Abstract
In Southwest China, traditional wooden buildings in historic villages commonly feature natural vegetation roofing materials, such as thatch or bamboo shingles, which are highly susceptible to fire. Existing research has primarily focused on traditional timber-frame buildings with tiled roofs, while limited attention has been given to those with natural vegetation roofs. This study, taking Wengding village in Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, as an exemplary case, conducts a fire risk assessment and explores fire prevention strategies for buildings with bamboo-wood frames and natural vegetation roofs on the basis of Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS): the application of fire-retardant coatings, the use of synthetic thatched roofing materials, and a combination of both. The results indicate that the strategy employing synthetic thatched roofing materials offers the best fire resistance performance. By integrating traditional fire prevention knowledge with modern technologies, this study provides a scientifically grounded reference for mitigating fire risks in historic buildings with natural vegetation roofs in China’s ethnic minority regions, aiming to enhance fire safety while preserving architectural authenticity.