Combustible Building Materials Under the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), California Building Code, and California Residential CodeCategory: fire safety

building codes August 18, 2025

Combustible Building Materials Under the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), California Building Code, and California Residential Code

Wildfires and fires occurring in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas have seemingly become more common, even in areas outside of those traditionally considered as prone to wildfires. Recent years have also seen an increase in research efforts regarding wildfires and how the built environment reacts when exposed to wildfire. These efforts continue to inform the development […]

building codes January 29, 2025

Combustibility

Understanding the combustibility of building materials is crucial for fire safety and compliance with building codes. This article delves into the definitions and standards that determine whether a material is combustible and explains how building codes, such as the International Building Code® (IBC®) and the International Residential Code® (IRC®), classify materials based on tests like […]

building codes December 20, 2023

NFPA 285 Testing and Design Information: Data Analysis and Extension

This is the final installment of a four-part series of articles on the topic of testing and design for exterior wall assemblies that the building codes require to comply with NFPA 285 . These articles are intended to promote effective communication between stakeholders regarding this important fire safety topic for the design and construction of […]

fire safety October 18, 2023

NFPA 285 Testing and Design Information: Designing for NFPA 285 Compliance

This is the third in a multi-part series of articles on the topic of testing and design for exterior wall assemblies that the building codes require to comply with NFPA 2851. These articles are intended to promote effective communication between stakeholders regarding this important fire safety topic for the design and construction of code-compliant exterior […]

fire safety August 29, 2023

NFPA 285 Testing and Design Information: More than Just a Pass or Fail

This is the second in a multi-part series of articles on the topic of testing and design for exterior wall assemblies that the building codes require to comply with NFPA 285. These articles are intended to promote effective communication between stakeholders regarding this important fire safety topic for the design and construction of code-compliant exterior […]

fire safety July 13, 2023

NFPA 285 Testing and Design Information: History and Roots

This is the first in a multi-part series of articles on the topic of testing and design for exterior wall assemblies that the building codes require to comply with NFPA 285. They are intended to promote effective communication between stakeholders regarding this important fire safety topic for the design and construction of code-compliant exterior wall […]

fire safety May 8, 2023

Five Common Principles of Building Fire Safety

In 2020, a set of Five Common Principles1 for fire safety was published by the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition (IFSS), a global group of professional, not-for-profit expert organizations. The principles outlined by the IFSS – Prevention, Detection and Communication, Occupant Protection, Containment, and Extinguishment – are broadly applicable, performance based, and interrelated. The North […]

Combustible Building Materials Under the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), California Building Code, and California Residential CodeCategory: fire safety