In South Carolina, a nonprofit organization is conducting controlled house burn experiments to better understand how to protect communities from increasingly severe wildfires. As climate change intensifies heat waves and droughts, wildfires have grown more frequent and destructive, particularly as more people settle in fire-prone areas. The goal of these tests is to develop strategies to reduce the risk of homes igniting and prevent entire neighborhoods from being consumed by fire.
During a recent test in Richburg, South Carolina, a designated "Burn Boss" ignited a house constructed specifically for research purposes. Flames rapidly engulfed the structure, fueled by household items such as furniture and cooking supplies. High-powered industrial fans then simulated winds of up to 50 miles per hour—conditions comparable to the powerful gusts that exacerbated the deadly 2018 wildfire in Paradise, California.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), which runs the experiments, collects millions of data points to track fire behavior as it spreads from structure to structure. The research focuses on how embers penetrate vents and windows, the combustibility of siding and roofing materials, and the role of nearby combustible objects like fences, patio furniture, and vehicles in accelerating flames. Such “connective fuels” have been identified as critical contributors to fire spread.
IBHS has performed a series of experiments, burning down 14 test homes while varying materials, wind speeds, and other conditions to more accurately replicate real wildfire scenarios. Findings support building practices that enhance resistance to embers and heat, as well as clearing flammable materials within five feet of homes. Communities that adopt these measures are approximately twice as likely to survive large fires.
The insurance industry, a primary funder of IBHS’s work, has begun incorporating these findings into policy incentives. In California, for instance, insurers are required to offer discounts for fire-resistant home upgrades, with some companies guaranteeing policies for homeowners certified under IBHS’s Wildfire Prepared Home program. Research also suggests that maintaining 30 feet or more between homes can reduce fire transmission, though modifying spacing in established neighborhoods is challenging.
Despite California’s stringent building codes, wildfire risks continue to outpace mitigation efforts. Following destructive fire seasons from 2017 to 2018, many insurers withdrew from the state, forcing over 500,000 policyholders into the state-run insurer of last resort or altogether dropping coverage. In response, California’s legislature passed a 2020 law mandating the removal of flammable materials around homes in high-risk zones, but local resistance has delayed enforcement.
The City of Berkeley has implemented its own regulations ahead of state mandates. Effective since January, Berkeley’s measures focus on neighborhoods adjacent to fire-prone hills, combining voluntary inspections with community-supported brush clearing and yard modifications designed by landscape architects. Fire officials emphasize that these efforts aim to reduce, not eliminate, fire risk.
Wildfires remain an enduring hazard, said IBHS President Roy Wright, cautioning against the notion that design alone can eliminate threat. Instead, the objective is to manage risk so that it no longer poses catastrophic danger to people and their communities.