The wildland-urban interface fire problem - Current approaches and Research Needs

Published

March 1, 2010

Author(s)

William E. Mell, Samuel L. Manzello, Alexander Maranghides, David T. Butry, Ronald G. Rehm

Abstract

Wildfires that spread into wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities present significant challenges on a number of fronts. In the United States the WUI accounts for a significant portion of wildland fire suppression and wildland fuel treatment costs. Methods to reduce structure losses are focused on fuel treatments in either wildland fuels or residential fuels. There is a need for a well characterized, systematic, testing of these approaches across a range of community and structure types and fire conditions. Laboratory experiments, field measurements, fire behavior models can be used to better determine the exposure conditions faced by communities and structures. The outcome of such an effort would be proven fuel treatment techniques for wildland and residential fuels, risk assessment strategies, economic cost analysis models, and test methods with representative exposure conditions for fire resistant building designs and materials.

Citation

International Journal of Wildland Fire

Volume

19

Issue

2

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

wildland urban interface, WUI, wildfires, wildland fires, fires

Citation

Mell, W. , Manzello, S. , Maranghides, A. , Butry, D. and Rehm, R. (2010), The wildland-urban interface fire problem - Current approaches and Research Needs, International Journal of Wildland Fire, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=902804 (Accessed April 18, 2024)