UL Research Institutes Launches New Firefighter Training Course

COLUMBIA, MD - UL Research Institutes and its Fire Safety Research Institute announced a new firefighter training course to address the threats found in the wildland urban interface, also known as WUI, or the zone where neighborhoods, commercial buildings, roads, and other infrastructure blends with undeveloped wildland.

When WUI fires begin to spread into dense communities, there is a risk of urban conflagration, a large and destructive fire that is primarily spreading from structure to structure. Instead of trees and vegetation, burning structures in the WUI become the primary fuel, increasing fire intensity and making suppression exponentially more difficult.

Firefighters must enhance situational and tactical awareness to battle these fires effectively.

“In recent years we’ve all seen firsthand the devastation from WUI fires in communities in Colorado, California, Hawaii, and around the world,” said Derek Alkonis, research program manager for Fire Safety Research Institute. “We need to prepare all firefighters - wildland, structural, and those who haven’t historically faced threats from wildfires - for the potential for urban conflagration. Understanding how these fires develop and spread, and knowing how to perform tactically in these highly dynamic conditions translates directly to lives and property saved.”

The new course titled “Structure Triage Considerations for Wildland Urban Interface Firefighting” has been developed based on the body of available research and expertise from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Fire Safety Research Institute, Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, International Association of Fire Fighters, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Wildfire Coordinating Group. The course also examines insights gained from URLI’s Maui Wildfires Analysis.

“The devastation we witnessed in Lahaina underscored the urgent need for better tools, training, and collaboration in the face of wildland urban interface fires,” said Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez. “This new course from UL Research Institutes offers critical guidance that can help save lives, protect communities, and ensure that our firefighters and communities are better prepared when these complex and fast-moving disasters strike.”

Existing wildland firefighter training focuses on fire behavior in unpopulated areas, while most structural firefighting training only covers brush fires briefly. This course aims to help both types of firefighters understand the complexities of fire spread within the built environment and help inform key considerations for strategic decision making. The course outlines how different structures ignite during WUI fires and helps firefighters understand where to prioritize their defense and suppression efforts. Defensive actions can be impactful for a structure’s survivability, and even when resources are limited, first responders can take important steps to slow down or stop fire spread.

Firefighters who take the course will be able to:

• Identify factors that influence fire behavior in the WUI, including fuels, such as vegetation and structures, and environmental factors, including topography and weather.
• Describe the methods of WUI fire spread.
• Explain how factors, such as structure separation distance, residential construction features, parcel fuel loading, and community planning contribute to conflagration risk.
• Identify key considerations for assessing structure and community defensibility to inform resource allocation and firefighting tactics during WUI fire incidents.
• Apply knowledge generated from the organization’s post-fire analysis of the Maui wildfires to analyze the impact of structural and community features, as well as strategic decision-making, on the results of incident operations.

Fire Safety Research Institute is conducting a wide range of research to understand WUI fires, structure-to-structure spread, and their impact on communities. Current and existing research includes the Maui wildfires analysis, heat transfer from structure fires, post-fire water contamination, and firebrand ignition. Research updates are available at fsri.org.

About Fire Safety Research Institute

Fire Safety Research Institute, part of UL Research Institutes, strives to advance fire safety knowledge and strategies in order to create safer environments. Using advanced fire science, rigorous research, extensive outreach and education in collaboration with an international network of partners, the organization imparts stakeholders with knowledge, tools, and resources that enable them to make better, more fire safe decisions that ultimately save lives and property. To learn more, visit fsri.org. Follow FSRI on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About UL Research Institutes

UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing public safety through scientific discovery. Since 1894, our research has advanced our mission toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Focused on global risks from fire mitigation and air quality to safe energy storage and digital privacy, we conduct rigorous independent research, analyze safety data and partner with experts to uncover and act on existing and emerging risks to human safety. Discover more at UL.org.