Preventing Disaster: Home Ignitability in the Wildland-Urban Interface
Abstract
Wildland-urban interface (W-UI) fires are a significant concern for federal, state, and local land management and fire agencies. Research using modeling, experiments, and W-UI case studies indicates that home ignitability during wildland fires depends on the characteristics of the home and its immediate surroundings. These findings have implications for hazard assessment and risk mapping, effective mitigations, and identification of appropriate responsibility for reducing the potential for home loss caused by W-UI fires.
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Radiant heat flux, which is inversely related to distance from the flaming source, can be a factor up to 40 m from a burning structure.
“Radiant heat flux, which is inversely related to distance from the flaming source, can be a factor up to 40 m from a burning structure (Cohen 2000).”
From Housing arrangement and vegetation factors associated with single-family home survival in the 2018 Camp Fire, California (2021) · cites this paper as Cohen 2000
Figure 2 and the discussion on Journal of Forestry p. 19 relate radiant heat flux to distance from a flame and describe heat transfer at 40 m. But the modeled source is a wildland flame front, not a burning structure; the paper also says ignition at nearly 40 m requires a longer exposure than the 65 seconds observed in the experiment. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredResidential home destruction is primarily determined by the immediate surrounding (30-60 m) of the home, known as the home ignition zone (HIZ).
“However, it has been well demonstrated that residential home destruction is primarily determined by the immediate surrounding (30-60 m) of the home, known as the home ignition zone (HIZ) (Cohen 2000(Cohen , 2010)).”
From Negative consequences of positive feedbacks in US wildfire management (2015) · cites this paper as Cohen 2000
The Conclusions and Management Implications (Journal of Forestry, p. 19) say that a home's characteristics and immediate surroundings largely determine its ignition potential and that fire losses depend on ignition. They specify the surrounding 40 meters, however, rather than a 30–60-meter range, and the passages do not call it the “home ignition zone” or “HIZ.” (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe HIZ principally determines home ignition potential during extreme wildland fire behavior and includes the home construction characteristics and its immediate surroundings, in most cases largely on private land.
“The HIZ principally determines home ignition potential during extreme wildland fire behavior and includes the home construction characteristics and its immediate surroundings, in most case largely on private land.”
From Negative consequences of positive feedbacks in US wildfire management (2015) · cites this paper as Cohen 2000
The Conclusions and Management Implications (p. 19) say that a home’s structural characteristics and immediate surroundings determine its ignition potential, and that low-ignitability homes can survive high-intensity wildland fires. Our copy does not establish that this area is, in most cases, largely on private land. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe WUI fire loss issue has been described as a home ignition problem more so than a wildland fire problem.
“the WUI fire loss issue has been described as home ignition problem more so than a wildland fire problem (Cohen 2000; Calkin et al. 2014).”
From Housing arrangement and vegetation factors associated with single-family home survival in the 2018 Camp Fire, California (2021) · cites this paper as Cohen 2000
Houses are destroyed during wildfires when exposed to flames in adjacent fuel, radiant heat from nearby fuel (≤40m), or airborne embers and firebrands originating in nearby and distant fuel (typically<10 km).
“Houses are destroyed during wildfires when exposed to flames in adjacent fuel, radiant heat from nearby fuel (≤40m) [20], or airborne embers and firebrands originating in nearby and distant fuel (typically<10 km) [21], [22].”
From Land Management Practices Associated with House Loss in Wildfires (2012) · cites this paper as [20]
Fuel management close to houses was more effective than fuel management further from houses can be explained by the behaviour of embers and radiant heat-the principal causes of house loss during wildfires.
“Our finding that fuel management close to houses was more effective than fuel management further from houses can be explained by the behaviour of embers and radiant heat—the principal causes of house loss during wildfires [20], [22], [27].”
From Land Management Practices Associated with House Loss in Wildfires (2012) · cites this paper as [20]
The density of airborne embers and the amount of radiant heat are greatest closer to the fuel source.
“The density of airborne embers [21] and the amount of radiant heat [20] are greatest closer to the fuel source, which is consistent with our results that fuel and fuel treatments closer to houses were more strongly associated with house loss.”
From Land Management Practices Associated with House Loss in Wildfires (2012) · cites this paper as [20]
The approximate maximum distance that radiant heat is likely to ignite a wooden structure is 40 m.
“Fuel was measured (a) within 40 m of the centroid of each house, which is the approximate maximum distance that radiant heat is likely to ignite a wooden structure [20]”
From Land Management Practices Associated with House Loss in Wildfires (2012) · cites this paper as [20]
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- Authors
- Cohen, J. D.
- Affiliations
- US Forest Service (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cohen, Jack D.
- Venue
- Journal of Forestry
- Published
- 2000-03-01
- Volume
- 98
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 15-21
- ISSN
- 0022-1201 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-3746
- OpenAlex
- W1577500526
- Cited by
- 459
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 4.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Forestry (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disaster Management and Resilience
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality › Fire dynamics and safety research
- Keywords
- wildland-urban interface, forest fires, wildfire risk, hazard assessment, risk mapping, fire mitigation, loss of home, land management
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