A gust of wind picks up glowing hot embers, showering them on a lawn just a few feet from a home. The sparks ignite the dry grass. Within minutes, huge flames begin to lick up the sides of the house. It’s not long before fire engulfs the entire structure. Thankfully, no one is inside the building. That’s because this isn’t a real house—it’s a model home constructed inside a research lab and purposefully set on fire.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) operates the research facility in South Carolina. The nonprofit organization studies different threats to people and property, like wildfires. This type of research is more important now than ever, as wildfires become more severe, frequent, and widespread in many places across the western and southwestern U.S. (see Feeling the Burn).