Alexander Maranghides

Alexander Maranghides is an American fire protection engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He is best known for his research on wildland–urban interface (WUI) fires and large-scale fire testing.

Education and early career Maranghides earned both a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Prior to joining NIST, he worked for seven years at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, serving as Test Director for the halon replacement program and co-inventing enhancements to gaseous suppression systems.

Career at NIST At NIST, Maranghides led the Large Fire Laboratory and has overseen hundreds of large-scale fire experiments. For over twenty years, he has focused on wildland–urban interface fires. He led all four of NIST’s WUI fire case-study reconstructions, including the Waldo Canyon Fire and the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California. His work has informed building standards and regional fire safety guidance.

Awards and honours Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (2025) — Awarded June 16, 2025, by the Partnership for Public Service in recognition of “decades of important research into how fires that occur in communities adjacent to wildlands spread, what can be done to prevent them and how to protect life and property.” NIST Gold Medal (2023) — As part of a group for “technical innovations that revealed for the first time the complex behavior of WUI fires and resulted in practical tools.” NIST Bronze Medal — Recognized by NIST for contributions to fire science and community fire resilience.

Selected publications Maranghides, A., Link, E. D., Nazare, S., Hawks, S., McDougald, J., Quarles, S. L., & Gorham, D. J. (2022). WUI Structure/parcel/community fire hazard mitigation methodology. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Maranghides, A., & Link, E. (2023). WUI Fire Evacuation and Sheltering Considerations: Assessment, Planning, and Execution (ESCAPE). National Institute of Standards and Technology.