Fire Risk Reduction in Communities Program

Summary

The Fire Risk Reduction in Communities (FRRiC) program aims to reduce community fire risk by

• increasing the fire resilience of wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities, and
• enhancing the safety and effectiveness of fire fighters and addressing fire risks of new technologies.

This program integrates bench-scale, full-scale, and field-scale experiments with computer fire models to:

• characterize the WUI fire exposure to develop science-based standards, codes, and practices for fire resistant communities, and
• improve the safety and effectiveness of fire fighters and address fire risks of new technologies through science-based approaches for situational awareness and equipment performance. 

Description

A steel shed with 1.5 m (5 ft) separation from the target ignites the eaves of the target structure.

Credit: NIST

Objective:
To develop and deploy advances in measurement science to improve the resilience of communities and structures to unwanted fires, address fire risks of new technologies and enhance firefighter situational awareness and equipment performance through science-based codes, standards, and practices. 

What is the Problem?

In the United States, nearly one-third of all homes and more than 60,000 communities are situated in or near wildland vegetation and forests, putting them at risk of wildfires. The economic toll of wildfires has been steadily rising over the years. For instance, the 1991 Oakland firestorm in California resulted in property damages totaling $1.5 billion. In contrast, the devastating 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise, California, caused an estimated $16.5 billion in damages.

In 2023 alone, fire departments in the United States responded to more than 1.39 million fires, resulting in approximately 3,670 civilian deaths, 13,350 injuries, and $23 billion in property losses (source: NFPA Fire Loss in the United States). The rise of lithium-ion powered consumer and micromobility devices has led to over 4000 injuries and 500 fatalities cumulatively from fire-related incidents (source: Lithium-ion Battery Incident Reporting | UL Solutions).

Given the escalating risks, it is crucial for communities to adopt effective codes, standards, and practices that provide a high level of fire protection. Such measures are essential to ensure the safety of residents, enhance firefighting efficiency, and minimize the devastating impacts of fire-related deaths, injuries, and property damage.

What is the research plan?

The research plan includes two thrusts:

• improve fire resilience of wildland urban interface communities, and
• improve the safety and effectiveness of fire fighters.

The first research thrust aims to enhance community resilience against infrequent, large-scale WUI fire incidents. This approach encompasses three key elements: 1) reducing fire spread between structures within a community, 2) minimizing the ignition of structures, and 3) integrating research findings into WUI building codes, fire standards, and regulations.

For improving WUI fire resilience, the novel concept is to implement a comprehensive mitigation framework that targets both individual structures and entire communities. This framework consists of three core components: a) identifying potential fire exposures, b) understanding the response of structures, subdivisions, and communities to these exposures, and c) designing these elements to withstand the identified risks. The primary focus is on thermal exposures from flames and embers, as well as smoke exposure.

Characterizing fire exposures involves analyzing factors such as fuel type and configuration, wind patterns, moisture levels, and terrain. Achieving this requires a coordinated effort that combines targeted laboratory experiments, field measurements, post-fire analyses, and computational models, including those for wildfire spread and structural fire behavior. By integrating exposure data with an understanding of structural and community responses, this research will lead to the development of measurement science-based tools for designing more fire-resistant structures. These tools will also underpin advancements in WUI building and indoor air quality testing methods, as well as the development of more effective fire codes, standards, and regulations.

The second research thrust aims to enhance community resilience through two key elements: 1) smart firefighting, which leverages data-driven approaches to better understand the operating environment and guide firefighting strategies, and 2) equipment performance standards, which are designed to improve the safety and effectiveness of firefighters.

The innovative concept behind smart firefighting is to incorporate data-driven methods that characterize the environment and inform firefighting actions. By integrating sensor data, building information, and fire modeling, actionable insights can be provided to both building occupants and first responders during a fire. The fusion of data from visible and infrared cameras, fire gas analysis, and smoke temperature measurements can greatly enhance situational awareness, leading to more effective firefighting strategies.

Equipment performance standards rely on relevant performance data to develop meaningful metrics. However, the necessary data is often lacking or difficult to obtain. For new technologies, the fire service frequently lacks a clear understanding of the operating environment and specific requirements. To address this, laboratory and full-scale tests, combined with science-based metrics, will enable the industry to evaluate and improve existing products while fostering the development of new, more effective firefighting technologies.