Bio-based insulating materials are increasingly used in construction due to their environmental benefits. However, these materials are particularly susceptible to smoldering fires, a phenomenon of slow, flameless and self-sustaining combustion, that is very difficult to detect. This study includes two experimental approaches to analyze smoldering fires in wood fiber boards with low (50 kg/m³) and high (140 kg/m³) densities. The tests were conducted using a cone calorimeter (ISO 5660-1) and a smoldering fire test device (EN 16733). The cone calorimeter uses small-sized samples with continuous thermal exposure, whereas the smoldering fire test bench involves discontinuous thermal exposure and larger sample dimensions. The objective is to better understand the differences in thermal behavior, gas emissions, and material degradation characteristics, while considering key factors influencing the propagation of smoldering fires, such as density or additives. Despite several studies addressing these key factors, a full understanding of the underlying mechanisms has yet to be achieved. The results show that the low-density wood fiber board degrades more rapidly, reaching high combustion temperatures in a shorter period. In contrast, the high-density fiber board has a greater thermal inertia and prolonged combustion. Regarding gas emissions, concentrations of CO, CO₂, and methane vary depending on fiber density, with low-density samples producing higher yield of CO. These findings aim to enhance the understanding of the smoldering behavior of bio-based materials and to emphasize the importance of chemical aspects such as toxic gas emissions, The study contributes to inform future improvements in fire safety practices and may serve as a basis for revisiting or complementing existing fire safety guidelines. The results contribute to a better understanding of the smoldering combustion behavior of bio-based materials, particularly in relation to material density and its influence on fire dynamics. This knowledge is essential for informing practical fire safety strategies, such as early detection systems and material selection in low-ventilation environments and could help to refine fire performance assessment methods within the built environment.

The present research explores the influence of Bjørnis the Fire Bear on residential fire safety in Norway. Our survey, comprising 1275 participants, reveals that Bjørnis spurred the adoption of 5181 fire safety measures among the respondents, averaging 4.1 measures per household. The data suggests a positive association between exposure to Bjørnis and an increased number of safety measures implemented. These results highlight Bjørnis' efficiency in fostering awareness about fire safety, potentially serving as a model for introducing or sustaining similar mascots and initiatives on a global scale

The number of installed photovoltaic (PV) modules has increased significantly over the last years, and using available building surfaces to generate electricity by integrating PV modules in the construction is an attractive option. Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) or other vented claddings can spread fires rapidly to large parts of a building if the fire is allowed to propagate. To investigate this hazard, a large-scale SP FIRE 105 façade fire test was conducted. A façade measuring 4000 mm × 6000 mm covered with BIPV modules was exposed to flames that represent the fire plume from a window in a room at flashover. The results from the test show that critical failures, like falling objects and vertical flame propagation, can be expected in such constructions. These results highlight the importance of details in mounting of BIPV-façades and to require proper documentation from relevant fire tests of such systems. Small-scale cone calorimeter tests were conducted on the studied BIPV module to provide material properties of the combustible parts of the installation. These aspects should be considered when planning new or when retrofitting façades, to prevent escalation of fires. The results presented are, however, only valid for the configuration that was tested. Other BIPV-façades should also be investigated to study how these constructions can be built safely in the future with regard to critical details.

Exposing cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures in buildings is increasingly popular in modern buildings. However, large timber surfaces, window facades, and different geometries can change the fire dynamics in a compartment. The effect of those parameters, therefore, needs to be studied. Two large-scale CLT compartment fire experiments (95 m2) have consequently been performed. The experiments were designed to represent a modern office building with an open-plan space and large window openings. In this experiment, #FRIC-01, the ceiling was exposed. The wood crib fire developed slowly and travelled approximately 1.5 m before the ceiling ignited at 32.5 min. Thereafter the fire spread rapidly across the ceiling and wood crib before it shortly after retracted. Three such cycles of rapid spread followed by a retraction occurred within 13 min, whereby the wood crib fire grew larger for each cycle. After the flames extended through the compartment for the fourth time, the fire remained fully developed. After a short period of intense burning, the CLT self-extinguished while the wood crib fire was still burning. The compartment withstood full burnout, and no reignition occurred despite some delamination and using an adhesive that lacks a demonstrated resistance against glue-line integrity failure. © 2023 The Authors

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is becoming increasingly popular due to its many advantages. However, it has been shown that exposed CLT can have a significant effect on fire dynamics and spread rates. Further studies are therefore needed to better understand the impact of CLT to fire safety. Two large-scale CLT compartment fire experiments (95 m2) representing a modern office building have been performed, #FRIC-01 and #FRIC-02. This paper presents the second experiment, #FRIC-02, with exposed CLT on the back wall and the ceiling. The fire developed fast and spread across the room in less than 3.5 min from ignition of the wood crib on the floor and in 1.5 min after the ignition of the ceiling. Large external flames were observed, despite the compartment being well-ventilated. The 5-layer CLT, which comprised a 40 mm thick exposed outer layer and was face-bonded using a common European polyurethane adhesive, exhibited glue-line integrity failure and led to a second flashover after a significant period of decay. Subsequent layers of 20 mm also delaminated before the fire was manually extinguished after 3 h. Compared to #FRIC-01, the fire spread rate was faster, and temperatures, charring rates, heat release rates and external flames were higher.