Robust heating in crisis: Evaluation of the FirePipe emergency stove for indoor environments in cold climates

Abstract

The FirePipe emergency stove is a flat packed, indoor stove with a window mounted flue, designed to provide space heating, cooking capability, and water boiling during emergencies. While previous laboratory testing and short term evaluations have confirmed its basic functionality and fire safety, there is limited knowledge of how the stove performs in real environments under dynamic indoor and outdoor condi tions. This study investigates how the FirePipe stove interacts with indoor environmental conditions during winter use. The research evaluates whether the stove can main tain acceptable indoor temperatures and safe air quality. Indoor climate and air quality parameters, including temperature distribution and concentrations of CO, CO2, PM2.5, PM10, and ultrafine particles (UFP), are measured and analyzed across different operational phases. In addition, the influence of external weather conditions, including wind speed, wind direction, and outdoor temperature, on stove performance and indoor air quality is examined. The study also assesses user friendliness, installation procedures, and the accompanying manual to identify potential improvements. Based on these findings, the work provides recommendations for safe use and identifies scenarios in which the stove should not be used.