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Engineering Laboratory

Fire Research Division

News and Updates

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Terracotta and Cement Roofs Vulnerable in Wildfires, NIST Study Finds

May 14, 2013

Although made of fire-resistant materials, terracotta and cement roof tiles are vulnerable to penetration by windblown embers generated in wildfires, according...

NIST Fire Protection Engineer Named Service to America Finalist

May 7, 2013

Daniel Madrzykowski, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire protection engineer with a 25-year track record of conducting research that...

Landmark NIST Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Crew Sizes in High-Rise Fires

April 17, 2013

When responding to fires in high-rise buildings, firefighting crews of five or six members—instead of three or four—are significantly faster in putting out...

Landmark High-Rise Fire Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Crew Sizes, Elevator Use

April 10, 2013

PHOENIX – When responding to fires in high-rise buildings, firefighting crews of five or six members—instead of three or four—are significantly faster in...

House burning. Firefighters are using a host to douse the flames.

'Live Burns' in Spartanburg, S.C., Will Benefit Research and Firefighter Training

January 24, 2013

Fire researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and colleagues from fire service organizations will turn abandoned wood-frame...

NIST and Forest Service Create World's First Hazard Scale for Wildland Fires

December 5, 2012

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—Two federal agencies have teamed to create the first-ever system for linking accurate assessments of risk from wildland fires to improved...

Controlled experiment at NIST's National Fire Research Laboratory

New NIST Strategic Roadmap Aims to Reduce the Nation's Preventable Fire Burden by a Third

September 5, 2012

The United States already has one of the highest direct fire loss rates among developed nations, and progress in reducing this tremendous burden is slowing...

Photo of a burnt faceplate from a firefighter's gear

NIST Study of Hazard to Firefighters Leads to Safety Alert

July 25, 2012

Results of "live burn" studies and laboratory tests conducted by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire researchers helped to prompt a...

The New York City Fire Department, NIST and Underwriters Laboratories set fire to 20 abandoned townhouses on Governors Island, New York

Live Fire Tests with FDNY Will Guide Improvements in Fire Department Tactics

July 11, 2012

In the name of science, but with aim of saving lives, preventing injuries and reducing property losses, members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)...

Novel Clay-based Coating May Point the Way to New Generation of Green Flame Retardants

June 27, 2012

In searching for better flame retardants for home furnishings—a large source of fuel in house fires—National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)...

Picture of the results of the Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes (ASTM E2187)

Nationwide Adoption of NIST-Developed Test Predicted to Cut Death Toll Due to Cigarette-Caused Fires

May 29, 2012

In 2003, New York became the first state requiring cigarettes sold within its borders to pass a fire safety standard based on a test developed by the National...

NIST Fire Research Earns Honors

May 2, 2012

Fire researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently were honored by the International Association of Arson Investigators...

NIST Report on Texas Fire Urges Firefighters to Consider Wind Effects

February 7, 2012

Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new...

Flames from a living-room pour out the front door of a townhouse during a NIST test.

Study Finds Failure Points in Firefighter Protective Equipment

December 6, 2011

In fire experiments conducted in uniformly furnished, but vacant Chicago-area townhouses, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers...

New NIST Web Site Features Fire Safety for the Holidays

December 6, 2011

Fire researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) remind us that proper care of a cut Christmas tree is important to retaining high...

In Unique Fire Tests, Outdoor Decks Will Be Under Firebrand Attack

September 27, 2011

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will unleash its Dragon—a NIST invention that bellows showers of glowing embers, or firebrands—at...

A member of a joint NIST-Texas Forest Service study team collects data on a Amarillo, Texas, building damaged by wildfires in February 2011.

North Texas Wildfires Spark Historic Federal-State Collaborative Study

August 2, 2011

Two wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires* earlier this year outside of Amarillo, Texas, destroyed 70 homes, burned more than 25,000 acres of land, and caused...

Novel Coatings Show Great Promise as Flame Retardants in Polyurethane Foam

August 2, 2011

Gram for gram, novel carbon nanofiber-filled coatings devised by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Texas A&M...

Promising Fire Retardant Results When Clay Nanofiller Has Space

July 6, 2011

If materials scientists accompanied their research with theme songs, a team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of...

Free Online Tool Aids Decisions on Fire Sprinkler Systems for Homes

April 12, 2011

For the many states, communities, new-home builders and prospective buyers now mulling over the pluses and minuses of installing residential fire suppression...

NIST researcher photographing the remains of the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, S.C., on June 19, 2007, the day after the fire that killed nine firefighters.

NIST Releases Final Report on Charleston Sofa Store Fire

March 15, 2011

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released its final report on its study of the June 18, 2007, fire at the Sofa Super Store in...

Fiery Video Shows Moisture is Main Ingredient for a Safe Christmas Tree

December 8, 2010

Once ignited, a dry Fraser fir, one of the most popular Christmas tree choices, bursts into flames in less than 7 seconds, and it will be consumed by fire in...

NIST Seeks Comments on Study of Charleston Furniture Store Fire

November 9, 2010

Major factors contributing to a rapid spread of fire at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, S.C., on June 18, 2007, included large open spaces with furniture...

NIST Study on Charleston Furniture Store Fire Calls for National Safety Improvements

October 28, 2010

Volume I: NIST Technical Study of the Sofa Super Store Fire - South Carolina, June 18, 2007 Volume II: NIST Technical Study of the Sofa Super Store Fire - South...

Opening Statement: News Media Briefing Technical Study of the Sofa Super Store Fire

October 28, 2010

NIST News Release Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire Thank you, Bill. Good afternoon. As Bill has just mentioned, NIST is a scientific research agency. We chose...

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