Fire Protection Engineers and the Wildland Urban Interface

Learn how a fire protection engineer (FPE) can provide engineering-based solutions to help your community with wildland urban interface (WUI) fire planning and mitigation activities.

Brian Metzger, FPE, U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)
FPEs apply their knowledge of materials, chemistry, social science and fire to reduce the risk of fires and protect communities. One area where their expertise is essential is in WUI areas where homes and other structures are located near wildlands and vegetative fuels.

How FPEs are addressing the WUI fire problem
FPEs play a critical role in the WUI, using their knowledge of fire science and engineering to design structures, plans and systems that help prevent and mitigate the spread of wildfires to make communities more resilient. Possible FPE WUI interactions include:

Conducting wildfire risk assessments to identify potential hazards and vulnerabilities and developing WUI fire mitigation and management plans to minimize risk and protect communities.
Designing and incorporating fire protection systems and technology, such as fuel reduction measures, fire breaks, construction materials selection and early warning systems.
Collaborating with land management agencies, authorities having jurisdiction and first responders to develop and implement fire and emergency management strategies.
Participating in community outreach and education programs to raise awareness about WUI fire risks and risk reduction strategies.
Conducting research on the combustion of fuels and the interactions with weather patterns and other environmental conditions that may increase fire risk or exposure to products of combustion.
An FPE’s work might start with several questions intended to understand the nature of wildfire hazards in WUI areas, such as:

Where are the WUI areas in a community?
What types of structures and people are in the WUI?
How fire ready are properties in the WUI (density, building materials, landscaping, etc.)?
What are the potential ignition sources (human activity, power lines, etc.)?
What measures could be taken to reduce risk of wildfire and fire spread?
What is the role of weather in making these fuels more or less combustible?
How prepared is the community regarding fire mitigation, evacuation and response?
Suggested areas for increased FPE WUI interaction
Following a risk assessment, other areas of WUI focus for FPEs may include:

Developing a comprehensive Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) with an interdepartmental approach.
Raising public awareness about where WUI exists, including nontraditional areas that are in the WUI, and promoting ways to prevent, detect and mitigate fires.
Identifying gaps in WUI fire preparedness, including fire department capabilities and training, to support safer, more resilient communities.
Accessing and promoting USFA WUI resources, such as the “Role of the Fire Service in Creating Healthy Community Landscapes” video and National Fire Academy WUI courses.
Staying up to date on new resources, such as a WUI mapping tool that the USFA is developing, or the WUI Virtual Handbook for Property Fire Risk Assessment and Mitigation that was recently published by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).

— Read on www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/ci-022423.html