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Engineering Laboratory

Fire Research Division

News and Updates

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NIST Residential Fire Study Education Kit Now Available

September 28, 2010

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Association of Fire Fighters have prepared an educational

NIST Data: Enabling the Technical-Basis for Evacuation Planning of High-Rise Buildings

September 14, 2010

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are stepping up the pace for designing safer building evacuations by releasing large

During a fire safety experiment, a firefighter ventilates the building to let smoke and heat out to improve conditions inside.

Landmark Residential Fire Study Shows How Crew Sizes and Arrival Times Influence Saving Lives and Property

April 28, 2010

WASHINGTON D.C.— A landmark study issued today by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that the size of

Major Residential Fire Study to be Issued April 28

April 27, 2010

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will issue the results of a multi-institutional landmark national study on the effects of firefighter

Smoke Alarms + Sprinklers + Closed Doors = Lives Saved in Dorm Fires

March 30, 2010

Experimenting on a university dormitory that was scheduled to be torn down, fire researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have

NIST Deploys Experts to Assist in California Fires

September 3, 2009

The Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has sent two experts to California to assist in collecting data on structural

NIST Study Offers First Detailed Look at the Progress of a Wildland-Urban Fire

June 16, 2009

A wildfire rages across southern California wildlands towards residential communities, endangering residents and firefighters and sending property up in smoke

High Rise Fire Study Provides Insight Into Deadly Wind-Driven Fires

May 5, 2009

Fire researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have just published two reports providing details of how wind affects fires in

NIST Researcher Dan Madrzykowski Named Fire Service Instructor of the Year

May 5, 2009

Daniel Madrzykowski of the National Institute of Standards and Technology was named George D. Post Instructor of the Year for 2009 by the International Society

NIST Stairwell Evacuation Study Finds 'What We Know We Don't Know'

March 24, 2009

Most of the time, we use the stairs in buildings—especially in high-rise structures—only as a back-up for faster elevators and escalators, but during a fire or

Live Fire Experiments Provide Data on the Effects of Fire Resources

February 5, 2009

ROCKVILLE, Md.—At a live demonstration of fire safety experiments today, a group of firefighting, public safety and scientific organizations described a

Carbon Nanofibers Cut Flammability of Upholstered Furniture

December 9, 2008

Carbon, the active ingredient in charcoal, is normally not considered a fire retardant, but researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Fire Videos Dramatize Christmas Tree Safety Measures

October 28, 2008

As the weather grows cold and people start planning for the holidays, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released two

High rise building with smoke coming out of upper windows. Two people in bucket trucks.

NIST Evaluates Firefighting Tactics In NYC High-Rise Test

March 18, 2008

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire protection engineers turned an abandoned New York City (NYC) brick high-rise into a seven-story fire

Web Site Offers Easy Access to Life-Saving Fire Service Research

March 18, 2008

A new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Web site offers easy access to reports of NIST fire investigations, summaries of research projects

NIST Official Testifies on Fire Research Program

October 11, 2007

On Oct. 2, 2007, S. Shyam Sunder, director of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), testified

NIST Firebrand Device Could Save U.S. and Japanese Homes

September 13, 2007

Crackling embers and glowing firebrands might make for a romantic evening in front of the fireplace, but for homeowners in high fire-risk areas, windborne fire

Flames coming out of the first doorway of a test structure after the floor has collapsed into the basement.

Fire Tests Examine Structural Collapse Hazards and Warning Devices

August 30, 2007

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted experiments this week in Sharon Hill, Pa., on the hazards of fires under residential floors

NIST Begins Technical Study of S.C. Warehouse Fire

July 20, 2007

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced that it is beginning a technical study of the June 18, 2007, fire at the Super Sofa

NIST Fire Experts Examine Charleston Building Collapse

June 21, 2007

On June 19, 2007, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sent four fire experts to Charleston, S.C., to gather information and examine the

Building Retrofits Reduce Chem/Bio Hazards Risks

June 8, 2007

A new report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers building owners and

Updated Fire Modeling Software Released

November 3, 2005

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in September an updated version of a popular computer program that fire investigators, safety

Meeting Slated to Discuss Structural Steel and Fire

June 2, 2005

The World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, showed the critical importance of fire resistant materials for structural steel. To accelerate

Computer model of fire at The Station nightclub after 90 seconds

NIST Rhode Island Nightclub Fire Investigation Team Calls for Improvements

March 3, 2004

Fact Sheet: Key Findings and Recommendations for Improvement; NIST Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire Presentation on Draft Report on The Station

Commerce's NIST Asks Public for Information on Rhode Island Nightclub Fire

November 25, 2003

Remarks by James Hill, Acting Director, Building and Fire Research Laboratory Remarks by William Grosshandler, Lead Investigator, Rhode Island Nighclub fire

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