Safety & Testing

Field Testing of Wildfire Environment

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

Using previous research studies on firefighter shelters, our team of professional engineers conducted tests 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 testing was done with human occupants. 


No Occupants
 
With occupants
 

With occupants
 

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

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 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
 

In the absence of a standard for a wildfire environment, the FORT components have been tested to the following standards:
 

• 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 three hours 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.
 

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 certified for refuge from wildfires.  

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 three hours of fire exposure, we expect that the product will significantly exceed the evaluation criteria.