South Carolina Tests Boost Home Wildfire Resilience

RICHBURG, S.C. Researchers at a testing facility in South Carolina ignited a series of controlled house fires this spring to study how homes can better withstand wildfires, revealing that fortified structures and cleared surroundings can significantly slow the spread of flames amid rising fire risks across North America.

In one recent experiment, wind-driven flames engulfed a mock home in under three minutes, shattering windows and consuming the interior. Weeks later, scientists burned an identical structure reinforced with ignition-resistant materials, which burned more slowly. The tests, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, a nonprofit backed by insurers, aim to enhance building resilience. Over the years, the group has deliberately set 13 such homes ablaze at its 100-acre site in Richburg, located midway between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina. "We crash test houses," said Roy Wright, the institute's president.

The facility, originally designed to simulate hurricanes with heavy winds and rain using a six-story wall of 105 fans, now incorporates fire spread by directing gusts up to 55 mph through massive doors. Inside the...