At 2 a.m. August 7th 2021, the emergency response centre of the city of Bergen, Norway, received a call from a private citizen reporting large flames appearing from a 4 floor 24 apartment municipal building housing people with drug addiction. Upon arrival 11 min later, the first responders faced a fire that had already spread and involved the whole building. To their surprise, all residents were already accounted for outside the building. The present study analyses why the fire developed that fast, why the automatic fire alarm system did not warn the emergency response centre early and how all occupants were accounted for in such a dramatic fire scenario. It turns out that the fire most likely started in one of the all-wooden floor balconies at ground level. The originally planned 1.2 m tall balcony glazing facing a public road had been substituted by wood to ensure privacy and prevent visibility. The balcony subdivision walls had 20 cm gaps at ceiling level. Analysis confirmed that this balcony construction, i.e., all-wooden and with gaps at the top of the division wall, contributed significantly both during the early fire development as well as to the very fast vertical and horizontal fire spread over the entire building façade. Post-fire interviews revealed that a significant number of occupants were awake this night, allowing them to promptly detect the fire in the building. A close-knit relationship network, including both friends and acquaintances, was of major importance regarding door-to-door alarming unaware residents about the immediate danger. From the investigations conducted after the fire it is quite clear that under different circumstances this fire could have resulted in multiple fatalities. Though the incident may be considered a success regarding the “no loss of lives” focus in Norwegian fire safety regulations, the study revealed weaknesses in balcony construction and use of materials as well as lack of exterior automatic fire detection and mitigation of external fires. The study revealed important learning points for future prevention of possibly far worse fire incidents, as well as the importance of a close-knit relationship network in a crisis situation

Several studies have established a connection between the firefighter occupation and the elevated chance of cancer and illnesses attributed to the harsh environment and exposure to airborne combustion products. This especially concerns airborne particles small enough to penetrate protective garments and human skin. These particles also often contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known carcinogens. When developing new textiles for personal protective equipment (PPE), it is therefore important to document their particle and PAH penetration-blocking ability. Despite this, currently, no relevant, standardised and cost-efficient test method exists. This study introduces a novel method specifically designed for screening PPE textiles, filling critical gaps in available test methods, to facilitate future improved understanding of the protective ability of firefighter garments in preventing carcinogen exposure. In the proposed method, the PPE textiles are exposed to fire smoke from burning PVC plastic, polyurethane foam, and spruce wood in a standardised setup using the cone calorimeter. The smoke passes through an exposure tunnel with a PPE textile mounted on it while particle concentration, PAH content and temperatures are systematically measured on each side of the textile. The method shows promising results for the generation of “standardised” smoke and for documenting particle penetration through PPE textiles. Some remaining challenges related to repeatability and the costs involved are discussed.

Wildland–urban interface (WUI) fires are an increasing global challenge, and local knowledge is essential for efficient mitigation. In Norway, as for the rest of Northern Europe, wildfires are expected to increase in frequency and severity, which will also increase WUI vulnerabilities. This study analyzes all registered vegetation fires damaging buildings in Norway from January 2016 to April 2023 (74 fires damaging 102 structures), with a case-by-case review of 18 fires impacting two or more structures. We have identified that spring season fires and direct flame contact are the primary contributors to vegetation fires that damage buildings in Norway. We also provide insights from three wildfire exercises with prescribed burns and a post-fire evaluation, providing fire dynamics data on fires in low vegetation while identifying a need to focus on hazards related to juniper vegetation and unmanaged cultural landscapes. This new knowledge is vital for developing effective and targeted prevention measures for Norwegian communities in WUI areas.

WUI guideline for Norway

Norway is a long country where forests, grass, and heather cover vast areas. Approximately 38% of the country's land area consists of forests, and many structures are located near or surrounded by nature. In these wildland-urban-interface (WUI) areas, a wildfire could damage structures and infrastructure. Norway's tradition of constructing houses and cabins from timber adds an extra layer of vulnerability in WUI areas. As part of the EU-funded research and innovation project TREEADS, Norway's first WUI guideline has been developed to strengthen resilience against wildfires.

The guideline is targeted at citizens in WUI areas, and presents measures that may protect built areas from wildfires. The development of the guide is based on an extensive process, including a literature review of WUI guidelines from countries such as the USA, Canada, and Sweden. This review formed the foundation for a list of relevant topics and recommendations, which were further refined through in-person workshops with stakeholders, surveys, and expert consultations. To ensure relevance for Norwegian conditions, the recommendations were adapted to local building traditions and by using insights from past fire incidents, fieldwork, and laboratory experiments. This process resulted in six main recommendations and five supplementary recommendations).

Norge er et langstrakt land der skog, gress og lyngheier dekker store områder. Omtrent 38 % av landets areal består av skog, og mange bygninger ligger i nærheten av eller er omkranset av natur. I denne randsonen mellom natur og bebyggelse, kjent som Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), vil en skogbrann eller annen naturbrann kunne gjøre skade på bygninger og infrastruktur. Det at Norge har en tradisjon for å bygge hus og hytter i trematerialer utgjør en ekstra sårbarhet i den norske randsonen.

I det EU-finansierte forsknings- og innovasjonsprosjektet TREEADS er Norges første randsoneveileder utviklet for å styrke motstandsdyktigheten mot naturbranner. Veilederen er rettet mot innbyggere i randsonen mellom natur og bebyggelse og gir konkrete tiltak for hvordan man kan beskytte bebyggelse mot naturbranner.

Utviklingen av veilederen bygger på en omfattende prosess som inkluderer en litteraturgjennomgang av WUI-anbefalinger fra land som USA, Canada og Sverige. Dette dannet grunnlaget for en liste over relevante temaer og anbefalinger, som videre ble utviklet gjennom fysiske arbeidsmøter med interessenter, spørreundersøkelser og ekspertkonsultasjoner. For å sikre relevans for norske forhold ble anbefalingene tilpasset nasjonale byggetradisjoner og erfaringer fra tidligere branner, feltarbeid og laboratorieeksperimenter. Prosessen resulterte i seks hovedanbefalinger og fem tilleggsanbefalinger.

Analysis of fatal fires in Norway in the 2015-2020 period 

 This project is a continuation of the project "Analysis of fatal fires in Norway in the 2005-2014 period" and has collected and analysed data on fatal fires in Norway in the 2015-2020 period. The project is financed by The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) and Norwegian Building Authority (DiBK) as part of the project portfolio under the research agreement between DSB and RISE Fire Research. The aim of the project has been to analyse fire statistics and other sources to find out who dies in fires and why they die, and the project may also address which targeted measures can be implemented to reduce the number of fire fatalities. In addition, the project has analysed data from fatal fires in Finnmark in the 2005-2014 period which was not part of the report "Analysis of fatal fires in Norway in the 2005-2014 period". The project has focused on fatal fires that have occurred in buildings. Initially, the following research questions were defined: 1. Which risk factors are associated with those who perish in fires in Norway? 2. What are the causes of fatal fires in Norway?

Wildfires in Scandinavia are predicted to become more frequent and severe [1,2], necessitating a deeper understanding of the fire behaviour in scenarios unique to local conditions. Therefore, the Norwegian Pilot in the EU-funded wildfire project TREEADS focuses on understanding fire dynamics and fire spread mechanisms inherent for Norwegian wildfires and develop a relevant and scalable lab test method to document the fire resilience of materials against wildfires.