Recipients
2025
Wai Kit Cheung (PhD student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) has received a student research grant for his project, “Extending Visibility in Smoke Model beyond 15 m Range with Experimental and Numerical Approach.” This project will evaluate exit sign visibility in a 30 m smoke chamber to extend current empirical models beyond their 15 m limitation. By combining experimental data from various sign designs and smoke densities with numerical simulations, the study aims to refine building codes and improve performance-based design for safer emergency evacuations.
Yiyang Hu (PhD Student, State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, The University of Science and Technology of China) had received a student research grant for her project, “Structural Interaction Mechanisms of Frame-Panel Systems in Fire-Exposed Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Façades.” Hu aims to investigate the coupled thermal and structural interactions between photovoltaic (PV) panels and various frame materials—including steel, aluminum, PVC, and timber—under compartment fire conditions. The results of the study will then be used to establish a mechanistic basis for assessing how frame deformation and material properties influence PV panel fracture and fire spread in Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) façades.
Laurens Labuhn (Master’s Student, IMFSE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain) has received a student research grant for his project, “From Infrared Data to Burner Cells in CFD: Advancing Wildfire Modelling of Heat Release Behind the Flaming Front.” Labuhn aims to advance wildfire modeling by developing a method to integrate infrared imagery data from smoldering areas into Fire Dynamics Simulator burner cells. The project will investigate the relationship between cooling zones behind the fire front and the accuracy of virtual infrared monitoring tools.
Henry Nakaana (Undergraduate Student, Arizona State University) has received a student research grant for his project, “Sustainable Post-Fire Soil Stabilization Using Engineered Fungal Mycelium: A Nature-Based Approach to Wildfire Remediation and Mitigation.” Nakaana will explore a nature-based approach to wildfire remediation using engineered fungal mycelium to stabilize post-fire soils. The study aims to develop a scalable fungal slurry that binds soil particles, reduces catastrophic erosion, and enhances nutrient retention to accelerate ecosystem recovery in wildland-urban interface environments.
Justus van der Wulp (Master’s Student, Delft University, The Netherlands) has received a student research grant for his project, “Improving Fire Resistance Prediction of Glulam Timber Columns Using Gaussian Process Surrogate Modelling.” His objective is to improve the fire resistance prediction of glulam timber columns by developing a Gaussian Process surrogate modelling framework. To better understand and quantify the risks of delayed failure in mass timber buildings, the project will focus on "burnout resistance", which is the ability of a structural member to maintain its load-bearing function through both the heating and cooling phases of a natural fire.
Gabriele Campi (Master's student, The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland), has received a student research grant for his project, “Fire Safety Assessment of Lightweight Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems: From Polymer Films to Full-Scale Panels.” Using representative mockups of typical PV layers integrated with materials that have flame retardant properties or other fire safety solutions, Gabriele will perform combustion tests to analyze the depth of the fire behavior. Data from this project will make it possible for BIPV manufacturers to design BIPV panels that are more fire safe without affecting energy efficiency and structural performance.
Yifei Ding (PhD student, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), has received a student research grant for his project, “Intelligent Assessment of Structural Fuel Load and Damage Degree in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire.” Yifei will develop a database of geographic and structural information about buildings in fire-prone areas, and then ultimately use that data to train an AI model to forecast structural damage in a WUI fire. The outcome of the project could potentially optimize firefighting strategies and evacuation planning for an entire community.
Kara van Heerden (Master's student, Stellenbosch University), has received a student research grant for her project, “Human Behaviour in Wildland-Urban Interface Fires: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of the 2017 Knysna Fire.” UKara will be interviewing individuals who experienced the 2017 Knysna wildfire to discover how they made decisions, interacted with and responded to their surroundings, and what challenges they faced and how they responded to them during the fire. The goal of the project is to improve community safety during a WUI fire.
2024
Hafizah Muhamad Azlan (PhD student, Universiti Teknologi MARA), has received a student research grant for her project, “Experimental Study on the Impact of Density and Moisture Content on the Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Wood Using Thermal Analysis Methods.” She seeks to add to the knowledge base of timber as a building material by investigating thermal properties of various Malaysian woods. Specifically, she will determine the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content of the selected wood; use Differential Thermal Analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis, and Differential Mechanical Thermal Analysis to study woods of different moisture content and densities at various temperature ranges and heating rates; and ultimately analyze the effect of moisture and density on their thermal properties.
Tadele Getu (PhD student, Queen's University), was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Evaluating Best Practice Guidelines for Fire Risk Reduction in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Communities: A Comparative Study of Regulatory Controls in Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities in Fire-Prone Areas.” Getu aims to evaluate and improve fire risk reduction guidelines and practices in wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities by comparing approaches in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. He will assess current practices, identify best practices and gaps, and propose strategies to enhance community resilience.
Maria Binte Mannan (PhD student, University of Maryland College Park), has received a student research grant for her project, “Drywall Thermal Damage Quantification Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Techniques.” Gypsum calcination is a critical marker for fire investigations, but the depth probe method can be inconsistent. With her project, Mannan aims to improve upon calcination quantification with an innovative ultrasound technique that is more precise and consistent than depth probes, ultimately advancing damage assessment practices in fire forensic science.
Samuel Ojo (PhD student, Case Western Reserve University), has received a student research grant for his project, “Bioengineered Fire-Resistant Fungal Fibers for Sustainable Infrastructure.” Fungal fibers have lately emerged as an eco-friendly, fire-resistant alternative to the use of additives to concrete like polyproplyene fibers and epoxy resin used to reduce spalling in fires. Ojo will explore the fire-resistant properties of fungal fibers grown with a rice hull, determining its fire performance under real-world fire conditions and after exposure to evaluate its effectiveness at enhancing the fire resistance of concrete.
Darko Glujić (PhD student, University of Rijeka), was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Testing of an Advanced CFD-VR Firefighting Scenario in a Ship Engine Room.” He aims to create a more realistic and immersive training experience by integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to accurately model fire and smoke spread. The project involves defining fire scenarios, conducting CFD simulations, transferring CFD results to a VR environment, and creating interactive training scenarios. The developed VR scenarios will then be tested with users, and the collected data will be analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the training.
Rajeendra Lakmina Pilana Godakandage (PhD student, University of Moratuwa and RMIT University) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Effect of Ventilation Parameter on Fire Dynamics within Narrow Vertical Concealed Cavity Spaces.” For this project, Godakandage will conduct six medium-scale cavity fire tests with varying airflow conditions. He will collect data on gas temperature, wall temperature, and flame height to analyze the impact of airflow on fire behavior in narrow vertical cavities, develop predictive models, and create a validated numerical simulation.
Kunal Mallick (PhD student, Presidency University), was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Pyrogenic Alterations of Soilscapes in Deciduous Forests of Southern West Bengal.” Mallick aims to investigate the effects of forest fires on soil properties in the Rarh region of West Bengal, India. The study will focus on the physiochemical transformations in soils across temporal and fire temperature gradients, evaluating soil properties at different depths post-fire events and during understory regeneration, and comparing surface water repellency between burnt and unburnt forest patches.
Wenxuan Wu (PhD student, The University of Queensland) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Smouldering of Preservative-Treated Timber after Wildland/WUI Fires.” Wu’s research project aims to study the smoldering potential of copper-based treated timber after wildfires. He will assess the decomposition and smoldering rates of treated timbers under wildfire scenarios, providing insights into the occurrences and severity of smoldering inherent to different treatment types and concentrations.
2023
Amy Kurr (PhD Student, University of Tennesse - Knoxville) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Fire Properties of Thermally Aged XLPE Cable Insulation." Amy's research project seeks to assess the fire properties of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation in cables under different time-temperature scenarios, focusing on specific heat release rate, heat release capacity, heat of combustion, ignition temperature, and smoke concentration. The goal is to understand how thermal aging affects the insulation's fire properties, thereby improving cable reliability and reducing catastrophic failures in the transportation and energy sectors.
Joshua Madden (PhD Student, The University of Queensland) was awarded a student research grant for his project, "Phenomena Governing the Fire Dynamics in Open-Plan Timber Compartments." His proposed research project aims to develop engineering models for open-plan timber compartments in mass timber buildings, addressing the unique fire safety challenges they present compared to traditional concrete or steel structures. The project will investigate the ignition, flame spread, and self-extinction behaviors of timber ceilings under varying conditions, aiming to integrate these findings into a comprehensive fire safety strategy for mass timber buildings.
Satorupa Karmakar (PhD student, University of Queensland-Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Joint Academy of Research) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Understanding the Impact of Policies Designed to Mitigate Fire Risk in Informal Housing." Her proposed research project aims to understand and improve fire risk management in informal housing settlements, focusing on India and Australia. The project will involve cross-country studies, workshops with various stakeholders, and thematic analysis to address the gaps in policy-making and practice of fire hazard management, contributing to sustainable urban growth and the implementation of sustainable development goals.
Zara Vermeulen (Master's Student, Stellenbosch University) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Development of a Green/Biomass Intumescent Paint for Passive Fire Protection." With her research, Zara aims to develop a green intumescent paint using biomass materials for enhanced sustainability in passive fire protection. The project will focus on understanding the fire behavior of biomass materials, developing a biomass-based intumescent paint, and comparing its fire performance and sustainability aspects with traditional intumescent paints.
Weng Jingwen (PhD Student, Department of Architectural Engineering, City University of Hong Kong) was awarded a student research grant for her project, "Fire-protection-oriented Battery Safety Management System Based on Artificial Neural Network." Although lithium-ion batteries are key to the future of electric vehicles, their tendency to overheat and potentially catch fire is a significant challenge. Using a combination of computer simulations and artificial intelligence, this study aims to provide comprehensive solutions for battery fire protection.
Nikolaos Kalogeropoulos (PhD Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London) was awarded a student research grant for his project, "Evacuation Trigger Boundaries Applied to the Fire Safety of Rural Communities, with AI Acceleration and Applied to a Community in the 2019 Kincade Fire." The aim of this project is to develop and improve a probabilistic trigger boundary algorithm to assist with long-term wildfire evacuation planning. Ultimately, the algorithm will become a completely machine learning-based tool.
Nik Rus (PhD Student, Department for Research of Fire-safe Sustainable Built Environment, University of Primorska, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute [ZAG]) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “FireSafePV Materials.” This project will study the effects of different types of roofing materials on the critical gap height between the roofing membrane and the PV panel in a building-applied Photovoltaic (BAPV) installation. Nik ultimately seeks to improve fire safety of BAPV with these experiments. The FRISSBE project receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 952395.
Tanmay Vora (PhD Student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan) was awarded a student research grant for his project, “Modeling Transport of Firebrands using a Eulerian Multiphase Technique around Structures and Communities.” The goal of this project is to formulate and experimentally verify and validate a novel computational model for firebrand transport that integrates a Eulerian multiphase model in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. It will be implemented using OpenFOAM.
2022
Rocio Cortez (Master student, Texas State University, US) was awarded a student research grant for her project “Integrating Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation into Disaster Loss Reduction Planning.” This project will further empirical and practical understandings of the dynamics that explain wildlife rehabilitation and rescue’s (WRR) capacity to help minimize the consequences of wildfires. It will analyze the conditions and factors that affect WRR’s ability to readily and effectively partake in wildfire response, and assess the nature of information exchange’s influence in wildfire response preparedness via cross-agency communication, coordination, and information exchange.
Marika du Plessis (MEng/PhD student, Stellenbosch University, South Africa) was awarded a student research grant for her project “Experimental and Numerical Testing of Mass Timber Connections Considering Gap Size and Passive Protection.” This project aims to understand if the fire behavior of mass timber connections can be predicted reliably and improved by using passive fire protection intumescent mastics.
Andrea Franchini (PhD student, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK) was awarded a student research grant for his project “A Novel Risk-Based Fire Design Method for Sustainable Structures.” This project is focused on developing an extension to the Maximum Allowable Damage approach using machine learning techniques and on implementing the approach into safe and sustainable structural optimization. Furthermore, the project will apply the proposed computational risk-based design framework to bridge structures.
Waseem Hittini (PhD Student, The University of Queensland, Australia) was awarded a student research grant for his project "Assessment of Flame Spread Models: Level of Complexity of Sub-Models." This project seeks to build a greater understanding of the performance of the sub-models in Computational Fluid Dynamic-Pyrolysis models, with a focus on determining
the capability and source of errors in them.
Xiaoqing Li (Master's Student, University of Science and Technology of China, China) was awarded a student research grant for her project "Thermal Breakage and Fallout of Tempered Glazing System and Its Interaction with Compartment Fire." This project will use experiments and numerical simulations reveal the breakage and fallout mechanism of tempered glass, as well as the influence of sudden ventilation change caused by glass fallout on the fire evolution and entrainment behavior of compartment fire. The end result will be the development of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model with consideration of glass fallout.
Anoop Warrier (PhD Student, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom) was awarded a student research grant for his project "Externally Venting Flames (EVF) Dynamics and Development in Non-Orthogonal Geometries." This project will investigate the mechanism of external fire spread in curvilinear façade systems and their impact on the building, using both Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling and large-scale experimental methods.
Tony Xiao (PhD Student, University of Sydney, Australia) was awarded a student research grant for his project "Chemically Enhanced Water Mist Suppression of Fires." The overall goal of this project is to develop novel experiments to investigate the use of chemically enhanced water mists (doped with small concentrations of non-toxic metal chemical additives like sodium bicarbonate and/or ferrocene) to extinguish buoyant/turbulent flames typical of compartment fires. The data will be used to advance decision-making and modelling through the development of a chemical effectiveness map and a quantitative database of suppression effectiveness.
Zilong Wang (PhD student, Research Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong/China) received a student research grant for his project “Smart Fire Calorimetry Driven by Image Analysis and Artificial Intelligence.” This project aims to develop a smart fire calorimetry system using fire scene images and artificial intelligence. The outcome of this research will provide a simple and convenient way to measure the fire HRR, which shows great potential in future smart firefighting applications.
2021
Juliette Franqueville (PhD student, UT Fire Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin) was awarded a student research grant for her project “Deep-Learning for Flame Characterization in Compartment Fires.” This project aims to develop a low-order model based on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which are machine learning algorithms inspired by biological neural networks, to characterize the effects of vent flows on pool fires in compartment fires. The ANNs training process will leverage transfer learning, which has the potential to make the training of the ANN faster and to produce more accurate flame position predictions.
Yohannes Shewalul (PhD student, Fire Engineering Research Unit, Stellenbosch University, South Africa) was awarded a student research grant for his project “Fire Behavior of Construction Systems Incorporating Waste Materials.” The project will identify commonly used waste materials in construction systems for which fire ratings have not been obtained and conduct experimental fire testing on construction systems incorporating such waste materials. The results of this study hold the potential to inform strategies of the fire service when responding to incidents where large quantities of oil-based recycled materials are encapsulated in walls.
Cheryl A. Marek, P.E. (PhD Candidate in Civil Engineering, University of Maryland) was awarded a student research grant for her project “Causal Factors in the Escalation of Fire Incidents During Naval Ship Maintenance Availabilities.” The project aims to improve industrial fire safety during naval ship maintenance availabilities by assessing why some incipient fire incidents escalate to major fires in order to recommend standardized data reporting inputs and inform program, technical and contractual requirements.
David Morrisset (PhD student, University of Edinburgh Fire Research Centre, UK) was awarded a student research grant for his project “Quantifying the Statistical Uncertainty of Furniture-Scale Fire Testing.” The project investigates the statistical variation in furniture calorimeter testing and will thereby improve the tools available to FPEs and provide a large dataset for a variety of key experimental results, including the heat release rate. Initial results from the project have been published in the July 2022 issue of FPE eXTRA.
Iffah Umairah Zulmajdi (pursuing a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Putra, Malaysia) was awarded a student research grant for her project “A Comparison of Zone and Field Model for the Probabilistic Simulation of NIST Kitchen Fire.” The project assesses whether probabilistic simulation of kitchen fire spread using field models (CFD) can produce better representation of the fire phenomena as compared to using zone models. Drawing on this assessment, the project will determine whether it is useful to invest in probabilistic simulations using a field model, which uses very high resources, or whether it is sufficient to use zone models.
2020
- Bronwyn Forrest from University of Waterloo was awarded 5K to provide support for her project Human Physiological Response to Fire Exposure: A Comprehensive Model, which aims to fill gaps that currently exist with respect to detailed definition of evolved fire environments, and to address the lack of current understanding regarding how that environment impacts exposed humans.
- Deanna Craig from Clemson University was awarded 5K to provide support for her project Realizing Autonomous Structural Fire Engineering through Machine Learning, which aims to create a foundation for next-gen structural fire engineering tools that is not only streamlined, but autonomous in nature.
- Diego Alvarez Coedo from Comillas Pontifical University was awarded 5K to provide support for his project Experimental Validation of a Multi-scale Modelling Methodology for Tunnel Fires, which aims to gain knowledge in the use of multi-scale numerical models, using fire dynamics simulator, applied to tunnel fires through their validation with full-scale data and also with specific reduced scale fire experiments.
- Francesca Lugaresi from Imperial College London was awarded 5K to provide support for her project Mechanical Failure of Glazed Curtain Walls Exposed to Fire, which aims to assess the safety of a curtain wall systems under thermal effects due to fire.
- Alyssa A. DeSimone from the University of Michigan was awarded 5K to provide support for her project, Novel Fire Spread Model for Large Compartments, which seeks to create a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that uses the flux-time product to estimate ignition from one burning object to another.
- William Calcagno from Worcester Polytechnic institute was awarded 5K to provide support for his project State of Use of Lithium-Ion Batteries and Thermal Runaway Onset, which seeks to determine the impact usage has on the tendency for a lithium-ion battery to initiate thermal runaway.
Research Report/MA Thesis:
Energetics of Lithium-Ion Battery Failure during Use and Thermal Abuse
Author: William Calcagno (Recipient of a 2020 SFPE Foundation Student Research Grant)
Submitted: 2022 (Master of Science Thesis at Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
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- This publication also contributes to the Fire Dynamics and Non-Building Fires threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Tests the impact of the usage condition of lithium-ion batteries on their thermal runaway properties during thermal abuse in a modified copper slug calorimeter.
- Compares results for two chemistries of cylindrical 18650 lithium-ion cells: LiNiMnCoO2(NMC) and LiNixCoyAl1-x-yO2 (NCA).
- Average time to thermal runaway for NCA cells decreased as discharge current increased, while the average time to thermal runaway for NMC cells increased if discharge was present but did not increase continuously with increased discharge current.
- NMC cells lost charge faster than the NCA cells, which resulted in NMC cells undergoing thermal runaway during the high-discharge tests at a significantly higher temperature than every other test condition.
- The results of a variety of other comparisons between NCA and NMC are presented.
- Results suggest that while the employed test methodology can be generalized and applied to different battery chemistries, the impact of a lithium-ion battery’s usage condition(i.e., discharge current) on its thermal runaway properties cannot be generalized between different chemistries and each new chemistry should be tested in the future.
Shaorun Lin from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was awarded 5K to provide support for his project Megafire Mitigation: A Novel Methodology to Fight the Smouldering Wildfires, which aims to advance and enrich the wildfire-fighting strategy for suppressing smouldering underground wildfires.
Publications:
Several publications have resulted from this project, including:
Limits of Sustaining a Flame Above Smoldering Woody Biomass in Combustion Science and Technology
- This publication contributes to the Resilience/Sustainability and Fire Dynamics threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Explores the flaming of emission gases from the smoldering wood chips (200 kg/m3) under different oxidizer flow velocities (4 mm/s-24 mm/s) and oxygen concentrations (14%-21%) through porous media.
- Once ignited on the top, the smoldering front first propagates downward (1st stage, opposed) to the bottom and then propagates upward (2nd stage, forward).
- We found that during the 1st-stage downward smoldering propagation, a stable flame of smoldering emissions could be piloted and sustained.
- Proposes a simplified heat transfer process to reveal the limiting conditions for the co-existence of flaming and smoldering.
- Enriches strategies for the clean treatment of smoldering emissions and promotes an energy-efficient and environment-friendly method for biowaste removal.
A Computational Study on the Quenching and Near-limit Propagation of Smoldering Combustion in Combustion and Flame
- This publication contributes to the Fire Dynamics thread of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Builds a physics-based 2-D computational model that integrates heat and mass transfer and heterogeneous chemistry to investigate the limiting quenching conditions of in-depth smoldering propagation in a typical biomass sample.
- Simulation results predict that the smoldering quenching occurs as the sample width decreases or the wall-cooling coefficient increases, agreeing well with experiments.
- The modelled minimum smoldering temperature is about 350 °C, and the minimum propagation rate is around 0.5 cm/h.
- Further analysis demonstrates that either the smoldering temperature or propagation rate increases with the sample width and eventually approaches it maximum value.
- Explores the influences of the ambient temperature and oxygen level on the smoldering quenching distance.
Smoldering Ignition Using a Concentrated Solar Irradiation Spot in Fire Safety Journal
- This publication contributes to the Fire Dynamics thread of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Investigates the smoldering ignition of tissue paper by a concentrated sunlight spot with heat fluxes up to 780 kW/m2, which is focused by a transparent glass sphere.
- The measured minimum spot irradiation for smoldering ignition is not a constant and is much higher than 11 kW/m2 measured in a traditional cone-calorimeter test.
- As the diameter of the irradiation spot decreases from 20 to 1.5 mm, the minimum irradiation for smoldering ignition increases from 17.5 to 205 kW/m2, and the ignition energy increases from 0.084 to 2.0 MJ/m2.
- A simplified heat transfer analysis reveals that the lateral conductive cooling within the fuel becomes dominant for a smaller spot ignition area.
Smoldering Propagation and Blow-off on Consolidated Fuel Under External Airflow in Combustion and Flame
- This publication contributes to the Fire Service and Fire Dynamics threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Quantifies the smoldering propagation rates on consolidated biomass and the blow-off limits under concurrent and opposed external airflows up to 50 m/s.
- As the airflow velocity increases, the smoldering propagation rate first increases to its maximum value (Oxygen-limited Regime) and subsequently remains stable (Thermal Regime), regardless of the airflow direction. Afterward, it slightly decreases (Chemical Regime) until blow-off, and the blow-off of opposed smoldering is easier, similar to the pattern of flame spread.
- The blow-off airflow velocity (13–46 m/s) of smoldering combustion is around ten times larger than that of flaming combustion, and it decreases as the fuel diameter or density increases.
How to Build a Firebreak to Stop Smouldering Peat Fire: Insights From a Laboratory-scale Study in International Journal of Wildland Fire
- This publication contributes to the Fire Service and Wildland/WUI Fire threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Explores the feasibility of firebreaks to control smouldering peat fires through laboratory-scale experiments with the dry-mass moisture content (MC) of peat soil varying from 10%(air-dried) to 125%.
- Finds that smouldering peat fire may be successfully extinguished above the mineral soil layer, even if the peat layer is not entirely removed.
- There are two criteria for an effective peat firebreak: (I) adding water to make the peat layer sufficiently wet (>115% MC in the present work); and (II) ensuring that the peat layer is thinner than the quenching thickness (<5 cm). Criterion I may fail if the water table declines or the peat layer is dried by surface fires and hot weather; thus, satisfying Criterion II is more attainable.
- A sloping trench-shaped firebreak is recommended to guide water flow and help maintain high peat moisture content.
Climate-induced Arctic-boreal Peatland Fire and Carbon Loss in the 21st Century in Science of The Total Environment
- This publication contributes to the Wildland/WUI Fires thread of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Develops a new physical model to estimate the extra carbon emissions from artic-boreal peat fires.
- The predicted total carbon loss from boreal peat fires in the 21st century is 28 Gt.
- Under a larger artic warming rate, the peat fire carbon loss with further increase.
- The boreal peat fires affect the ecosystem through multiple biogeochemical processes.
Natalia Flores Quiroz from Stellenbosch University was awarded 5K to provide support for her project on the development, and application of forensic investigation procedures for informal settlement fires, which seeks to develop new tools of fire investigation for people living in poor conditions.
Publications:
Several publications have resulted from this project, including:
Fire Incident Analysis of a Large-scale Informal Settlement Fire Based on Video Imagery in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
- This publication contributes to the Human Behavior, Non-Building Fires, Wildland/WUI Fires, as well as Fire Dynamics and Fire Service threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Importance of studying real fire incidents in informal settlements to understand the fire spread, the human behavior, and firefighters’ response and operations with respect to those incidents.
- Implications for the development of policy for safety during urban environment large-scale fires, as well as the development of improved interventions, firefighter strategies, community layouts, and response strategies for low-income communities.
Application of the Framework for Fire Investigations in Informal Settlements to Large-scale Real Fire Events – Consideration of Fire Formation Patterns, Fire Spread Rates and Home Survivability in Fire Safety Journal
- This publication contributes to the Non-Building Fires, Forensics/Investigations and Wildland/WUI Fires threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- The application of the Framework for Fire Investigations in Informal Settlements (FFIIS) allows developing hypotheses that more accurately define the area of fire origin and pattern formation sequence.
- Fire pattern for large post-flashover fires in Informal Settlements can be treated as wildland fires pattern.
Towards Understanding Fire Causes in Informal Settlements Based on Inhabitant Risk Perception in Fire
- This publication contributes to the Human Behavior and Wildland/WUI Fires threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- Survey respondents’ risk perception emphasized factors outside their control when asked about their own household, but personal irresponsibility when asked about their community.
- Inhabitants’ fire risk perception of their settlement is similar to that of firefighters in previous research.
- The risk mitigation demands are more focused on decreasing the consequences of the fire than on the occurrence of a fire event.
- The (South African) national fire statistics are not capturing the causes of real fire incidents in informal settlements.
- Improvements to the documentation process after a fire event could provide critical information for the implementation of prevention measures.
2019
Sandra Vaiciulyte from the University of Greenwich awarded 5K to provide support for her project, When Disaster Strikes: Human Responses to Wildfires and Evacuation in the South of France and Australia, which is a study that focuses on human behavior, specifically that of people from different cultures in wildfire scenarios.
Publications:
Several publications have resulted from this project, including:
Exploring ‘Wait and See’ Responses in French and Australian WUI Wildfire Emergencies in Safety Science
- This publication contributes to the Human Behavior and Wildland/WUI Fires threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- This study systematically compared survey responses of residents in French and Australian at-risk regions.
- The results showed regional differences, with participants in France tending to choose to ‘wait and see’ as a response to fire cues more often than participants in Australia.
- There was less waiting when participants received environmental as compared to social cues, although the type of environmental/social cue appeared to moderate this behaviour.
Cross-cultural Comparison of Behavioural Itinerary Actions and Times in Wildfire Evacuations in Safety Science
- This publication contributes to the Human Behavior and Wildland/WUI Fires threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
- Key takeaways:
- This study compares survey data from residents of areas at-risk of wildfires in the South of France and Australia.
- Results revealed that, across the two regions, the discrete actions in response to a wildfire threat were similar overall, albeit their priority sometimes differed. However, when analysed by category, the prioritisation of actions was uniform across samples.
- Regional differences were also observed in relation to: mean number of actions, time committed to actions and the influence of socio-demographic factors, indicating geographical and cultural determinants.
2017
- Franz Richter from Imperial College London awarded 5K to provide partial support for the Computational Investigation of the Timber Response to Fire, which is a study that focuses on the creation of a toolkit to more accurately predict the charring rate of timber, thereby helping fire engineers and regulators assess the safety of proposed building designs.
- Dr. Michael Gollner from the University of Maryland awarded 5K to provide partial support for the graduate student program instructor and lecture and laboratory materials for An Introduction to Math and Physics through Fire Dynamics, which is a unique, semester-long, on-campus high school bridge program designed to introduce students to advanced concepts in chemistry, physics, and mathematics through the lens of fire dynamics, so as to increase their exposure to, and understanding of, the value of these concepts, which are typically taught independently as separate areas of study.
2015
- Dr. Brian Meacham from Worcester Polytechnic Institute awarded 5K to provide partial support for the development of a textbook entitled Fire Performance Analysis for Buildings, which will be published by John Wiley & Sons. The textbook will provide a framework for evaluating the performance of buildings against fire scenarios that link the fire, active and passive fire defenses, people, building architecture, and site conditions. The award will help support the participation of students and others to assist in the completion of fire performance analysis examples, supporting graphics, and the final technical review.
- Dr. Brian Meacham from Worcester Polytechnic Institute awarded 5K to provide partial support for the research project Post-Earthquake Fire Performance of a Light-Gauge Cold-Formed Steel Framed Building. The funds from this grant will support room-scale fire tests in order to assess the fire performance of structural and non-structural systems, including exit system components (corridors, stairs, doors), fire- and smoke-rated compartmentation (walls and ceilings), exterior system performance (walls, windows), and if time and resources permit active fire protection systems. The research is slated to begin in May 2016 and findings will be summarized and disseminated via multiple formats, including conference papers, journal articles, and technical reports.
- Egle Rackauskaite from Imperial College London awarded 15K to provide partial support for the research project Response of Steel and Concrete Structures to Travelling Fires. The funds will go towards creating a collaboration between the Imperial College London and the University of Michigan to investigate and compare the structural response of steel frames and concrete frames to traveling fires. The research will capture the fire heterogeneity effect on the structural response and quantify it in a probabilistic framework. This will identify the critical fires that could lead to the most severe conditions for the structures.
2014
- Isaac Leventon from The University of Maryland awarded $11,607 to provide partial support to provide a new high school bridge course: An Introduction to Math and Physics through Fire Dynamics. The funds will go towards creating a semester-long program that is designed to introduce students to advanced concepts in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, through the lens of fire dynamics to increase their exposure to, and understanding of, the value of these concepts, which are typically taught independently as separate areas of study. By studying the content of this course as it applies to a series of real-world applications, student awareness of the responsibilities and career opportunities of a fire protection engineer is also developed. Watch a story on The University of Maryland-funded course Sparking a Love for Science by Studying How Christmas Trees Burn.
2013
- Dr. Jose Torero from The University of Queensland was awarded 5K to provide partial support to the creation of a fire safety engineering program at The University of Queensland for the creation of a new SFPE Student Chapter (UQ-SFPE). You can find all the great things UQ-SFPE is doing here.