Best Wojciech Wegrzynski Podcasts (2025)

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198 - Waste and recycling fires and how to fight them with Ryan Fogelman 1:00:19

6d ago1:00:19

1:00:19

The devastating impact of waste and recycling industry fires costs approximately $2.5 billion annually in the US and Canada alone, with lithium-ion batteries causing roughly 50% of these incidents. In this episode with Ryan Fogelman from Fire Rover, we discuss: • Understanding the scale of waste facility fires and why traditional fire protection me…

1
197 - Fire spread through external walls pt. 2 with FSRI 1:06:30

13d ago1:06:30

1:06:30

When wildfire threatens neighbourhoods with closely-spaced homes, what determines whether flames leap from one structure to the next? The FSRI research team - Rebekah Schrader, Joseph Willi, Daniel Gorham and Gavin Horn - joins us to unveil their experimental series that methodically dissects the pathways through which fire spreads between building…

1
196 - Fire spread through external walls pt. 1 with FSRI 49:32

20d ago49:32

49:32

In this podcast episode, we host Rebekah Schrader, Joseph Willi, Daniel Gorham and Gavin Horn, all from the FSRI, to cover their recent experimental research on fire spread through external walls. This is part 1 of the interview - the background, rationale and context. In part 2, we cover the experiments themselves, findings and actionable guidance…

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195 - Fire Safety Cases with Chris Mayfield and Martyn Ramsden 1:00:37

27d ago1:00:37

1:00:37

The UK's Building Safety Act requires high-risk buildings to maintain comprehensive fire safety cases - living documents that identify hazards, mitigate risks, and establish clear accountability for building safety. This is the subject of my discussion with Chris Mayfield and Martyn Ramsden from OFR. • Safety cases differ from fire strategies by be…

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194 - Playing with batteries with Xinyan Huang 52:18

1M ago52:18

52:18

Professor Xinyan Huang from Hong Kong Polytechnic University shares his expertise on battery fires and the various experimental methods researchers use to trigger thermal runaway events under controlled conditions. • Terminology matters - "thermal runaway" more accurately describes battery failure than "ignition" as the critical reactions occur ins…

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193 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 15 - Extinguishing systems with Bogdan Racięga 54:06

1M ago54:06

54:06

Welcome to another Fire Fundamentals. This time the episode is focused on various extinguishing technologies. Invited guest - Bogdan Racięga, Director at Baltic Fire Laboratory and expert in fire protection systems breaks down the fundamental differences between suppression and extinction technologies and how they work in real-world applications. C…

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192 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 14 - Jet fan systems for car parks 42:57

2M ago42:57

42:57

Jet-fan systems effectively control smoke in car parks by creating directed airflows that transport smoke from one point to another, similar to how longitudinal ventilation works in tunnels. These systems offer cost-effectiveness and simplicity by eliminating ductwork while providing powerful smoke management capabilities when properly designed and…

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191 - Committee participation with Birgitte Messerschmidt and Kees Both 58:19

2M ago58:19

58:19

This episode explores the invaluable contributions of community participation in fire safety technical committees. Joining committees is not just about sharing expertise; it’s a journey that transforms careers and fosters growth. Our guests, Birgitte Messerschmidt and Kees Both, reveal how their experiences in various committees, including the NFPA…

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190 - Car park fires review with Zahir 52:37

2M ago52:37

52:37

With the emergence of electric vehicles, fire safety and dynamics have entered a new domain, raising crucial questions about existing protocols, design fires and data gaps. Today, our Wojciech Wegrzyński welcomes Zahir, Associate Prof. at University Putra Malaysia, to discuss the findings from their latest papers, compare methodologies, and highlig…

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189 - Simple things that work 43:16

2M ago43:16

43:16

This episode emphasises the value of focusing on simple things in fire safety engineering, something we somehow miss when we go too deep into the technical details of our projects. I've looked at eight different aspects of fire safety - inspired by the CPR requirements, and I've added resiliency, redundancy and suppression to them. By promoting str…

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188 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 13 - Porous solid fuels 58:02

3M ago58:02

58:02

In this episode of Fire Fundamentals, together with Dr Sara McAllister, we dwell on how stuff burns... And it is far from an easy question. While the general theme of the episodes is porous fuels, we discuss them from different angles, highlighting the similarities and differences between foamed and permeable materials. In this episode, we cover: r…

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187 - Smouldering of preserved timber with Wenxuan Wu 55:29

3M ago55:29

55:29

Can a tiny amount of bio-protective coating completely change the fire behaviour of mass timber logs? If you asked me that some time ago, I would say it would probably be neutral. Can a 0.5 x 0.5 m free-standing log of timber smoulder through without any external exposure to fire? If you asked me that some time ago, I would say no, and base that on…

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186 - Egressibility: a paradigm shift in evacuation research with Enrico Ronchi 1:02:55

3M ago1:02:55

1:02:55

If we truly want to account for the population at a disadvantage in evacuation, there is only this much we can do with the current approach... Pre-evacuation time distributions, walking speeds, and so on only tell us a part of the story - the story of your average person within an average population, with an average walking speed and average respon…

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185 - Recap on wildfire science 1:06:05

3M ago1:06:05

1:06:05

In the aftermath of the LA Pacific Palisades Fire, I've decided that instead of inviting one expert to discuss the event, I will give a voice back to those who already participated in the Fire Science Show and explained this fire (months and years before it happened). In this episode, we recap Wildland-Urban Interface fires, with a focus on the "ur…

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184 - Cost-benefit analysis in structural fire safety with Thomas Gernay and Chenzi Ma 1:01:48

3M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

This episode delves into the financial aspects of fire safety in building design, highlighting the balance between cost and effectiveness. My guests - prof. Thomas Gernay and Chenzi Ma from Johns Hopkins University share insights from their NIST-sponsored research project on cost-benefit analysis and loss estimation for structural fire safety. In t…

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183 - Innovation and fire safety with Vincent Brannigan 1:01:21

4M ago1:01:21

1:01:21

History repeats itself. A new thing is invented. We learn about it, understand it, and apply measures to capture its behaviour and regulate it. And then another new thing is invented. The measures we used start failing us, and the cycle repeats all over again. It is not a story of fire safety; it is a story of humanity. Similar cycles can be observ…

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182 - Bias in fire research 46:00

4M ago46:00

46:00

Fire is a highly contextualized problem; therefore, there is no such thing as an unbiased or "objective" fire experiment. It is a thing that many researchers would understand but is very rarely pointed out. Where it is not a problem for fire science (more like a 'feature'), it may become one when the results of scientific experiments are directly a…

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S3E01 | Legal framework of the building 43:53

4M ago43:53

43:53

Welcome to the third season of Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations. In the third season, the focus shifts from a purely technical analysis of building design and fire safety measures to an understanding of the intricate legal and regulatory landscapes that govern compliance. Across four in-depth episodes, experts in law, engineering, insura…

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S3E04 | Litigation process 47:03

4M ago47:03

47:03

In the final episode of "Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations," Season 3, the series explores how defects can arise, the multidisciplinary approach needed to address them, and the pivotal role of loss adjusters and expert witnesses in resolving such conflicts. The process begins with identifying the building defect, which is not merely about…

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S3E02 | Building defects 39:34

4M ago39:34

39:34

This episode of Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations, Season 3, delves into the challenging process of defining and identifying building defects, particularly in the realm of fire safety. We emphasize the complexity and multifaceted nature of what constitutes a building defect. Joined by experts from various disciplines, including fire safet…

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S3E03 | The pyramid of solutions 46:34

4M ago46:34

46:34

In this episode of 'Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations,' we investigate the complexities of identifying and fixing building defects. The episode begins by outlining the stages involved, from the initial detection of a defect to selecting an appropriate fix. The host highlights the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders such as deve…

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181 - Regulatory regimes with Vincent Brannigan 58:17

5M ago58:17

58:17

I just drove 500 km to have a conversation with Professor Vincent Brannigan from the University of Maryland, a very unique expert who combines law with fire engineering. In this discussion, we go into the complexities of building codes and fire safety, comparing traditional design methods (prescriptive) with performance-based designs (and all the s…

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180 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 12 - Pressurization systems 49:16

5M ago49:16

49:16

In this episode of fire science fundamentals, we cover the pressurisation systems. These are smoke control solutions used to prevent smoke from accessing protected spaces, by creating an overpressure in those spaces. Although the idea is very simple, its execution is far from that. Pressurization systems need to work in two distinct states – when a…

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179 - Assurance in fire safety with Abhishek Chhabra 58:44

5M ago58:44

58:44

Discover the hidden backbone of fire safety with assurance industry expert Abhishek Chhabra as we unravel the essential frameworks that keep our buildings safe and sound. We explore the vital role of standards, accreditations, and testing mechanisms in fostering trust and compliance within the construction industry. It is not easy to talk about, bu…

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178 - Origin stories of fire prevention and firefighting with Michał Stachowicz 52:21

5M ago52:21

52:21

Happy 200th birthday, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services!!! I'm a bit late to the party. Still, I've done my best to celebrate your anniversary in the best way I can - by giving homage to the amazing fire safety engineering and firefighting that came out of Edinburgh and your founder, James Braidwood. In this episode, we tap into the secrets of earl…

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177 - Physics-Based Modelling of Fire Spread with Francesco Restuccia 58:33

6M ago58:33

58:33

Wildfire modelling is quite complicated when you wish to integrate different fuel packages with different properties in 'real' environmental conditions while managing the transition to/from smouldering. We have a model for each, but how do we make them work in unison without relying too much on their users' skills? This is a subject for a good rese…

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176 - The Myth of Panic with Daniel Nilsson 1:01:42

6M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

You are not supposed to use the word 'panic' in the context of human behaviour in fires, yet this episode contains 196 instances of it. Why? because we try to get to the bottom of the thing! Can panic be both a myth and a reality? Join us as we challenge the age-old narratives of panic in emergencies with our distinguished guest, Professor Daniel N…

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175 - Changes in the UK fire regulations with Dame Judith Hackitt 49:11

6M ago49:11

49:11

The Grenfell Tower tragedy has triggered a Public Inquiry (which just published their final report), and concurrently - a review of the UK Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The latter task was given to Dame Judith Hackitt, a former Head of the Health and Safety Executive and a chemical engineer. In this interview Dame Judith Hackitt lends her v…

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174 - My predictions for AI in fire 56:41

6M ago56:41

56:41

AI is changing the world. But can artificial intelligence truly revolutionize fire safety engineering? In this episode I took out my crystal ball, and tried to find answers in what aspects of fire engineering we could truly see a revolutionary impact of AI, and where it is more a disturbing gadget with no real application... Overall, working in the…

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173 - Pathway to scalable fire CFD 42:55

7M ago42:55

42:55

CFD is the most talked-over subject in the Fire Science Show. There are two reasons for that: one, it is interesting and relevant for so many of the Audience, and two, it's something I do for a living. There is also another reason: there are a lot of ideas and concepts of how CFD could be used "better", yet I struggle to see them make an impact in …

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172 - Lessons from mass timber experiments with Danny Hopkin 1:00:54

7M ago1:00:54

1:00:54

One could argue full-scale experiments on fire phenomena are the most enriching for our knowledge as the fire community. The costs associated with them and logistical nightmares of organizing them make them an uncommon sight. However, in an instance where we reach the boundaries of our knowledge, they are necessary to progress further. That was the…

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171 - Exploring Water Mist Systems with Max Lakkonen 53:05

7M ago53:05

53:05

I approach modelling water mist with caution. Not that I don't understand it, but because I lack clarity in the goals and objectives, as well I'm usually aware I may not deliver the expectations of my clients in terms of the physical phenomena I am capturing... And I'm not the only one like this. In this podcast episode I explore the world of water…

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170 - Integrating Fire Safety and Security Objectives with Stewe Gwynne and Aoife Hunt 1:01:44

7M ago1:01:44

1:01:44

What happens to controlled doors when a fire is detected in the building? They unlock. Elevators? They go down. People are guided somewhere, and the fire strategy is executed. As it should. But what if the real threat is not the fire itself? What if the real threat is using the fire as a decoy or, worse, as a tool? What if the threat has intelligen…

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169 - Engineering car parks for EV's with Ali Ashrafi and Pawel Woelke 1:00:27

7M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

EVs are becoming more of a 'normal' part of fire safety engineering rather than an 'exotic problem'. I've invited two colleagues from Thornton Tomasetti - Ali Ashrafi and Pawel Woelke, to discuss what this engineering looks like. In the episode, we discuss insights into how fire risks differ between electric and internal combustion engine vehicles …

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168 - Fires in Waste Industry with Ragni Fjellgaard Mikalsen 52:24

8M ago52:24

52:24

Fires in the waste industry are not discussed much unless one sees a giant smoke plume in the media, followed by advice to close your windows. In these (rare?) cases, we remind ourselves of the massive industry related to storing, sorting and recycling garbage, and the obvious environmental hazards such fires pose. From 2017 to 2020, Poland experie…

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167 - CFD for consequences and fire growth with Jonathan Hodges 53:34

8M ago53:34

53:34

In this episode we talk with Jonathan Hodges of the Jensen Hughes on his experience with using advanced modelling in the realm of fire safety engineering. Jonathan sheds light on how the modelling is used at various Jensen Hughes offices around the world, highlighting interesting differences they see across their practice. The core of the talk revo…

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166 - Bio-based insulation with Patrick Sudhoff 50:00

8M ago50:00

50:00

In the everchanging world every now and then we get a new driver, that dictates most of our choices. In the current built environment and building industry, carbon dioxide feels like such a driver. We don't like it, we want to get rid of it... One way is to sequester or store large amounts of CO2 in our buildings. Ways to do that - more obvious is …

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165 - Best Practice vs. Appropriate Practice with Arnold Dix 59:57

8M ago59:57

59:57

Is the "best practice" always the best approach to solving an engineering problem? Can we consider "best" and "appropriate" practices synonymous, and if not - how big is the gap between them? Join us as we welcome Professor Arnold Dix back to challenge conventional wisdom in engineering. Focusing on the nuanced distinction between "best practice" a…

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164 - Experiences with AI with Xinyan Huang 55:20

9M ago55:20

55:20

The last time I had Xinyan on the show was in 2021, and we were all excited about the possibilities that AI could bring to Fire Safety Engineering and Smart Firefighting. Three years have passed, and while we are still excited, we can now talk about experiences. What worked and what did not? Where were the challenges, and what was simple? You can o…

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S2E01 | Pre-evacuation time distribution in fire safety engineering 40:02

9M ago40:02

40:02

Welcome to Season 2 of Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations! This season, the show's theme is Humans as part of a fire safety engineered system. In this series, we will unravel our understanding of human behaviour in fires and how this complex behaviour may be accounted for in the fire-safe design of buildings. Our understanding of the occup…

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S2E02 | Response to fire cues and group influence 40:30

9M ago40:30

40:30

Welcome to Season 2 of Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations! This season, the show's theme is Humans as part of a fire safety engineered system. In this series, we will unravel our understanding of human behaviour in fires and how this complex behaviour may be accounted for in the fire-safe design of buildings. Our understanding of the occup…

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S2E03 | Behavioural sequence and role-rule model 43:38

9M ago43:38

43:38

Welcome to Season 2 of Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations! This season, the show's theme is Humans as part of a fire safety engineered system. In this series, we will unravel our understanding of human behaviour in fires and how this complex behaviour may be accounted for in the fire-safe design of buildings. Our understanding of the occup…

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S2E04 | Familiarity and debunking the myth of Panic 39:11

9M ago39:11

39:11

Welcome to Season 2 of Uncovered Witness: Fire Science Revelations! This season, the show's theme is Humans as part of a fire safety engineered system. In this series, we will unravel our understanding of human behaviour in fires and how this complex behaviour may be accounted for in the fire-safe design of buildings. Our understanding of the occup…

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163 - Fire Fundamentals pt 11 - Soot in Fire Safety Engineering 51:41

9M ago51:41

51:41

Soot is perhaps the most complex product of combustion, and at the same time one of the most profound for our everyday fire safety engineering. The topic of soot is not getting much love in the world of fire science, so I’ve chosen to give you a broad introduction to this subject. In this episode of fire fundamentals we will go through: · Soot crea…

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162 - Experiments that changed fire science pt. 9 - Jin's experiment on visibility in smoke 42:27

9M ago42:27

42:27

In this episode of Experiments that Changed Fire Science we cover T. Jin’s experiments on the visibility in smoke – two experiments carried out in 1970 and 1971 in Japan that truly changed the way how we model fires and how we design fire safety in our buildings. This episodes presents my recollection of Jin’s experiments, based on the published wo…

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161 - Community evacuation with Enrico Ronchi and Max Kinateder 55:42

9M ago55:42

55:42

Is evacuation of a community during a wildfire largely different from evacuation of a building? How much of the knowledge from the building fires is directly useful in planning and managing such an event, and what stuff is completely different? These are the lead questions for my today's interview with prof. Enrico Ronchi from Lund University and d…

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160 - Fire Fundamentals pt 10 - Flame Spread with David Morrisset 1:02:30

10M ago1:02:30

1:02:30

In the episode 10 of fire fundamentals together with David Morrisset, a nearly graduated PhD student from the University of Edinburgh, we explore the intricate dynamics of flame spread and its crucial role in fire safety engineering. David helps us differentiate between the two primary modes of flame spread, concurrent (imagine upward spread) and o…

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159 - The WUI Problem with Michele Steinberg and Birgitte Messerschmidt 55:41

10M ago55:41

55:41

With two Directors at NFPA - Michele Steinberg and Birgitte Messerschmidt, I'm trying to find an answer to a burning question - "what really is the WUI problem?" The WUI is not just a line on a map with an X distance from the forest... In this episode we try to define what it is, and who is in danger. Instead of our usual conversations looking into…

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158 - Fire Fundamentals pt. 9 - Know your boundaries (in CFD) 51:17

10M ago51:17

51:17

In today's Fire Science Show, we talk about how boundary conditions can make or break your fire simulation models. We'll explore boundary conditions' fundamental role in defining how simulations interact with their environments and how mastering these can lead to more accurate and reliable fire simulation models. I hope we break down some complex t…

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157 - Revising Critical Velocity with Conrad Stacey and Michael Beyer 57:19

10M ago57:19

57:19

A critical velocity episode... who would have thought? Even though I'm not an enthusiast of this approach, I have to admire the new science and researchers striving to improve it. This week I welcome Conrad Stacey and Michael Beyer from Stacey Agnew to talk about their recent developments. We'll take you through the historical development of this c…

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Wojciech Wegrzynski Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen