COTAC International COST Action C17: Built Heritage Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Final Report Parts 1 - 2 + Conference Proceedings Parts 1 - 4 Edited by Ingval Maxwell: Originally released on-line by COTAC in 2008: Reissued September 2026 ISBN 978-1-904966-53-1 and ISBN 1-904966-61-6
COTAC COST Action C17 Documentation: Intentions for Users
In an uncontrolled emergency situation, the intensity of a fire can reach a temperature of over 1000º Celsius in only a few minutes. This poses a major threat to life, building and contents alike. Yet, much complacency exists in the minds of heritage building owners when asked the challenging question “What do you want left after the fire?”. After all, “It could never happen to me”!!!
During its operational period from 2004-06, the intention of “COST Action C17: Built Heritage Fire Loss to Historic Buildings” was to identify and address the significant physical and cultural loss of Europe’s built heritage to the damaging effects of fire in a pragmatic manner. The overall aim was to provide building owners and other interested parties with relevant guidance and meaningful advice. This was achieved in a multi-disciplinary, multinational manner through the collaboration and integration of four related themes undertaken by four Working Groups, being:
WG1: Data and Fabric Analysis, Qualitative Risk Analysis WG2: Behaviour of Structure and Material in Fires WG3: Cultural Authenticity and Significance, Post-fire decision-making, Insurance Policy Issues WG4: Documentation, Management, Training, Recovery
Their collated outcome presented the promotion of data, technical methodologies, and management systems aimed at balancing fire engineering needs with conservation requirements to inform the future preservation of the broader European patrimony. In addition to the three volume Final Report, produced in August 2007, four volume Conference Proceedings were produced in May 2008.
In January 2026 the influential European-wide “Fire Risk Heritage” reported on-line “Why COST Action C17 still Defines the Agenda for Fire Safety in Historic Buildings”. It noted that: “Nearly two decades later, C17’s frameworks continue to define how professionals approach heritage fire risk - a testament to both the Action’s foresight and the persistence of the challenges it identified”.
Whilst previously released on-line by COTAC in 2008, in support of such re-emerging and significant recognition, COTAC is pleased to relaunch the series of COST Action C17 Research Reports, Conference Proceedings and related Studies.
COST Action C17: Built Heritage: Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Final Research Report Part 1 284pp A4, 2007 ISBN 978-1-904966-53-1 Part 1 sets out details of the Action’s work, outlining the Scale of Fire Loss to the Built Heritage. It offers the detailed Findings of the four Working Groups: WG1: Data and Fabric Analysis, Qualitative Risk Analysis WG2: Behaviour of Structure and Material in Fires WG3: Cultural Authenticity and Significance, Post-fire decision-making, Insurance Policy Issues WG4: Documentation, Management, Training, Recovery
COST Action C17: Built Heritage: Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Final Research Report Part 2 156pp A4, 2007 ISBN 978-1-904966-53-1 Part 2 Offer supporting Annexes, listing Historic Building Fires up to 2006, 20 Case Studies, lists of Action Members and Formal Evaluation Reports on the Action’s work and achievements over the 4-year period.
COST Action C17: Built Heritage: Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Conference Proceedings Part 1 240pp A4, 2008 ISBN 1-904966-61-6 Part 1 Offers papers and reproduction copies of the various presentations given to the Action at its Working Group meetings in Edinburgh (September 2003), Vienna (December 2003), Trondheim (April 2004) and Stockholm (June 2004).
The collated material offers a considerable amount of technical detail on fire incidents and remedial activities.
COST Action C17: Built Heritage: Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Conference Proceedings Part 2 250pp A4, 2008 ISBN 1-904966-61-6 Part 2 Offers papers and reproduction copies of the various presentations given to the Action at its Working Group meetings in Vienna (July 2004), Varna (September 2004), Paris (October 2004) and Vienna (December 2004).
The collated material offers a considerable amount of technical detail on fire incidents and remedial activities.
COST Action C17: Built Heritage: Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Conference Proceedings Part 3 292pp A4, 2008 ISBN 1-904966-61-6 Part 3 Offers papers and reproduction copies of the various presentations given to the Action at its Working Group meetings in Siena (April 2005), Helsinki (October 2005) and Ljubljana (May 2006).
The collated material offers a considerable amount of technical detail on fire incidents and remedial activities
COST Action C17: Built Heritage: Fire Loss to Historic Buildings Conference Proceedings Part 4 280pp A4, 2008 ISBN 1-904966-61-6 Part 4 Offers papers and reproduction copies of presentations given to the Final Conference of the Action in Rome (December 2006), together with Reports on its Short-Term Scientific Missions and details of associated printed Publications brought to the attention of Members during the course of the Action
The collated material offers a considerable amount of technical detail on fire incidents and remedial activities.
COST Action C17: Supplementary Studies In support of COST Action C17 four supplementary studies by COWI AS were jointly published in 2006 by Riksantikvaren, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Historic Scotland TCRE Group and were included in the final suite of released Action documents.
Hypoxic Air Venting for Protection of Heritage Research Report 80pp A4, 2006 ISBN 82-7574-037-1 This technical report by COWI AS evaluated Inert Air as a technique to protect heritage buildings and artefacts from fire and degradation. Inert air, or hypoxic air (reduced oxygen concentration), comprises slightly altered concentrations of components of air where, typically, 5% of the oxygen content is substituted by nitrogen. Continuous inert air has a predetermined oxygen level and safely vents the space to be protected. Whilst safe to breathe, it prevents fire ignition in common materials. The study includes four case studies.
Minimum Invasive Fire Detection for Protection of Heritage Research Report 40pp A4, 2006 ISBN 82-7574-040-1 This technical report by COWI AS offers a summary of technologies used for minimizing invasive detector installations. Results were evaluated and recommendations given that have an international relevance. Tests were undertaken to find optimum solutions for the highly valued Norwegian Stave Churches, whilst others investigated external area fire surveillance techniques for historic town centres and multiple heritage sites in addition to internal options.
Analysis of sprinkler Failures in Listed Heritage Buildings Research Report 16pp A4, 2006 This report by COWI AS notes 27 incidents of unintended activations of water based extinguishing systems in heritage applications between 1985 and 2006 were listed and described. All known contributing factors were identified, analysed and conclusions reached from the findings.
Manual Fire Extinguishing Equipment for Protection of Heritage Research Report 62pp A4, 2006 ISBN 82-7574-039-8 This detailed report by COWI AS provided an overview of available firefighting equipment and techniques for museum staff to use in the early stages of a fire. Six categories of handheld extinguishers, three techniques for fighting fire without extinguishers and nine automatic small extinguishers for use in museums, galleries or historical buildings were evaluated in terms of ease of use, extinguishing efficiency, secondary damage, maintenance and cost.
Legal notice As originally intimated in 2007 and 2008, neither the ESF-COST Office nor any person acting on its behalf is responsible for the use that might be made of the information contained in the COST C17 productions. The views expressed then, as now, do not necessarily reflect the views of the ESF-COST Office, Historic Scotland or COTAC in the re-launching of these documents. Nor are they responsible for the external websites referred to in the productions. While every care was taken in the original preparation of the material, all parties involved in their production specifically excludes any liability for errors, omissions or otherwise arising from the contents where readers and users must satisfy themselves as to the relevance of the various principles and practices described.
