UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute Launches Fire Pattern Course for Fire Investigators

Interactive training module focuses on fire behavior and impact of ventilation on residential fire damage patterns

January 12, 2021 —The UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) has released the new “Impact of Ventilation on Fire Damage Patterns” course for fire investigators. Through a project funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), UL FSRI has been studying how changes in fuel materials and ventilation effect the development of fire damage patterns in residential fires. Understanding fire dynamics is essential to understanding fire damage patterns and identifying a fire’s area of origin based on the scientific method.

To aid fire investigators in recognizing and explaining the impact of fixed ventilation on fire damage patterns in residential structures, UL FSRI has developed this new, free course that is now available via the UL FSRI Fire Safety Academy. This course includes a review of fire dynamics in structures that address ventilation limited fires and why they are so prevalent.

After taking this course, fire investigators will be able to:

• Explain how fires start, spread, and interact with a structure using the basic principles of fire dynamics.
• Recognize the impact of ventilation on the fire damage and fire patterns within a structure.
• Analyze fire damage and fire patterns within a structure to determine the fire’s origin.

“When analyzing a fire scene, it is important to have knowledge of ventilation-limited fires and the fire patterns that can be generated pre and post-flashover. This new course provides research-based information through an interactive experience to help build that understanding,” said Daniel Madrzykowski, UL FSRI director of research.

Watch this video to learn more about the course.

Click here to access the course via the UL FSRI Fire Safety Academy.

About UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) advances fire research knowledge and develops cutting edge, practical fire service education aimed at helping firefighters stay safe while more effectively protecting people and property. Guided by a global advisory board comprised of fire service personnel, UL FSRI investigates residential, commercial, and industrial fires through full-scale testing, field-testing, and modeling to replicate actual fires faced by firefighters. Research results are shared through interactive training courses that have reached hundreds of thousands of firefighters globally. To learn more, visit ULFirefighterSafety.org. Follow UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the UL public safety mission through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being. To learn more, visit UL.org.