Making The Nation Safe From Fire

The committee that prepared this report was charged with assessing the state of fire safety research and describing the potential role of the NSF in improving fire safety in the United States. This report highlights markers along a pathway to the future, discusses the nation's fire research needs and the resources that will be required, and suggests a role for NSF and other key agencies and institutions. The committee urges national leaders in government and industry to aggressively support fire research needs, filling voids in the body of knowledge, sharpening engineering tools, and creating a database that will allow performance-based approaches to maximize their contribution to public safety in the United States.

"Frightening...Firestorm comes alive when Struzik discusses the work of offbeat scientists." --New York Times Book Review "Comprehensive and compelling." --Booklist "A powerful message." --Kirkus "Should be required reading." --Library Journal In the spring of 2016, the world watched as wildfire ravaged the Canadian town of Fort McMurray. Firefighters named the fire "the Beast." It seemed to be alive with destructive energy, and they hoped never to see anything like it again. Yet it's not a stretch to imagine we will all soon live in a world in which fires like the Beast are commonplace. In Firestorm, Edward Struzik confronts this new reality, offering a deftly woven tale of science, economics, politics, and human determination. It's possible for us to flourish in the coming age of megafires--but it will take a radical new approach that requires acknowledging that fires are no longer avoidable. Living with fire also means, Struzik reveals, that we must better understand how the surprising, far-reaching impacts of these massive fires will linger long after the smoke eventually clears.

Nearly one-third of wildfire evacuations in Canada involve Indigenous communities. While evacuations are carried out to protect people from smoke and flames, deciding to leave brings its own challenges. Based on interviews with evacuees from seven First Nations, this book outlines how Indigenous communities and external organizations can best prepare for the different stages of a wildfire evacuation, including: deciding when to leave putting a plan in motion troubleshooting transportation finding accommodation caring for evacuees returning home. With climate change increasing the likelihood of wildfires around the world, this book is an invaluable resource for any community at risk from fire.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: Transmitted with this letter is the final report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. The report is based on almost 2 years of work by the Commission. We believe it presents the most significant fire safety problems, and the greatest opportunities for fire loss reduction, in the United States today. The vast majority of the Commission agreed with all fundamental issues. Over $11 billion of our resources are wasted by destructive fires each year. Additionally, 12,000 people are killed and tens of thousands of persons are scarred physically and emotionally by fire. Recommendations are presented in this report which, if implemented, will significantly reduce this great toll. The recommendations emphasize prevention of fire through implementation of local programs. This is in keeping with the very nature of the fire problem which is felt hardest at the community level...

SafeBook: the Fire Prevention and Information Booklet for Homes, which is your Family’s resource for Fire Causes, Fire Safety, Fire Hazards and Fire Prevention. My goal is to prevent fires from happening so I authored this informative eye capturing Look Book about Fire Prevention, called SafeBook in an effort to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and property damage from the ravage of fire. To accomplish this goal my plan is to introduce SafeBook to every community and its stakeholders so that it will be in every home and in every family member’s hand. You will not parish from a lack of fire prevention knowledge and awareness on my watch. SafeBook will be your messenger and after reading it, it will be your duty to actively follow directions consistently in regards to knowing and understanding the tools of fire detection, which increases your chances of protection before a fire gets out of control. The Office of Fire Prevention, Inc. takes Fire Prevention seriously and to get your attention we wanted the book to be in color because color serves as a means of attraction. Our hopes are that as you continue to read SafeBook the greatest take away will be your motivation and commitment to make your home and community a fire safer place to live, work and play, because of your actions. Knowledge is great, but is useless if you do not properly apply it, SafeBook, your home is safer already because you have choose to live by it.

This weather guide includes detailed specifications for locating and instrumenting fire weather stations, taking weather observations, and overwintering the Drought Code component of the FWI System. The sensitivity of the FWI System components to weather elements is represented quantitatively. The importance of weather that is not directly observable is discussed in the context of fuel moisture and fire behavior. Current developments in the observation and measurement of fire weather and the forecasting of fire danger are discussed, along with the implications for the reporting of fire weather of increasingly automated fire management information systems.

California and other wildfire-prone western states have experienced a substantial increase in the number and intensity of wildfires in recent years. Wildlands and climate experts expect these trends to continue and quite likely to worsen in coming years. Wildfires and other disasters can be particularly devastating for vulnerable communities. Members of these communities tend to experience worse health outcomes from disasters, have fewer resources for responding and rebuilding, and receive less assistance from state, local, and federal agencies. Because burning wood releases particulate matter and other toxicants, the health effects of wildfires extend well beyond burns. In addition, deposition of toxicants in soil and water can result in chronic as well as acute exposures. On June 4-5, 2019, four different entities within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop titled Implications of the California Wildfires for Health, Communities, and Preparedness at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis. The workshop explored the population health, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and health equity consequences of increasingly strong and numerous wildfires, particularly in California. This publication is a summary of the presentations and discussion of the workshop.