Ductile Iron Pipe Stays Resilient Against Wildfire Temperatures
In recent years, there have been many reports of incidences where
wildfires have caused serious damage to homes, water systems, and
infrastructure. For example, in the fall of 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire
in Santa Cruz, CA, melted seven miles of an HDPE pipeline that carried
raw water to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District treatment plant. As stated
in a Wildfire Today article, the average wildfire “can reach temperatures of
800°C (1,472°F).” This temperature is well below the melting point of ductile
iron. But to address potential concerns regarding the resilience of Ductile iron
pipe when exposed to wildfire-like temperatures we decided to conduct
some of our own tests.
