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Fire Experts


Reax Engineering is a team of fire safety
experts with specializations ranging from
fire investigation and building code fire
consulting to wildland fire computer modeling.

Certified Fire & Explosion Investigators

We provide forensic expertise and support for fire origin, cause, and spread investigations. With over 40 years of experience in fire investigation—we have the ability to determine cause and origin consistent with current investigative standards.

Fire Investigation & Forensic Services

Residential Fire Reconstruction & Analysis

About 85% of all fire deaths in the United States are due to residential fires. In 2007, residential fires caused almost 2,900 civilian fire deaths, 14,000 civilian fire injuries, and more than $7.5 billion in property damage.

Our Reason is Saving Lives Expand

The main reason we conduct forensic fire reconstructions and determine causes of residential fires is to prevent future fires and essentially save more lives.

Fire Modeling & Forensic
Fire Investigation

We test forensic fire investigation hypotheses, using the Scientific Method and NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, to determine whether the fire origin and cause is scientifically valid.

Analyzing History for the Future Expand

Recently, our services were obtained to develop a statewide fire hazard and a risk map of the devastating California Wildfires. Our high-resolution wind and weather modeling was able to analyze historical fire weather in Southern California from 1979 – 2012 as well as develop a customized wildland fire hazard model for a large electrical utility.

Fire Testing & Product Material Compliance

Fire testing is a key component of building and consumer product regulations. With many fire tests used in the U.S., a commonly asked question is "Does this material/product comply with the relevant fire or flammability test?"

Identifying What's Relevant Expand

We help identify what that relevant fire test is and conduct fire testing to provide the answer to that important question.

View All Fire Investigation & forensic Services

Qualified Fire Protection Engineers

Often simply called "fire engineering" — fire protection engineering is the application of science and engineering methods that protect people, property, and their environments from the dangerous effects of fire and smoke.

We design fire protection systems using an integrated approach that helps protect the building and its occupants during a fire.

Fire Protection Engineering for
Commercial & Industrial Buildings

Fire Modeling for
Building Design

The design of a building that helps evacuate that building in a safe manner to preserve life is one of our top priorities. Fire safety design is paramount to any building’s design or function.

Computer Fire Modeling Expand

By using computer fire modeling for building design, we now have the ability to analyze fire and life safety in buildings. Today's computer fire modeling is capable of predicting fire growth and behavior, analyzing smoke control systems, providing a post-fire timeline of events, and more.

Design of Smoke
Control Systems

According to the NFPA, most fire deaths are not caused by burns, but by the "filling fumes" of smoke inhalation. As a building owner have you asked yourself, "Will my smoke control system work properly during a fire emergency?"

Designing for Common Issues Expand

Oftentimes smoke control systems come with common issues such as they lay dormant, become inoperable or unreliable, or are misunderstood and end up failing to meet the intended fire safety design criteria.

By designing smoke control systems that account for any of those common issues, we help keep building occupants safe from smoke during unwanted fires.

Structural Fire Engineering
& Fire Testing

As structural engineers, we're driven to develop innovative, engineered approaches for structural fire safety because of the need to reduce human and economic loss from fire. So how do we do that?

Providing Key Answers Expand

We help identify what that relevant fire test is and conduct fire testing to provide the answer to that important question.

View All Fire Engineering Services

Fire Expert Consulting Services

Our experienced and licensed professional engineers are here to support you with your fire protection needs from building and fire code consulting and fire protection design to fire expert witness testimony.

Fire directly impacts any building and the safety of its occupants as well as firefighters who need to access the building. We apply scientific and engineering principles, the law, and expert judgment on all of our projects to uphold all safety standards.

View All Building & Fire Code Consulting Services

Recent Fire Consulting Projects

Transbay Transit Center
Regional Transportation System

San Francisco, CA

The Transbay Transit Center, or the "Grand Central Station of the West," is a visionary project that will transform the Bay Area's regional transportation system—eventually connecting eight counties and the state of California through eleven transit systems.

Eisenhower Johnson Memorial
Tunnel Mist System

Western United States

The Eisenhower Tunnel is a four-lane vehicular tunnel in the western United States, approximately sixty miles west of Denver, Colorado. There was an average of two to three fires caused each year, mainly by vehicles with overheated engines or breaks. The new mist system was designed to reduce the number of fires drastically by dispensing mist and foam to contain fires and prevent further damage until emergency crews are able to respond.

Project Highlights Expand
  • Analyzed structural fire performance
  • Coupled gas phase fire dynamics
  • Solid phase finite element structural models
  • Thermal performance of fiber reinforced polymer systems
Project Highlights Expand
  • Tested fire mist systems
  • Full-scale experiments, instrumentation
  • Pre and post-test fire modeling
  • Data interpretation
View All Reax Engineering Projects

Our Team of Fire Experts Are Here to Help.

Our team of highly trained fire scientists, mechanical engineers, and fire protection engineers hold extensive experience and are often retained as fire expert witnesses to analyze liability issues related to origin and cause, fire spread, materials flammability, etc.

Meet Our Team

Contact information

Reax Engineering Inc.
1921 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704

(510) 629-4930 Ext. 801

info@reaxengineering.com

James M. Lord, P.E. CFI,
Reax Engineering, Inc.
5305 29th Street NW
Washington, DC 20015

(202) 322-7880

lord@reaxengineering.com

SFPE Partner
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