Resources for Designing WUI Communities

We have posted several resources from our presentation today at the NFPA Conference. They can be read here or downloaded via PDF. A copy of the final presentation will also be posted soon.

Resources for Designing WUI Communities (PDF)

Presentation from NFPA 2016 (PDF)

Resources for Designing WUI Communities

Fire Modeling

A 1-D model giving values, such as rate of spread (ROS), flame length, fire intensity, etc. Inputs needed are:

A 2-D mapping model useful for producing risk mapping of the community

A 2-D time dependent stochastic spread model, useful for evacuation planning and determining the effectiveness of potential fuel treatments.

A modeling software used for fire management purposes, such as planning prescribed burns and determining other management strategies. It uses the probability of certain weather to predict potential outcomes.

 

Inputs for Fire Modeling and Other Tools:

Provides fuel and topography data mapped across the United States, including slope, fuel models, vegetation, fire regimes, etc. Provides .lcp files needed for FARSITE and FlamMap simulations.

Provides information on past and active fire perimeter data.

An extension of the original 13 models. LANDFIRE provides fuel model data in either form (of the original 13 or newer 40).

 

Community & homeowner checklists and programs

An NFPA program with resources for community planning and homeowner checklists for home and lot wildfire hazard mitigation.

Provides checklists for homeowners living in areas affected by natural disasters (including wildfires) to determine their home vulnerability.

A multi-agency program with resources for state and local wildfire preparedness programs. Also provides resources for homeowners.

A resource for communities that approach wildfire risk mitigation on multiple levels: homeowner responsibility, neighbor to neighbor interactions, and whole community responsibility.

 

Codes and Standards

  • NFPA 1141: Standard for fire protection infrastructure for land development in wildland, rural, and suburban areas
  • NFPA 1142: Standard on water supplies for suburban and rural firefighting
  • NFPA 1143: Standard for wildland fire management
  • NFPA 1144: Standard for reducing structure ignition hazards from wildland fire
  • ICC WUI Code: International Wildland-Urban Interface Code
  • California Building Code Chapter 7A: Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure

 

Infrastructure Community Design Pre-plan /Assessment Building Components and Systems
NFPA
    1141 Water supply Access/Egress; Building separation Community Safety Automatic sprinklers; manual systems
    1142 Water supply
    1144 Structure ignition zone; fuel modification Construction materials
ICC Water supply Access/Egress; Building separation Fire protection plan; defensible space; fuel modification Construction materials
CBC Roofing; vents; exterior covering; windows and doors; decking; accessory structures

 

 

Risk Assessments and Mapping:

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