This study investigates how touchless door sensors behave during fire exposure. A large-scale test series examined the effects of smoke and water-based extinguishing systems on 18 different sensors from eight suppliers. The results show that certain sensor technologies are prone to false activation under smoke and sprinkler discharge, with implications for fire compartment integrity and building fire safety.

The amount of heat generated during thermal runaway in lithium-ion cells is dependent on the failure mechanism and abuse method. This study determines the heats generated inside and outside a 64 Ah lithium-ion pouch cell when it is forced into thermal runaway by nail penetration, heating, or overcharging. The generated heats were determined by battery calorimetry, jet flame calorimetry, and oxygen depletion calorimetry. The ratio between heat generated inside or outside the cell is found to be dependent on the abuse method. The overcharge experiment was most severe with respect to heat generated outside the cell, with 89% more thermal energy measured by the jet flame calorimeter compared to nail penetration. For heat generated inside the cell it was opposite, where nail penetration was the most severe with 53% more thermal heat generated compared to overcharge. We explain these differences from the cell mass losses during thermal runaway. When the cell mass loss increases, the heat generated outside the cell increases and simultaneously the internal heat generation decreases. For the safety of a battery module, these results imply that the possibility for propagation of a thermal runaway between cells is dependent on failure mechanism.

This study aims to experimentally investigate the combustion products of fires suppressed/extinguished by two water-based fire suppression systems, namely, sprinklers and water mist systems. A total of thirteen experiments were conducted with various suppression system configurations, i.e., with a sprinkler, a low-pressure (LP) water mist, and a high-pressure (HP) water mist, at operating pressures ranging from 2 to 60 bar and water flow rate ranging from 10 to 206 L/min. Each experiment was conducted twice, except for the baseline experiment with no suppression. The fuel was a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pallet placed on two wood pallets. During all the stages of fire development, suppression with water, and post-suppression, the combustion products were sampled through Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) using a gas analyzer capable of operating in high humidity. The main combustion products identified were CO2, CO, and H2O. In addition, NOx (nitrogen oxides), CxHy (light-weight hydrocarbons), and HCN were present in relatively high concentrations. All the tested fire suppression systems were effective in reducing the fire size and cooling down the gases. However, when the fire could not be immediately extinguished, the NOx, CxHy, and HCN concentrations were higher than those in the baseline experiment. Moreover, it is observed that the HP water mist system was more effective than the sprinkler and low-pressure water mist systems in reducing the amount of combustion gases during suppression, resulting in lower Fractional Effective Doses (FED). It was observed that the combustion products returned to ambient conditions after five minutes of deactivation. The results from this study provide much-needed validation data for the effectiveness of water-based suppression systems, not only in reducing the fire size but also in reducing the production of acute toxic gases, which is important for considerations regarding evacuation, firefighting, and post-extinguishment conditions. .

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.

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.

The Scandinavian countries have in later years seen several severe wildfires and is expected to exhibit more severe fire danger. While direct flame spread has been an important topic in wildfire research, there is a need for development and to ensure that experimental methods are relevant for Scandinavian wildfire characteristics. To ensure relevant lab conditions for fire-resilient material development work, large lab-scale (2×4 meters) experiments were conducted on various fuels. Its fire behaviour (such as rate of spread, fireline intensity and flame length) was compared with ongoing wildfire field studies from ongoing field studies in boreal and hemiboreal Sweden. The lab fire experiments show good potential to mimic relevant natural wildfire conditions in the laboratory once a standard design fire exposure for fire resilient materials is developed.

Sweeping of fireplaces The aim of the study is to obtain a data and knowledge base to provide an overview of how sweeping of fireplaces should be regulated, as well as mapping how chimney and fire place sweeping is regulated in other European countries, above all the Nordic and Baltic countries. Furthermore, it is desirable to look at existing research and investigate to which extent sweeping of fireplace will have a fire preventive effect. A literature review was carried out, searching for existing research that could be used to determine what should be viewed as best practice. In the literature review it became clear that sweeping of fireplaces is a topic with limited attention, and the literature was therefore insufficient, and no conclusion could be drawn based on this. Through contact with professional networks, a project carried out by the local sweeping service in Trondheim was found, which shed light on how sweeping of fireplaces affects the energy efficiency of a stove. If soot builds up on the inside of the fireplace, this will insulate the fireplace which in turn yields a lower energy output to the room. Another possible result of the insulating property of the soot is that the combustion takes place at a higher temperature, which makes the combustion cleaner and more complete, which in turn reduces the number of combustible particles in the smoke ducts. Without further testing, it is difficult to say whether the sum of these effects is positive or negative for the overall fire safety of the system. Through contact with professional personnel experience-based issues have been discussed from a fire technical point of view. This involves issues such as: - Incorrect handling of the fire place and user habits - Sweeping and energy efficiency A literature review has been carried out on combustion products produced under different combustion conditions. Furthermore, it has been identified that the part of the combustion products that pose the greatest risk of starting chimney fires is the organic carbon particles. These are produced at a low combustion temperature or during low-oxygen combustion. For obtaining optimal combustion from a fire technical perspective, correct handling of the fire place and good user habits are important. Based on the limited existing research, it is difficult to provide a conclusion on whether sweeping of fireplaces will have a fire preventive effect. In order to determine this, it is necessary to perform research focusing on this topic.