![]() ![]() A forest ranger named Ed Pulaski was working on the ridge above Wallace with his crew cutting fire lines when the Big Blowup bore down on them and he realized they wouldn’t be able to outrun the flames.Īnd so, in what is now wildland firefighting legend, Pulaski drove his men underground. Forest Service.īy the time the wind-fanned flames reached the trees above the mining town of Wallace, Idaho, later that day, the sky was so dark from smoke that it would go on to prevent ships 500 miles away from navigating by the stars. NIST’s work in this area laid the groundwork for several standards for the sensitivity and installation of these vital technologies.On August 20, 1910, a “ battering ram of forced air” swept across the plains of western Idaho and collided with several of the hundreds of small wildfires that had been left to simmer in the Bitterroot Mountains by the five-year-old U.S. ![]() Smoke detection: For decades, NIST has rigorously tested smoke alarms and detectors, like those used in many homes (and in space), to raise the bar for their performance.These free tools have played key roles in cracking forensic cases of residential and industrial fires and supporting studies on and the design of fire protection systems. Fire modeling: NIST developed and continues to update advanced fire modeling software capable of digitally recreating complex fire and smoke behaviors. ![]() ![]() NIST’s research in this area has bolstered state and federal standards and, in the case of mattress flammability, had a measurable lifesaving impact. Materials flammability: From building materials on the WUI to furniture in the common home, NIST devises test methods and mitigation strategies for reducing the flammability of numerous materials.By studying and reconstructing the behavior and timeline of these fires in detail, NIST makes recommendations, some of which have led to improved codes and standards related to fuel load, sprinklers, egress and other fire safety considerations. Fire reconstructions: NIST thoroughly investigates some of the country’s most unique and devastating wildland-urban interface (WUI) and building fires, such as the Charleston Sofa Super Store fire. ![]()
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