Fire Shelter Test & Safety

Field Testing in Simulated Wildfire Environments

The FORT has undergone wildfire safety shelter testing for over a year in various environments and under different fire intensities to ensure it provides life-sustaining safety and comfort, along with four (4) hours of fresh, breathable air during a wildfire.

Using previous research studies on firefighter shelters, our team of professional engineers conducted wildfire bunker testing on both the physical structure of the FORT, and the internal environment during simulated wildfires. Initially, the internal conditions were monitored and measured remotely, and then the fire shelter test was done with human occupants. 

No Occupants
 
With occupants
 

With occupants
 

These wildfire shelter safety tests confirmed the FORT’s ability to provide a safe shelter in a simulated wildfire environment. 

Oxygen, CO2, and temperature control for up to 8 occupants

Our professional engineers, who have decades of experience developing and testing emergency refuge chambers for underground mining and tunneling, conducted human subject testing of the life saving air system, based on requirements set by:

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studies, and
• The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 30 Part 7 chamber regulations for a 96-hour duration refuge alternative

The fire shelter tests confirmed that proper levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide were measured for up to eight individuals of varying ages and weights inside the FORT for four hours.

Fire Resistance & Construction Standards

In the absence of a standard for a wildfire environment, the FORT has been subjected to fire shelter testing standards used in construction:

• ASTM E119-16a, “Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials” (ASTM E119)
• CAN/ULC S101-14, “Standard Methods of Fire Endurance Tests of Building Construction and Materials” (CAN/ULC S101)

These tests subject the sample to on hour of direct heat at temperatures up to 2000°F, which is much more intense than a typical wildfire burn. Wildfires can reach 2000°F, but for a shorter duration of time.

Establishing wildfire shelter safety standards

Since there is currently no standard for a wildfire environment, our team is working with certification professionals to establish the evaluation criteria by which a FORT could be a certified residential wildfire shelter.

This process will determine the criteria that must be met for a wildfire shelter to provide lifesaving capabilities for four (4) hours as a wildfire burns over. Since our engineers have designed the FORT to meet the requirements for a 96-hour refuge chamber, and it has been tested against standards for one hour of fire exposure, we expect that the product will significantly exceed the evaluation criteria.