Fireworks Pose Wildfire Risk When They are in The Wrong Hands
Insurers and Fire Experts Offer Advice on Staying Safe Over July Fourth Weekend
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Firefighters Face New Challenges, Concerns Heading into Wildfire Season amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Roy Wright makes the case for stronger building in Alabama.
Fire‐Retardant Gels
Research In a study conducted in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, IBHS evaluated the long‐term effectiveness of two fire‐retardant gels when applied to a wood‐based substrate. Gels are a type of coating meant to provide protection for a short period, a few hours, and are typically applied manually just prior to…
Fire-Retardant Coatings Used in Exterior Applications
Research In buildings where combustible siding has been installed, fire-retardant coatings could be used to reduce their vulnerability to wildfire exposures, particularly radiant heat and flame contact exposures. These exposures are more common in situations where close building-to-building spacing exists and a neighboring building ignites and burns, and where other combustibles (e.g., a wood pile…
Fire-Resistant Home May Be Line of Defense Against Climate Change
It is impossible to build a fully fireproof home, but researchers are now focused on making homes at least fire resistant.
Faraz Hedayati, PhD
Faraz Hedayati, PhD Lead Research Engineer After several years of developing heat transfer models for various engineering applications, Faraz shifted his focus to wildland-urban interface fires during his Ph.D. studies in Mechanical Engineering between 2014 and 2018, collaborating with IBHS on experiments analyzing firebrand generation from different fuels and their impact on building components. In…
External Sprinklers for Wildfire Defense
Overview With the increasing frequency, intensity, and severity of wildfires leading to conflagration, there is a growing need to develop mitigation strategies for homeowners to meaningfully reduce their risk profile. Extensive experimental testing and post-fire analyses have determined the vulnerability of a home from embers, radiant heat, and flames. While mitigation actions have been developed…
Experts’ Tips for Building Storm-Resilient Hotels
IBHS’s Chuck Miccolis discusses what hotel owners can do to strengthen their roof.
Experts Say Homes Can Be Built To Resist Wildfire
IBHS’s Dan Gorham outlines how homeowners can build to reduce wildfire risks.