Virtual reality experimental framework for outdoor fire evacuations with inclusive design: a pilot study

Understanding pedestrian behavior during fire evacuations in urban environments is crucial for improving emergency response strategies. While Virtual Reality (VR) has been widely used to study evacuation dynamics, most research has focused on indoor settings, with limited attention to outdoor urban evacuations. This study addresses this gap by developing a VR-based methodological framework to examine pedestrian movement and decision-making during an outdoor fire evacuation in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. To account for the heterogeneity of pedestrian evacuation behavior, the study distinguishes between walking and wheelchair modes, enabling the exploration of evacuation experiences simulated for mobility-impaired conditions and regular walking. Using a fractional factorial experimental design, participants navigated either on foot or in a wheelchair to one of two muster points. The pilot study revealed significant influences of crowd-following behavior, accessibility constraints, and evacuation route visibility on decision-making. Findings suggest that strategic placement of evacuation buses and improved wayfinding support are essential for optimizing urban fire evacuation procedures. This research contributes to urban emergency planning by providing insights into outdoor pedestrian behavior, accessibility challenges, and policy recommendations for inclusive fire evacuation strategies.