades surrounding accounts of firefighters who receive steam burns through their protective clothing. One ruling theory is that the

NIST Makes 'Bio Inspired' Flame Retardants in a Jiffy

April 14, 2015

After devising several new and promising "green" flame retardants for furniture padding, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers took

NIST Modeling Study Reveals the Lethal Dynamics of a San Francisco House Fire

January 30, 2015

A new computer-based fire-dynamics study by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has helped to clarify the circumstances and

In Tests of Promising Flame Retardants, Opposites Pair Off—And the Challenger Wins

December 19, 2014

In a face-off between two promising flame retardants, the challenger—a nanomaterial that maintains a positive façade while sheltering a negative interior

NIST Tests: Firefighters Portable Radios May Fail at Elevated Temperatures

December 9, 2014

New test results from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) confirm that portable radios used by firefighters can fail to operate properly

NIST Report and Video Detail Dynamics of Deadly Chicago House Fire

December 2, 2014

A new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) computer-modeling study of a 2012 Chicago house fire reveals the conditions that unleashed a surge

All-Natural Mixture Yields Promising Fire Retardant

June 3, 2014

What sounds like fixings for a wizard's potion—a dash of clay, a dab of fiber from crab shells, and a dollop of DNA—actually are the ingredients of promising

NIST Improves Performance, Capabilities of Its Computer Fire Modeling Tools

May 20, 2014

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists and engineers recently enhanced the capabilities of NIST's computer fire modeling software, a

Spartanburg, S.C., Fire Experiments Will Test New Firefighting Tactics

May 13, 2014

Fire researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will return to Spartanburg, S.C., on May 15-21, 2014, as part of a collaborative

The New York City Fire Department, NIST and Underwriters Laboratories set fire to 20 abandoned townhouses on Governors Island, New York

New Online Course Based on NIST Research Highlights Insights on Modern Firefighting

April 22, 2014

A new, free, online course offered by the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) highlights the tactical application of nearly two decades of research

Residues of an identical foam-fabric assembly in the current (left) and in the modified (right) smoldering ignition setup (45 min test duration)

NIST Study Suggests Ways to Improve Common Furniture Fire Test

February 10, 2014

The bench-scale test widely used to evaluate whether a burning cigarette will ignite upholstered furniture may underestimate the tendency of component materials

image of foam coating used to reduce flammability of furniture

Layered Security: Carbon Nanotubes Promise Improved Flame-Resistant Coating

January 14, 2014

Using an approach akin to assembling a club sandwich at the nanoscale, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers have succeeded in

NIST Fire Protection Engineer Wins Service to America Medal

October 18, 2013

Fire protection engineer Daniel Madrzykowski of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was honored on Oct. 3, 2013, with a Service to America

A wooded area aflame during the 2007 Witch Creek/Guejito wildfire in Southern California.

Knowing Exposure Risks Important to Saving Structures from Wildfires

September 3, 2013

A recent study of one of California's most devastating wildland fires by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Forest Service

New NIST Test for Firefighter Breathing Equipment Goes into Effect Sept. 1

June 25, 2013

As of Sept. 1, 2013, standard firefighter breathing equipment cannot be certified to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards unless the facepiece

The Witch fire, the largest of the fires that occurred during the 2007 California firestorm, burned 80,124 hectares and destroyed 1125 residential structures.

Workshop Identifies Research Priorities to Mitigate Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface

May 28, 2013

Over 46 million residential structures in the United States are in areas at risk of wildfires. A new publication from the National Institute of Standards and

Terracotta and Cement Roofs Vulnerable in Wildfires, NIST Study Finds

May 14, 2013

Although made of fire-resistant materials, terracotta and cement roof tiles are vulnerable to penetration by windblown embers generated in wildfires, according

NIST Fire Protection Engineer Named Service to America Finalist

May 7, 2013

Daniel Madrzykowski, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire protection engineer with a 25-year track record of conducting research that

Advanced communications
-Open Radio Access Network (Open-RAN)
-Quantum communications
-Spectrum sharing
-Wireless (RF)
Bioscience
-Bioimaging
-Bioinformatics
-Biomanufacturing
-Biomaterials
-Cell biology
-Cell-free systems
-Engineering / synthetic biology
-Gene delivery systems
-Genome editing
-Genomics
-Glycomics
-Metabolomics
-Microbial measurements
-Proteomics
-Sequence screening
-Transcriptomics
Buildings and Construction
-Building codes and standards
-Building control systems
-Building damage and repair
-Building economics
-Building materials
-Energy efficiency
-Heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment
-Indoor air quality
-Structural engineering
-Thermal comfort
Chemistry
-Analytical chemistry
-Chemical engineering and processing
-Chemical thermodynamics and chemical properties
-Molecular characterization
-Theoretical chemistry and modeling
-Thermochemical properties
Electronics
-Electromagnetics
-Flexible electronics
-Magnetoelectronics
-Optoelectronics
-Organic electronics
-Semiconductors
-Sensors
-Superconducting electronics
Energy
-Alternative energy
-Conventional energy
-Electric power / smart grid
-Fuels
Environment
-Air / water / soil quality
-Climate
-Environmental health
-Greenhouse gas measurements
-Marine science
-Sustainability
Fire
-Emergency building evacuation
-Fire detection
-Fire dynamics and science
-Fire fighting
-Fire modeling
-Fire risk reduction
-Materials flammability
-Structural fire resistance
-Wildland urban interface fire
Forensic Science
-Digital evidence
-Drugs and toxicology
-Firearms and toolmarks
-Forensic biometrics
-Forensic genetics
-Trace evidence
Health
-Biopharmaceuticals
-Cell and gene therapy
-Clinical diagnostics
-Dentistry
-Food and nutrition
-Human microbiome
-Medical imaging
-Precision medicine
-Regenerative medicine and advanced therapy
Information technology
-Artificial intelligence
--AI measurement and evaluation
--Applied AI
--Fundamental AI
--Hardware for AI
--Machine learning
--Trustworthy and responsible AI
-Biometrics
-Cloud computing and virtualization
-Complex systems
-Computational science
-Conformance testing
-Cyber-physical systems
--Smart cities
-Cybersecurity
--Cryptography
--Cybersecurity education and workforce development
--Cybersecurity measurement
--Identity and access management
--Privacy engineering
--Risk management
--Securing emerging technologies
--Trustworthy networks
--Trustworthy platforms
-Data and informatics
--Human language technology
--Information retrieval
--Natural language processing
-Federal information processing standards (FIPS)
-Health IT
-Internet of Things (IoT)
-Interoperability testing
-Location based services
-Mobile
-Networking
--Mobile and wireless networking
--Network management and monitoring
--Network modeling and analysis
--Network security and robustness
--Network test and measurement
--Next generation networks
--Protocol design and standardization
--Software defined and virtual networks
-Privacy
-Software research
--Software testing
-Usability and human factors
--Accessibility
-Video analytics
-Virtual / augmented reality
-Visualization research
-Voting systems
Infrastructure
Manufacturing
-Additive manufacturing
-Factory communications
-Factory operations planning and control
-Interoperability in manufacturing
-Machining
-Manufacturing economics
-Manufacturing quality assurance
-Manufacturing systems design and analysis
-Monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics
-Process improvement
-Process measurement and control
-Product data
-Robotics in manufacturing
--Agility and adaptability
--Collaborative robots
--Dexterous grasping
--Manipulation
--Mobility and industrial autonomous vehicles
--Navigation / actuation / control
--Sensing and perception
-Supply chain
-Sustainable manufacturing
-Systems engineering
-Systems integration
-Technology commercialization
Materials
-Ceramics
-Composites
-Concrete / cement
-Materials characterization
--Composition and structure
--Mechanical properties
--Thermal properties
-Metals
-Modeling and computational material science
-Polymers
-Superconductors
Mathematics and statistics
-Experiment design
-Image and signal processing
-Modeling and simulation research
-Numerical methods and software
-Statistical analysis
-Uncertainty quantification
Metrology
-Amount of substance
-Dimensional metrology
-Electrical / electromagnetic metrology
-Flow metrology and rheology
-Force metrology
-Humidity metrology
-Ionizing radiation metrology
-Mass metrology
-Metric
-Optical / photometry / laser metrology
-Pressure and vacuum metrology
-Thermometry metrology
-Time and frequency metrology
-Weights and measures
Nanotechnology
-Nanobiotechnology
-Nanochemistry
-Nanoelectronics
-Nanofabrication / manufacturing
--Lithography
--Self-assembly
-Nanofluidics
-Nanomagnetics
-Nanomaterials
-Nanomechanics
-Nanometrology
-Nanophotonics
-Nanophysics
-Nanoplasmonics
Neutron research
Performance excellence
-Assessment tools and services
-Baldrige award
-Baldrige examiners
-Baldrige Framework and Criteria
-Best practices
-Leadership development
Physics
-Atomic / molecular / quantum
-Biological physics
-Condensed matter
-Electron physics
-Magnetics
-Nuclear physics
-Optical physics and communications
-Quantum information science
-Radiation
-Spectroscopy
-Thermodynamics
-Time and frequency
Public safety
-Chemical / Biological / Radiological / Nuclear / Explosives (CBRNE)
-First responder preparedness
-Law enforcement
-Public safety communications research
-Response robots
Resilience
-Community resilience
-Disaster and failure studies
-Earthquake risk reduction
-Resilience economics
-Resilient materials
-Windstorm impact reduction
Standards
-Accreditation
-Calibration services
-Conformity assessment
-Documentary standards
-Frameworks
-Quality assurance
-Reference data
-Reference instruments
-Reference materials
-Standards education
Technology transfer
Transportation
-Aerospace
-Automotive