008: How Building Materials Make a Difference in Disasters with Alister Watt and Daniel Gorham

How to Disaster

"We know that we're not powerless against wildfires. It's a question of, 'what are the steps? What are the actions that really make a difference?'" -Alister Watt

"Wildfire doesn't acknowledge boundaries— we need to be thinking about resilience and preparedness with that in mind." -Daniel Gorham

Episode Description:

When it comes to disasters, building materials are not just useful—they're essential. Every time we build something that can help prevent fires from happening or spreading, we're influencing how wildfire impacts our properties and the community we live in.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), an independent, 501 (C) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization, works to provide practical solutions to build more resilient communities.

This week, we are joined by the organization's Chief Product Officer Alister Watt and Research Engineer, Daniel Gorham to talk about how our choice of building materials can make a difference during a disaster. They also help us understand the trend of fires in the wildlands vs urban communities, how the layout of an environment influences the extent and gravity of a disaster's impact, why we need to change our view of aesthetics, what ember casts are and how to prevent them from entering our homes, and how Wildfire Prepared, a project of IBHS, can help us get better insured.

Connect with After The Fire USA:

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:13 Meet Alister and Daniel and Their Work with IBHS

06:29 Understanding the Trend: Wildland vs Urban Fires

12:09 Rural Community Fire vs Condensed Fire

17:42 The Role of Insurance in Disaster Preparedness

21:04 A Change Needed in Our View of Aesthetics

24:50 It's All About Ember

30:24 How to Prevent Embers From Entering Our Homes

39:37 We Are Not Powerless Against Wildfires

45:13 Recreating Hazards: What Happens "During"

49:53 Spend More to Build It Right

52:58 The Benefits of Being Prepared