Research

As part of its research effort to study and understand the vulnerabilities of buildings subjected to wildfire exposures, IBHS developed the capability of simulating ember exposures on building components and assemblies.

The primary objective of this research is to reduce the likelihood of wildfire-caused building ignitions in communities located in wildfire-prone areas.

2011 Demonstration

In collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and the Savannah River National Laboratory, IBHS injecting burning embers into a wind stream in the large testing chamber, effectively reproducing ember storms typically observed during wildfires.

2013 Demonstration

IBHS researchers conducted a highly realistic wildfire simulation to explore how ember storms—which are the greatest danger to homes and businesses in the wildland-urban interface (WUI)—ignite structures.