In Episode 3, check out UL's Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) Advisory Board Member and LA County Assistant Chief, Derek Alkonis, as he talks about the constantly evolving fire environment and what we need to do to stay ahead.:

Structure fires have changed over time. Forty-plus years ago, structures were built using old growth, full-thickness lumber, and the furnishings inside were made of mostly natural fibers. This made for a fire environment that progressed slowly toward flashover. Compared to today’s fires, firefighters typically had time to do a search for victims, find the seat of the fire and extinguish the blaze before the fire’s intensity overcame the firefighters’ ability to control the environment.

The firefighting tactics employed by a previous generation of firefighters were based upon a built environment and the firefighting and safety equipment they had available to them. Today’s firefighters are faced with a different fire problem. The modern fire environment consists of structures constructed of lightweight building materials, open floor plans, double-pane windows and furnishings constructed of materials capable of releasing enough heat energy to flash over a room in seven minutes or less. Fire conditions that increase in intensity at these speeds require more knowledge of fire behavior and fire dynamics.