There has been relatively little research on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fire spread, compared to fires within structures, despite the increasing frequency and losses from WUI fires. This is due, in part, to the fact that the subject of WUI fire research falls between traditional studies of building fires and forest fires, non-overlapping areas that in the past have been the responsibility of different government agencies. To date, no study that measures the effectiveness of current risk mitigation practices, whether through wildland fuel treatments or modification of residential fuels, has been conducted in the context of reducing WUI community hazards.

This JFSP Grant was utilized, together with resources from US Forest Service (USFS) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to deploy to two WUI fire events and conduct two detailed WUI case studies. Previous work conducted by NIST on the Witch/Guejito fire was also used to assess hazard mitigation effectiveness and is included here. Additionally, as a result of the Witch/Guejito fire case study, a framework was developed to quantify fire and ember exposure at the WUI and to link exposure to design and material guidance for structures in the WUI. The framework is outlined in NIST Technical Note 1748, Framework for Addressing the National Wildland Urban Interface Fire Problem -Determining Fire and Ember Exposure zones using a WUI Hazard Scale.

This JFSP project final report summarizes the technical findings and recommendations for reducing losses in the WUI through implementable hazard mitigation solutions and first responder response. Detailed information on the findings and research recommendations can be found in the five published reports. Reports on all three case studies can be found on the NIST website publication portal.