In the Zone: Fire Protection Starts with Defending the First Five Feet

In 2024, wildfires consumed more than 8.9 million acres across the United States, which was triple the damage seen in 2023. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, more than 64,000 wildfires were recorded this past year, far outpacing the ten-year average. While regions traditionally known for wildfires continue to be at high risk, these numbers reflect a sobering truth: fire danger is spreading, and no facility can afford to ignore it.

The Background

Prolec^® GE Waukesha is a prominent power transformer manufacturer supporting critical electrical infrastructure. When a large section of its 171,500-square-foot facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina, needed roofing, the facility team selected Seaman Corporation’s FiberTite^® 45-mil roofing membrane for its demonstrated high performance. Another section of the roof had been covered three years prior with a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membrane.  

The differences between those two roof membranes would be tested in a way no facility manager could have foreseen: a massive fire outbreak at a nearby salvage yard posed risk of major damage to the Prolec GE building.