Gaining a deeper understanding of Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fire dynamics and the mechanisms of structure ignition is crucial for enhancing the resilience of structures and communities to WUI fires. This project focuses on advancing the science of WUI fires through post-fire data collection, case studies, and laboratory experiments to reduce community losses, including fatalities, injuries, and property damage.
The insights gained from this research inform the development of new codes and standards aimed at improving the fire resistance of structures and reducing vulnerability to firebrand attacks. The findings are shared with communities and standards organizations to provide a scientific foundation for the creation of performance-based mitigation strategies. Ultimately, the results will lead to more fire-resistant building materials and designs, strengthening the safety and resilience of communities vulnerable to WUI fires.
Objective
To develop the measurement science needed to mitigate the effects of wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires by providing technical guidance for structures, landscaping elements, and community designs that resist ignition and limit the spread of WUI fires.
Technical Idea
Developing effective and implementable WUI fire mitigation requires understanding of real-world structure ignition vulnerabilities, quantification of expected fire and ember exposures, and appropriate structure hardening and parcel-level fuel management.
Post-fire data collection and analysis reveal how WUI fire behavior is driven by the interactions among fuel, weather, and terrain, and the roles played by heat, embers, and direct flame impingement. Pathways for fire may implicate structure design, materials, and landscaping elements. Post-fire analysis also shows how fire behavior is modified by defensive actions, both active and passive. Documentation of defensive actions during WUI fire incidents is critical to the understanding of WUI structure survivability and the effectiveness of risk reduction methodologies.
Developing a deep understanding of how WUI fire incidents progress, how fire spreads through the built environment, and how people and first responders take action to save lives and property, can improve community preparedness and resilience to future fires.
Structure ignition vulnerabilities observed and identified through post-fire analysis of communities exposed to WUI fires also informs more focused laboratory experiments. Full-scale experiments of parcel, landscaping, and structural fuels will help to quantify WUI fire exposures and identify and test vulnerabilities and relevant mitigation approaches. Experiments include the effects on WUI fire spread of interactions among combustible and non-combustible parcel-level fuels, design features of the structure and building assembly, and the spatial relationship between WUI fuels. Mitigation techniques are needed for both existing structures and for new construction. The new insights from this project will be incorporated into the design of new buildings and communities and retrofitting of existing buildings.
With this combined field and laboratory knowledge, structure and community vulnerabilities to WUI fires can be better mitigated through development of fire-resistant design and advanced materials, based on reliable post-incident data and analysis, and promoted through incorporation into codes, standards, and best practices.
Research Plan
The research plan proceeds from obtaining an understanding of the vulnerabilities of structures and communities, finding ways to address them, and disseminating the new knowledge.