Nist Technical Note 1748 Framework for Addressing the Nationalwildland Urban Interface Fire Problem ? Determining Fire and Ember Exposure Zones Using a Wui Hazard Scale

Destruction of homes and businesses from Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fires has been steadily escalating as have the fire suppression costs associated with them. Since 2000, in the United States, over 3,000 homes per year are lost to WUI fires. This is compared to about 900 homes in the 1990s, and 400 homes in the 1970s. In 2011, in Texas alone, over 2,000 homes were destroyed during WUI fires. The WUI fire problem affects both existing communities and new construction. In the U.S, the problem is most acute in the western and southern states; however, WUI fires have also recently destroyed homes in the Mid-Atlantic States and the Pacific Northwest.