Fire Science Show

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Wojciech Wegrzynski
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Fire Science Show is connecting fire researchers and practitioners with a society of fire engineers, firefighters, architects, designers and all others, who are genuinely interested in creating a fire-safe future. Through interviews with a diverse group of experts, we present the history of our field as well as the most novel advancements. We hope the Fire Science Show becomes your weekly source of fire science knowledge and entertainment. Produced in partnership with the Diamond Sponsor of the show - OFR Consultants

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Recent Hosts, Guests & Topics

Here's a quick summary of the last 5 episodes on Fire Science Show.

Hosts

Fire Science Show unknown

Previous Guests

Ryan Fogelman
Ryan Fogelman is a fire safety expert and representative from Fire Rover, a company specializing in innovative fire suppression solutions. He has extensive knowledge in the field of fire safety, particularly in relation to waste and recycling facility fires. Ryan has been recognized for his contributions to fire safety engineering, including receiving the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award. His work focuses on addressing the challenges posed by lithium-ion batteries and improving fire response systems in waste management.
Rebekah Schrader
Rebekah Schrader is a researcher at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) specializing in fire dynamics and safety engineering. She has contributed to various studies on fire spread mechanisms and their implications for building design and safety protocols.
Joseph Willi
Joseph Willi is a fire safety researcher at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). His work focuses on the interactions between wildfires and structural fire safety, aiming to improve community resilience against fire hazards.
Daniel Gorham
Daniel Gorham is a fire researcher at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) with expertise in experimental fire research. He has been involved in projects that investigate fire spread through various materials and construction methods.
Gavin Horn
Gavin Horn is the director of research at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). He leads initiatives that explore the complexities of fire behavior in urban environments, particularly in relation to wildfire interactions and structural integrity.
Chris Mayfield
Chris Mayfield is a fire safety expert with extensive experience in building safety regulations and fire risk management. He has worked on various high-profile projects and is known for his contributions to the development of safety cases in the UK, particularly in relation to the Building Safety Act.
Martyn Ramsden
Martyn Ramsden is a seasoned professional in fire safety and risk assessment. He has a strong background in engineering and has been involved in creating comprehensive fire safety strategies and safety cases for high-risk buildings, ensuring compliance with current safety legislation.
Xinyan Huang
Professor Xinyan Huang is a leading expert in battery safety and fire research, affiliated with Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He specializes in the study of battery fires, particularly focusing on thermal runaway events and the experimental methods used to trigger and analyze these phenomena. Professor Huang has contributed significantly to the field through his research, including numerous publications on topics such as nail penetration testing, mechanical and thermal abuse tests, and the dynamics of lithium-ion battery failures. He is also the organizer of the 4th International Symposium on Lithium Battery Fire Safety (ISLBFS 2025), which is set to be the largest conference on battery fire safety in the world.

Topics Discussed

waste fires recycling fires lithium-ion batteries fire protection methods remote monitoring fire suppression consumer disposal habits battery drop-off locations wildfire fire spread experimental research building materials heat transfer window performance fire safety engineering external walls FSRI urban conflagration fire safety building codes community design Building Safety Act fire safety cases hazard identification risk mitigation accountable person structural failure safety management emergency procedures bow tie diagrams high-risk buildings battery fires thermal runaway nail penetration testing mechanical abuse tests thermal abuse electrical abuse state of charge lithium battery fire safety

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Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on Fire Science Show.

0:00 1:00:19

198 - Waste and recycling fires and how to fight them with Ryan Fogelman

Hosts
Fire Science Show
Guests
Ryan Fogelman
Keywords
waste fires recycling fires lithium-ion batteries fire protection methods remote monitoring fire suppression consumer disposal habits battery drop-off locations

The devastating impact of waste and recycling industry fires costs approximately $2.5 billion annually in the US and Canada alone, with lithium-ion batteries causing roughly 50% of these incidents. In this episode with Ryan Fogelman from Fire Rover, we discuss:

Understanding the scale of waste facility fires and why traditional fire protection methods often fail in these environments
How lithium-ion batteries have created a "hockey stick" rise in fire incidents since 2015
The "vape effect" - how 1.2 billion single-use vapes with no proper disposal options are contributing to the fire crisis
Why remote monitoring and response systems can detect and fight fires faster than traditional sprinkler systems
The importance of early intervention - FireRover's systems respond in seconds rather than minutes, and targeted suppression uses 88% less water than traditional methods while providing more effective control, reducing the contaminated water spill
Why waste and recycling operators are victims of consumer disposal habits and regulatory gaps
The need for more convenient battery drop-off locations to prevent improper disposal
How innovative fire solutions are changing the approach from "water, water, water" to targeted remote response

Visit firerover.com to learn more about remote fire suppression solutions for waste facilities or contact Ryan Fogelman on lnkd for a free PDF copy of the latest "Waste & Recycling Facility Fire Annual Report"


Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

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The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

0:00 1:06:30

197 - Fire spread through external walls pt. 2 with FSRI

Guests
Rebekah Schrader Joseph Willi Daniel Gorham Gavin Horn
Keywords
wildfire fire spread experimental research building materials heat transfer window performance fire safety engineering

When wildfire threatens neighbourhoods with closely-spaced homes, what determines whether flames leap from one structure to the next? The FSRI research team - Rebekah Schrader, Joseph Willi, Daniel Gorham and Gavin Horn - joins us to unveil their experimental series that methodically dissects the pathways through which fire spreads between buildings.

The team walks us through their massive outdoor experimental setup, where they created controlled compartment fires and measured their impact on adjacent walls and windows at various separation distances. They discovered that even non-combustible exterior cladding like fiber cement board won't necessarily protect a home when the underlying sheathing is combustible—especially at close distances where heat fluxes reach a staggering 75-125 kW/m².

Windows emerge as perhaps the most vulnerable component, with their research revealing dramatic differences in performance between glass types. Double-pane tempered glass significantly outperforms plain glass configurations, but the surprising finding was how much window frame materials matter. In one experiment, vinyl frames completely failed while the glass was still intact, causing entire window assemblies to drop from the wall.

Another aspect of their research are the measurements of the heat transfer through intact windows. Using specialized measurements, they found that significant radiant heat penetrates even unbroken windows, potentially igniting curtains or furniture inside before the window itself fails. Low-emissivity coatings proved remarkably effective at reducing this heat transfer.

This research offers crucial insights for homeowners, fire safety engineers, and policymakers working to create more resilient communities. The findings extend beyond wildland fire applications, providing valuable data for urban fire safety engineering across multiple contexts.

Find the research papers at:

  • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fam.3278
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-024-01685-8
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-024-01656-z

And additional resources at:

  • https://fsri.org/research-update/journal-article-reports-heat-transfer-through-different-window-constructions
  • https://fsri.org/research-update/journal-article-investigates-role-residential-siding-materials-spread-exterior

Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

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The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

0:00 49:32

196 - Fire spread through external walls pt. 1 with FSRI

Guests
Rebekah Schrader Joseph Willi Daniel Gorham Gavin Horn
Keywords
fire spread external walls FSRI urban conflagration wildfire fire safety building codes community design

In this podcast episode, we host Rebekah Schrader, Joseph Willi, Daniel Gorham and Gavin Horn, all from the FSRI, to cover their recent experimental research on fire spread through external walls. This is part 1 of the interview - the background, rationale and context. In part 2, we cover the experiments themselves, findings and actionable guidance from the experiments.

This research is conducted within the context of structure-to-structure fire spread, potentially in urban conflagration scenarios. The subject is most relevant, as when wildfires meet urban areas, they transform into something far more destructive – "wildfire-initiated urban conflagrations." These events devastate entire communities as fire spreads rapidly from structure to structure, overwhelming firefighting resources and leaving widespread destruction in their wake.

The Fire Safety Research Institute has embarked on a comprehensive research initiative examining exactly how these conflagrations develop and spread. What started as a response to their advisory board's call to action in 2018 has evolved into a groundbreaking exploration of the complex interactions between wildland fires and the built environment.

We break down the three primary mechanisms of fire spread – radiant heat, direct flame contact, and firebrands – while highlighting specific vulnerabilities in modern construction, particularly windows and cladding systems.

What makes this research particularly valuable is how it bridges traditionally separate disciplines: wildfire science and structural fire engineering. The team explains how they've translated complex wildfire scenarios into controlled laboratory experiments that yield actionable data for improving building codes and community design.

Whether you're a fire safety professional, community planner, or homeowner in a wildfire-prone region, this conversation offers crucial insights into how we can create more resilient communities in the face of this growing threat.

In the next episode, we will cover in depth the details of three experiments mentioned today.

Find the research papers at:

  • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fam.3278
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-024-01685-8
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-024-01656-z

And additional resources at:

  • https://fsri.org/research-update/journal-article-reports-heat-transfer-through-different-window-constructions
  • https://fsri.org/research-update/journal-article-investigates-role-residential-siding-materials-spread-exterior

Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

----
The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

0:00 1:00:37

195 - Fire Safety Cases with Chris Mayfield and Martyn Ramsden

Hosts
unknown
Guests
Chris Mayfield Martyn Ramsden
Keywords
Building Safety Act fire safety cases hazard identification risk mitigation accountable person fire spread structural failure safety management emergency procedures bow tie diagrams high-risk buildings

The UK's Building Safety Act requires high-risk buildings to maintain comprehensive fire safety cases - living documents that identify hazards, mitigate risks, and establish clear accountability for building safety. This is the subject of my discussion with Chris Mayfield and Martyn Ramsden from OFR.

• Safety cases differ from fire strategies by being owned by the building's accountable person rather than consultants
• The Principal Accountable Person must take responsibility for preventing fire spread and structural failure
• Safety cases must document hazards, protective measures, and management systems
• The approach draws from lessons in high-hazard industries following disasters like Piper Alpha
• Safety cases should follow a logical structure: building description, safety management, hazard identification, safety measures, emergency procedures, and conclusions
• Bow tie diagrams help visualise threats, consequences, and barriers in a way all stakeholders can understand
• For new buildings, safety cases integrate with the "gateway" approval system
• Existing high-risk buildings (over 18m/7 stories with 2+ dwellings) must have safety cases ready for inspection
• When properly implemented, safety cases create cultural change by helping everyone understand their role in safety

Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

----
The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

0:00 52:18

194 - Playing with batteries with Xinyan Huang

Hosts
Fire Science Show
Guests
Xinyan Huang
Keywords
battery fires thermal runaway nail penetration testing mechanical abuse tests thermal abuse electrical abuse state of charge lithium battery fire safety

Professor Xinyan Huang from Hong Kong Polytechnic University shares his expertise on battery fires and the various experimental methods researchers use to trigger thermal runaway events under controlled conditions.

• Terminology matters - "thermal runaway" more accurately describes battery failure than "ignition" as the critical reactions occur inside the cell
• Nail penetration testing is widely used but contains surprising complexities, including nail material, penetration depth, velocity and battery orientation
• Mechanical abuse tests (crushing, dropping, squeezing) simulate real-world accidents but often lack repeatability
• Thermal abuse via heating typically targets 200°C surface temperature using methods including flame exposure, electrical coils, and laser heating
• Electrical abuse through overcharging (150-200% SOC) significantly increases risk, while poor-quality charging equipment creates additional hazards
• State of charge plays a crucial role in how batteries respond to abuse tests
• New research aims to bridge the gap between micro-scale material testing and cell-level testing

Professor Huang is organising the 4th International Symposium on Lithium Battery Fire Safety (ISLBFS 2025) in Hong Kong from October 30th to November 2nd - the largest battery fire safety conference in the world.

I intended to link Xinyan's papers on batteries, but there is 19 of them!?! Let me link the most recent ones:

Cover image source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2024.111337

Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

----
The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

Ratings

Global:
4.9 rating 53 reviews

UK

5.0 ratings 18 reviews

USA

4.8 ratings 16 reviews

Australia

5.0 ratings 8 reviews

South Africa

4.8 ratings 4 reviews

Canada

5.0 ratings 3 reviews

Ireland

5.0 ratings 3 reviews

New Zealand

5.0 ratings 1 reviews

Singapore

0.0 ratings 0 reviews