Fire Science Show

150 - Wind Turbine Fires with Guillermo Rein

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wind turbine fires - are they an issue, or are they not? In this episode, I am joined by Prof. Guillermo Rein of the Imperial College London, who rais...

149 - CROSS UK with Neil Gibbins and Peter Wilkinson

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CROSS UK is Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures in UK. CROSS is a confidential reporting system which allows professionals working in the bui...

148 - Building Integrated Photovoltaics with Reidar Stølen

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Fire Science Show we go in depth on the Building Integrated Photo-Voltaic systems (BIPV). It is a topic relevant to many fire e...

147 - Wildfire Industrial Interface and risk assessment with Eulàlia Planas

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore wildfire's impact on industrial fire safety with Professor Eulàlia Planas from Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya...

146 - Take care of your mental health with Ann Jeffers

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Depression and anxiety are on the rise in both academia and engineering consultancies. Everyone is constantly stressed and pushed to their limits. The...

145 - Fire Safety Engineering in South Africa and Beyond with Richard Walls

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss the stark realities of fire safety engineering in South Africa (and beyond) as we sit down with Professor Richard Walls fr...

144 - Design fire generator with Greg Baker

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine if we had a tool that we could use to design a design fire. Instead of simply assuming fire growth characteristics by slapping the alpha-t2 fu...

143 - Fire Fundamentals pt 7 - CFD simulations of fires

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's fire fundamentals episode, I have chosen a difficult job: explaining how CFD modelling works without the ability to put a single equat...

142 - Uncertainty in fire measurements with David Morrisset

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If the word 'uncertainty' sounds extremely boring to you, this episode will prove you wrong. I have invited David Morrisset from the Univers...

141 - Smouldering in Mass Timber with Harry Mitchell

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I am meeting up with Imperial Hazelab's Harry Mitchell, who is finalizing his PhD thesis on mass timber fires and, quite uniquely - in...

140 - Development and implementation of the SBI test with Rudolf van Mierlo

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tests in the world of reaction to fire are supposed to be representations of real fire scenarios, allowing us to grasp the characteristics of building...

139 - Wind and Fire Interactions for Safer Open Car Park Design

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I've finished my first large research grant! I guess that makes me a 'real' scientist now. Came here today to share some most interesti...

138 - Getting ready for the Wildfires in Northern Europe with Nieves Fernandez-Anez

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It is interesting to see changes in our profession that happen directly in front of our lives. Climate change and in consequence the changes in the wi...

137 - e-mobility fires with Adam Barowy

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of the Fire Science Show welcomes once again Adam Barowy from the Fire Safety Research Institute to shed light on the pressing issue of f...

136 - Fire Fundamentals pt 6 - The fire automation in a building

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Fire Fundamentals, we dive into the life-saving choreography of fire detection and building automation systems that must work toget...

135 - Contemplating a design fire for car parks

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 48, my guest Mike Spearpoint said that in mid '90s, he participated in experiments on vehicle fires, as at that time, there were doubt...

134 - Fire Fundamentals pt 5 - The Evacuation Equation with David Purser

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to learn about "the evacuation equation" from one of its creators. This week I interview prof. David Purser about the element...

QA6 - Reflecting on 2023 and Igniting the Future

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As we close the curtains on 2023, take a walk with me through the unforgettable milestones that have shaped the Fire Science Show. This isn't jus...

133: Managing EV Fires at Sea with Elena Funk and Magnus Arvidson

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome aboard a journey through the challenges of managing electric vehicle fires at sea with Elena Funk of DBI and Magnus Arvidson from RISE. In thi...

132 - Dis-abling buildings - fire safety features from wheelchair user perspective with Mary Button

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is an important episode. Our guest for today, UK fire engineer Mary Button, who uses a wheelchair herself, shares some of her own stories and fee...

131 - Experiments that changed fire science pt. 8 - Modelling Cardington Fire Tests with Asif Usmani

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this part 8 of Experiments that changed fire science series we revisit Cardington (previously covered in part 2 - https://www.firescienceshow.com/0...

130 - Mass timber fire dynamics with Dr. Carmen Górska

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Carmen Górska from OFR Consultants, the recent IAFSS Phillip Thomas Award recipient for the best paper at the pre...

129 - Backdraught and Underventilated Fires with Dr. Ricky Carvel

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we go into the practical consequences of having an underventilated fire - that is the possibility of backdraught or other sim...

128 - Fire Safety Engineering with Dr. Ricky Carvel

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dear friends of the Fire Science Show, and listeners of the Smart Passive Income Podcast - today is some sort of a special broadcast. As I have just b...

127 Introducing the Book of Fire: An Online Resource Hub for Fire Engineers

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dear friends, I am building something new for you. Something that should be very useful, something that I wish I had when I started my journey as a fr...

126 - Where is the challenge with tunnel smoke control? with Wojciech

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I'm known for my rant about critical velocity concept in tunnel ventilation systems, and I tried to really control myself and not go into podcast...

125 - Enhancing Fire Safety Through Data: EU FireStat Project with Martina Manes and Mohamad El Houssami

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we go deep into how statistical data about fires is gathered, processed, and used around the world, and what are the ideas on how to improve thi...

124 - Advancements in Fire Safety of Facades with Eleni Asimakopoulou

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I have invited dr Eleni Asimakopoulou from the University of Central Lancashire to discuss her extensive expertise on fire be...

123 - Futureproofing fire safety systems with Jaime Cadena Gomez

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Balancing the cost and the potential to change a system in the future is a difficult act. Discover a new perspective on this aspect of fire safety sys...

122 - Compartment Fire Behaviour Training with Shan Raffel, CFBT Roy and Szymon Kokot

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When I heard that two legends of firefighting training  Shan Raffel and CFBT Roy will be visiting my friend Szymon Kokot, I packed my stuff and went ...

121 - Revolutionizing Civil Engineering Through AI with MZ Nasser

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how the understanding of AI can revolutionize the field of civil engineering? Today I am discovering this together with our own...

120 - How we have designed a fire safe green wall

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when fire meets a green facade? Tune in as we journey through the unexpected world of green facades and their interaction with fire. For ...

119 - Different scales needed to model fires with Lukas Arnold

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If someone ever tells you they have modelled fire spread for a commercial project, with 20 cm grids and using generic materials from (old) FDS databas...

118 - Different batteries different challanges with Francesco Restuccia

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode dr. Francesco Restuccia from  Kings College London takes me on a journey through different types of batteries, and what fire challeng...

117 - Global wildfire emergency and the key role of FSEs with Albert Simeoni

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of horrible wildfire season around the globe, I have reached out to Prof. Albert Simeoni from Worcester Polytechnic Institute for some ha...

116 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 4 - Natural and Powered Smoke Vents with Wojciech

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is time for some engineering fundamentals in the show. This time in the fire fundamentals series we delve into the details of natural and powered s...

115 - Update on the (near) future of fire engineers toolbox with Bryan Klein

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

in Episode 39 I had the pleasure to interview Bryan Klein from Thunderhead Engineering on some views and predictions for the near future of fire model...

114 - Ventilation and fire flow paths with Craig Weinschenk

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most fire engineers would be aware of how openings like doors and windows, the stack effect, and even wind can significantly alter fire outcomes. But ...

113 - Exploring Maritime Fire Safety with Bogdan Racięga

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My knowledge about fire safety at sea was pretty limited, at best. I was planning this episode for a long time, and then the disastrous fire happened ...

112 - Fire Safety for Energy Storage Systems with Ali Ashrafi and Paweł Woelke

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Energy storage systems are vital systems in fuel transition and as a part of technology responding to the challenges of climate change. Not only for t...

111 - Experiments that will change fire science pt. 7 - CodeRed with Panos Kotsovinos

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's series covering experimental fire science, we venture into a recently finished Code Red project by ARUP, led by my today's gu...

110 - NIST Fire Calorimetry Database with Matt Bundy

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wonder how scientists measure the intensity of a fire? Join us on this episode as we invite Dr. Matt Bundy from NIST. We discuss the intricacies ...

109 - Forensic Fire Science with Richard Roby

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we uncover the intricate process of fire investigations with renowned combustion scientist and fire investigator, Dr. Richard J. Roby...

QA5 - Brainstorming fire safe Mars habitats with Ruben van Coile, Jaime Cadena Gomez and Szymek Matkowski

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This time we try out something new! Instead of interviewing experts on subjects of their expertise, this time I took world-class risk specialists for ...

107 - Visualization in fires with Matt Hoehler

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you ever wondered how to capture fires in photographs and videos so it is a real science, not just pretty pictures, this episode is for you. With d...

106 - Chemistry of smoke - Nitrogen, retardants and cancirogens with David Purser

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

And so we have reached the fourth and final episode featuring  Professor David Purser, a leading expert in fire toxicity. In this episode, we explore...

105 - How much smoke is made in fires and how we measure that? with David Purser

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this show, we have already ventured into the fascinating world of toxicity in fires, and I have promised you more. So today, I fulfil my word and i...

104 - Experiments that will change fire science pt. 6 - MaCFP with Arnaud Trouve

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What makes an experiment truly groundbreaking, and how can researchers plan and execute such experiments in fire science? Join us as we chat with Prof...

103 - The Science and Art of Scale Modeling with James Quintiere

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered how scale modelling can provide invaluable insights into fire science? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Professor James Qui...

102 - Fire Safe Design Competent Architect with Michael Woodrow

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all agree competencies are key to fire safety. We have discussed this. We have argued about this. We have come up with decent sets of core competen...

101 - The Society of Fire Protection Engineers with Chris Jeleniewicz

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Society of Fire Protection Engineers? I just got a really good answer from the Interim CEO Chris Jeleniwicz. It is our profession. It is u...

100 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 3 - Smoke plumes (and other flow phenomena) with Wojciech

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we cover the fundamentals of smoke flow (proliferation!), entrainment and smoke plumes. All the basics that impact the spread of the smoke i...

099 - Electric vehicle fires in tunnels with Peter Sturm

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have any idea how bad the tunnel fire will be if there is an EV involved?That is a question I hear a lot, way more often than I would like. And...

QA4 - Wojciech in Smart Firefighting podcast episode 151 - fire science, innovation and built environment

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week in place of a normal episode I would like to share an interview I gave to my friend Kevin Sofen in his podcast. In this episode I am intervi...

098 - Digital innovation in built environment with Michael Strömgren

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation is a big world. A digital innovation sounds even bigger. But it is in fact our reality - we live in a world of constant change and "im...

097 - Smoke toxicity (Part 2) Asphyxiants and irritants with David Purser

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is the 2nd part of interview with Professor David Purser, this year recipient of IAFSS'14 Emmons Plenary Lecture. If you have not se...

096 - Smoke toxicity (Part 1) Why fires used to be less toxic in 1950's? with David Purser

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I have to start with a word of warning, I am extremally hyped about this and upcoming episodes. I think for the first time I have recorded a podcast e...

095 - An AI supported Fire Safety Engineer with Michael Kinsey

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is the newest Internet craze. In my opinion, maybe even be the most disruptive tech since bitcoin or the Internet itself. And suddenly, we got a lo...

094 - Experiments that changed fire science pt. 5 - Compartment fires at NBS with James Quintiere

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the fifth episode of mini-series 'Experiments that changed fire science' we cover the compartment fire experimental campaigns carried at ...

093 - The story of the golden era for the US fire science with James Quintiere

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's finally here, the episode many of you were waiting for! Discussing the history of US fire movement with prof. James Quintiere from the Unive...

092 - European Commission view on Performance Based FSE with Adamantia Athanasopoulou

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It seems we will not have EU Fire Code for at least a few more decades... Why is that? Because the people in power found out that it is not the most e...

091 - Fire fundamentals pt 2 - Ignition with Rory Hadden

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Fire Fundamentals pt. 2 with Rory Hadden. This episode is focused on the concept of ignition and its role in fire safety - as an event lead...

QA3 - Some Polish experiences with a year of war in Ukraine (interviewed by Arnold Dix)

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

1 year. This is insane the war is still going on and people are still hurt. This war in Ukraine significantly affected everyone in here, and in this ...

090 - Objective driven suppression system for Swedish tunnels with Ulf Lundström

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to design a suppression system for a certain application, you have a lot of technical solutions to choose from and most likely a handful o...

089 - Designing law by disasters (or not?) with Birgitte Messerschmidt

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is no universal answer to the question of how law and testing regimes should be set up. Sometimes, we build up our law after a huge tragedy, mak...

088 - Modeling fires of natural fuels with Eric Mueller

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Modelling ignition and fire of a tree branch with some leaves can't be that much different from modelling burning timber, right? Well, that is th...

087 - Structural FSE inspired by earthquake engineering with Negar Elhami Khorasani

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Performance-based engineering or the use of probabilistic methods in building design are not inventions of Fire Safety Engineering. But we sometimes t...

086 - Experiments that changed fire science pt. 4 - Runnehamar tunnel with Haukur Ingason and Anders Lönnermark

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Would you rather do 20 published experiments and take your impact factors, or make one that truly changed the world of fire science? Or maybe a differ...

085 - E-mobility and energy storage hazards with Adam Barowy

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three months ago I saw a video of some sort of an electric scooter going off in someone's residential building. That person had absolutely no cha...

QA#2 - Turning podcast professional and the outcomes of the listener experience survey

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Questions & Answers session 02 covering the recent sponsorship opening in the podcast and how the podcast is turning from a hobby proje...

084 - Industry lead research with Steve Gwynne and Mike Spearpoint

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In my first episode, I mentioned that I'm doing this podcast to preserve some amazing conversations and share them with a larger audience, as som...

083 - Fire fundamentals pt 1 - Combustion and flame with Rory Hadden

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's start another mini-series! This time 'fire fundamentals' where we are going to learn some basics from the world's best. It i...

082 - Experiments that changed fire science pt. 3 - WTC Investigation with Kevin McGrattan

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fire science is often accelerated by tragedies. The same goes for the tools we are using and the methods we know. In the early 2000's we already ...

081 - The origins of FDS with Kevin McGrattan

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Has it ever crossed your mind how would our discipline look like, if we did not have Fire Dynamics Simulator? Maybe you had an opportunity to discuss ...

080 - Adaptive Fire Testing: A new foundation stone for fire safety (ERC StG Grant) with Ruben van Coile

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a great day to celebrate with Prof Ruben van Coile of Ghent University, who is most likely the first representative of Fire Safety Engineerin...

079 - Timber columns failure in the decay phase with Thomas Gernay and Jochen Zehfuss

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When the flaming combustion stops and the raging inferno disappears, the environment is still far away from a stable, stationary state. The heat emitt...

QA#1 - November 2022

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Questions & Answers session 01 covering the topics brought up in November 2022.In this session you can find answers to the following qu...

078 - Experiments that Changed Fire Science pt. 2 - BRE Cardington with Tom Lennon

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If Dalmarnock was the reality check for fire modelling, we could call the work carried by BRE at Cardington the birthplace of Structural Fire Engineer...

077 - Informal settlements - we need solutions not gadgets, Richard Walls

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Delivery of fire safety to one billion inhabitants of informal settlements cannot be done through a single solution. No magical extinguishing ball nor...

076 - Experiments that changed fire science pt. 1 - Dalmarnock Fire Tests Round Robin study with Guillermo Rein and Wolfram Jahn

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a mini-series of episodes on experiments that changed fire science. In the first episode, we cover the a prioiri and posteriori modelling t...

075 - Spacecraft fire safety with David Urban

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dear Terrestial Fire Engineers, let me take you on a journey that will make you experience fire engineering like nothing on our planet. Because in fac...

074 - Engineering not magic, intumescent coatings with Andrea Lucherini

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Intumescent coatings are not magic. They are a product of amazing engineering, a theatre of thermophysical properties that create an insulative layer ...

073 - Smoke control in shopping malls - uncommon aspects that make or break the system

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Long before I started the podcast, my bread and butter was to find clever ways to remove smoke from shopping malls. Actually, I like to believe I was ...

072 - Extracting the secret of IMFSE from Bart Merci and Eulalia Planas

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many creators will not agree, but in some cases, copying is the highest form of admiration. And there are things in Fire Safety Engineering that are m...

071 - Risk as a tool for thinking with Ruben van Coile

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When thinking about 'risk' do you view it as a tool? I usually thought about it as a concept or maybe as a measure of 'how safe my buil...

070 - Fire resistance is whatever you want it to be with Piotr Turkowski

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk fire resistance, but unlike you have ever heard. Join me and Dr Piotr Turkowski - two fire laboratory professionals in an honest discuss...

069 - Challenging fires at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) with Michael Gollner

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why so many researchers are spending their time tackling fire issues at the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)? What is so challenging about this? We alwa...

068 - Human walking speed and factors that influence it with John Gales

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What factors influence the walking speed of an occupant? Is it just their physiology and crowd density? It seems it is more complicated than that (as ...

067 - Next-gen smoke control experimental facility and a digital twin with Grzegorz Krajewski

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've felt a bit awkward about how FSE handles smoke control in corridors. If you look closely into common practices, they rarely do include impr...

066 - Fire Safe Use of Wood in Buildings with Andy Buchanan

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I wonder if we will be ever able to say: we know exactly how to build fire-safe buildings with mass timber.  However that day may never come, each da...

065 - Understanding mesh sensitivity and model uncertainties with Jason Floyd

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Will a higher resolution mesh make my CFD more accurate? That is a harmless question, and most of us would tend toward 'I guess yeah'. But l...

064 - Heat stress in fires - from inside and outside with Denise Smith and Gavin Horn

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This amount of heat flux for this amount of time, routine conditions, check, done. This is how I used to do my engineering and tenability assessment r...

063 - Why do we need a handbook of fire and the environment with Brian Meacham and Margaret McNamee

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do we need another fire handbook? If so, what handbook would that be? I guess a question like this must have gone through Brian Meachams' mind wh...

062 - BIM (not only for fire) with Peter Thompson and Rino Lovreglio

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It does not matter if you hate or love BIM, does not matter if you use it daily or have no idea what it is... Building Information Modelling will be a...

061 - Glazing in fire with Yu Wang

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The relation between ventilation conditions and fire severity is quite a fundamental one. You don't even have to be a fire safety engineer to rea...

060 - How PV panels change the fire behaviour of roofs with Jens Kristensen

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

[March 2023 update] The Thesis PDF is finally available! Check it here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369141515_Fire_risk_associated_with_p...

059 - Residential fire safety with Dan Madrzykowski and Charlie Fleischmann

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How much the fire scene at households has changed over the last 30 years? Why modern furniture burns worse than one made with wood, cotton and other n...

058 - Animal pyrocognition - a path to undestand our beginnings with fire with Ivo Jacobs

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you wondered how fire science started? But I mean the real real start... not 1666 one, nor the one when we've started to build furnaces... T...

057 - Structural fire engineering with Thomas Gernay

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The subject of structural fire engineering was long overdue in the podcast schedule. But once I finally got it on my agenda, I made sure to interview ...

056 - Performance Based Fire Protection Engineer with David Stacy

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How does being a volunteer firefighter improve your abilities to do Performance-Based Design (PBD) and how your knowledge in PBD may translate to fire...