RICHBURG, South Carolina — In densely built towns, wildfires can trigger a deadly domino effect, with flames leaping from home to home until an entire neighborhood is destroyed. How does construction and landscaping contribute to this catastrophic chain reaction? Is there a better way to build? To find out, a rural South Carolina research center is creating giant wind storms and burning down houses — while gathering detailed data. “We can watch failures here that you can’t watch out in the real world,” said Christina Gropp of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Research Center, a nonprofit funded by the insurance industry. Its scientists conduct studies to better understand building materials, designs and landscaping. It also hosts research by outside experts from UC Berkeley. The Center’s work is influencing building codes, land use ordinances, architectural designs, retrofit applications and insurance coverage — changing how we construct and protect our homes.