FPE Research Paper Wins Fire Protection Research Foundation Award

A research paper co-authored by James Milke, P.E., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE), FPE graduate student Robin Zevotek, P.E., and Thomas Fabian, Ph.D., of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) has received the Ronald K. Mengel award for best fire detection research presentation at a Fire Protection Research Foundation conference.

The paper, "Cooking Fire Prevention," summarizes an experiment aimed at determining if precursors to cooking fires can help prevent the incidents. Researchers at UL conducted a series of 11 cooktop fire scenarios using everyday food items, including meat, vegetables and cooking oil. The data collected by UL was analyzed at the University of Maryland. Results showed that carbon monoxide and the concentration of smoke were the best predictors of cooktop fires. The resulting data be used to predict an impending fire early enough to prevent the fire from occurring.

The paper was presented at the 2013 Fire Protection Research Foundation's Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Conference in February. The Fire Protection Research Foundation supports the National Fire Protection Association's mission to "reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education."

Learn more about the Fire Protection Research Foundation.

Published June 11, 2013