Fears of a "towering inferno" disaster in the Gulf are growing after fires left residential buildings heavily damaged in the United Arab Emirates cities of Sharjah and Dubai.

Greg Havel takes a look at lightning protection systems on buildings and what they might mean for firefighting operations and fire safety.

Economic conditions, new construction, and building renovations were considerations in classroom session "Tactical Considerations for Attic and Cockloft Fires," presented by Michael Daley on Thursday morning at FDIC 2013.

At the FDIC workshop "Firefighting in Disposable Structures," Gary Bowker discussed how these new buildings can complicate firefighting operations and endanger firefighters.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released an updated report on the "Total Cost of Fire in the United States."

Greg Havel discusses the characteristics of flat roof membranes and their implications for firefighting operations.

Firefighters from eight communities battled a fatal late-night fire in Whately, Massachusetts.

The U.S. Fire Administration has released a new report in its topical fire report series, this one dealing with the characteristics of civilian injuries from residential building fires for the period 2009-2011.

Joe McClelland discusses topics that new company officers need to master to help keep their firefighters safe. In this first installment, he discusses reading smoke and building construction.

Mark van der Feyst reviews some of the challenges firefighters face when dealing with fires in residential garages.

Greg Havel reviews a variety of roof coverings and their implications for firefighting operations.

Four hundred guests fled a fire in a Bethseda, Maryland, hotel that seriously injured one worker Monday.

W.S. Darley & Co. announced that it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Self Testing Systems (STS) of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

During firefighting operations, any door can provide the building's occupants (and firefighters) with some protection against smoke and heat. Greg Havel reviews fire resistance of doors in residential occupancies.

Nashua (NH) firefighters recently conducted live-fire training on some acquired structures, and a video posted on YouTube last month takes viewers inside some of these burns.

This series presents basic information on the size and status of the fire problem in the United States as depicted through data collected in USFA's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).

Does your fire department have a policy concerning working above or below truss assemblies involved in fire? Share your experiences with other fire service members.

cdp ACCESS, an online initiative aimed to increase participation in the International Code Council code development process, is being prepared for testing.

We all should have read Francis L. Brannigan's Building Construction for the Fire Service.

The bowstring truss is neither the most common type of truss nor the type most likely to kill firefighters, Greg Havel writes.