Three Recent Fires Highlight Need for Resilient Construction Methods

Recent fires in Kansas, Arizona and North Carolina highlight the need for resilient construction methods and stonger building codes throughout the United States, reports NRMCA Vice President of State and Local Government Affairs John Loyer.

This past weekend, a light-framed, combustible elderly care facility in Phoenix was destroyed by a fire that spread quickly through the 3-story lightweight, combustible, wood-framed building, leaving nothing but a "large rubble pile," according to Phoenix Fire Captain Reda Bigler. The fire left an estimated cost of $7 million with a nearby residence sustaining significant damage. And in Raleigh, NC, one of the city’s largest fires in nearly a century destroyed an unfinished downtown apartment building built with light-framed combustible wood and damaged other nearby buildings last week, forcing hundreds of people to leave their homes and nearby restaurants. At the height of the blaze, over 100 firefighters surrounded the complex, pouring water from aerial ladders to try to keep the fire from jumping to nearby buildings. A firefighter was taken to the hospital with a non life-threatening puncture wound when a piece of falling glass hit him in the chest, but luckily no other injuries from the fire were reported.

Earlier this week, in Overland Park, KS, a massive fire broke out at an apartment complex under construction. Several nearby homes with wood shake roofs also caught fire. The 8-alarm fire at the Royale Apartments along U.S. 69 and College Boulevard was reported at 3:30 p.m. One building was destroyed by the fire in a manner of minutes while another building was badly damaged. Fire crews said at least 22 homes were damaged by flames and smoke. Three firefighters were taken to area hospitals for treatment; all were reported in fair condition.  

Does this sound familiar? There are several pieces of legislation in New Jersey (seven bills, to be exact) and two in Maryland that address this very issue and, most importantly, come from the logical construct that most of us have come to realize: this type of construction using wood is not safe. It burns and we need to find ways to control the fire or prevent it from ever happening by building with safer, fire-resistant materials, such as concrete or steel. These fires and many others show the urgency in passing safer building codes. Lightweight, combustible construction supports the wood and homebuilding industries and their first cost perspective—not our firefighters and communities. Resilient construction methods will protect those living and working in these public spaces, as well as the first responders charged with responding to fire or natural disasters.

Through the Build with Strength initiative, NRMCA has resources to help members and state affiliates advocate for resilient and safer construction including model legislation, talking points, public relations, and other key strategies. To learn more about how NRMCA can assist in state advocacy, please contact John Loyer at 703-675-7603 or jloyer@nrmca.org.