06/01/2026
We’ve seen a lot of discussion about building materials being responsible for the rapid fire spread and loss of multiple homes in Saskatoon’s Hampton Village.
While vinyl siding and other combustible exterior materials can certainly contribute, the primary mechanism of fire spread in events like this is often radiant heat transfer.
When one structure becomes heavily involved, it radiates enormous amounts of heat to nearby exposures. Given enough heat and enough time, those exposures can ignite without direct flame contact.
The same principle applies to wildfires.
One of the most important factors affecting radiant heat exposure is distance.
* Double the distance = approximately ¼ of the heat exposure
* Triple the distance = approximately ¹⁄₉ of the heat exposure
A few extra metres between structures can be the difference between a home surviving and a home being lost.
Fire doesn’t always spread because flames reach the next building.
Sometimes the heat gets there first.
