Fire in heritage and historic buildings, a major challenge for the 21st century

Heritage and historic buildings possess an important architectural and cultural value which fire significantly threatens. However, current codes very rarely address the peculiarities of such buildings vis-à-vis fire hazards. Therefore, bringing these buildings into compliance with fire safety regulations while avoiding heritage loss is a great challenge. Within this context, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art of research on fire in heritage and historic buildings. The analysis of the literature shows that, despite significant advances in research, the fire safety of historic buildings remains alarming, with important research gaps to be addressed. This study identifies these gaps, proposes future research areas, and provides a baseline for the search for solutions to achieve fire safety in heritage and historic buildings. Thus, this work promotes the conservation of these buildings, as well as rehabilitation over demolition and new construction, leading to a more sustainable construction. •Fire is a major threat to the preservation of heritage and historic buildings.•The current state of the art of fire research in historic buildings is provided.•A total of 125 studies published between 1985 and 2022 have been reviewed.•Despite advances in research, the fire safety of historic buildings is alarming.•Consequently, future research areas that need to be addressed have been identified.