Wildfires are getting worse.
The blazes are mostly centered in western states, but they can occur anywhere, including North Carolina. Climate change is fueling the increase in fires. Just look at the data from the National Interagency Fire Center.
| Year | Fires | Acres |
| 2021 | 58,985 | 7,125,643 |
| 2020 | 58,950 | 10,122,336 |
| 2019 | 50,477 | 4,664,364 |
And that puts firefighters at greater risk.
Now, researchers at NC State have combined their expertise in forestry and textiles to offer a new tool for firefighters who are trapped by flames. The prototype designs for emergency shelters may offer more time for survival.
“Earlier models of fire-resistant shelters looked more like a pup tent,” said Joseph Roise, Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at NC State. “This looks more like a baked potato in the ground, a big baked potato.”
One problem with the industry standard shelter is that the aluminum outer layer will melt in contact with direct flame.
“Deploying a shelter is the last thing a wild land firefighter wants to do, it’s the last resort,” said Roger Barker, Professor of Textile Technology and Director of the Textile Protection and Comfort Center at NC State. “While there’s no such thing as ‘fire-proof’, what we want to do is buy more time, and our tests show our shelter designs could increase the time to failure and that time could be critical to survival.”
The NC State team designed a shelter that incorporates an inner heat-blocking barrier and additional thermal insulation into the construction. The group tested different seam designs to keep the shelters from falling apart.
The shelters weigh about five pounds. Firefighters lay face down on the ground when inside the deployed shelter.
“If you get in the ground, that’s a good place because heat rises and that gives you more time and a better chance of survival,” adds Roise.
Researchers tested the design prototypes in the PyroDome Turbulent Flame Fire Shelter Test System at NC State. The shelters were blasted with direct flame from propane burners for 60 seconds. They measured how long it took the temperature inside the shelter to reach 302 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature threshold for survival.
While the standard shelters hit the limit in 40 seconds, all the test shelters had improved survival metrics.
The shelters were also tested in controlled burns in California and South Dakota. While the tests were encouraging, there were too many variables to draw conclusions.
However, the new findings should give manufacturers new design ideas.
To see NC State’s PyroDome testing lab in action and learn more about the development of protective clothing for firefighters, watch this Sci NC story.
