Taller structures produce more blaze-spreading embers, research suggests

Test burns involving wooden structures of varying heights suggest taller buildings tend to be more prolific producers of the wind-carried firebrands that are a leading cause of structure ignition in wildfires. The findings, published by Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers in Applications in Energy and Combustion Science are a step toward better predicting how fires in the wildland-urban interface will spread and also toward designing buildings that can help communities be more resilient to wildfire, the authors say.