FIRE WATER SUPPLY

[JKW05]

For areas without water supply systems, Appendix B of The Internatinal Fire Code (B103.3) refers to the International Urban-Wildland Interface Code.

Table 503.1 of the IUWIC requires the determination of the Fire Hazard Severity, and the Defensible Space. The Defensible Space is fairly well defined in Section 603, but the Fire Hazard Severity is a bit more obscure to me.

To determine the Fire Hazard Severity, the Fuel Model, Fire Weather Frequency, and Slope is needed. The fuel types are defined in Chapter 2, but how far from the building does one have to go to consider the fuel type and slope? Certainly a farmer in Kansas doesn’t have to worry about the forests and mountains in Colorado. And are there any references that would define the Weather Frequency?

We do quite a bit of work for small municipalities in rural Pennsylvania, and I am trying to clarify water supply requirements for fire-fighting purposes for relatively small structures.

 

[stookeyfpe]

The methodology is in the Appendicies. The Fire Hazard Model takes into account fuel packages, topography and the other variables. Appendix H contains a flow chart that may be of benefit to you when you are reviewing the IUWIC