# Fire in newer constructed dwellings



## FM William Burns (Jul 26, 2010)

THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO RE-HASH OLD DEBATES BUT SHOULD BE FOUND INTERESTING.

Fire does indeed happen in newer code compliant residential dwellings and see what effects it has. (Notice the next structure becomming a lost cause also...and so on until the FD makes a stand on where they want to defend)

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/early-footage-from-bathley-pl-fire


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## mark handler (Jul 26, 2010)

*A little more info on the fire*

*Fire destroys one home, damages 2 others in Virginia Beach*

Editor's note: A story on the front of Friday's Hampton Roads section ("Blaze leaves 3 families without homes") may have implied that Pat Kaplan lived at 5208 Bathley Place, where the fire began. She lives in one of the neighboring houses that burned down. VIRGINIA BEACH

Pat Kaplan sat on her neighbor's front porch Thursday afternoon and watched as firefighters doused her fire-ravaged home with water.

Wiping away tears, she said she was glad her daughter made it out of the house OK but lamented the loss of her family photos, her mother's ashes and the new clothes she'd bought for her new job.

"They're still in there with the tags on," she said. "You never think it's going to happen to you."

The blaze started at noon at the home next door at 5208 Bathley Place and quickly spread to the left and right, claiming three houses in all. No one was seriously injured, but two dogs and two cats died when the home where the fire started burned down, said Battalion Chief Tim Riley, a spokesman for the Virginia Beach Fire Department.

It remained unclear this morning what started the fire. Investigators are working to determine the cause. Doing so will probably take about a week because so much was destroyed in the blaze, Riley said.

Christopher Smith said he was working from his home down the street when his lights flickered. He looked outside to see flames rising above the rooftops.

A group of neighbors from the Ridgely Manor development off Wesleyan Drive tried to put out the fire with garden hoses, said Terry Cabrar, who lives around the corner.

"It went up so quick, it was incredible," he said.

Soon after, nearly 40 firefighters and 11 fire trucks descended on the scene. It took them an hour and 10 minutes to get the flames under control.

With temperatures rising to the mid-90s, supervisors worried about the risk of heat exhaustion. So a group of medics set up shop between two homes nearby, offering workers water, fans and ice-soaked towels.

"When it gets into the 90s, you know it's going to be taxing," said fire Capt. Van Rutherford as he recovered with his crew. "It takes more out of you."

One firefighter suffered a hand injury and went to a nearby hospital for X-rays, Riley said.

Three families were displaced. One was out of town at the time of the blaze, Riley said. They all owned their homes, so their insurance should help with shelter and relocation costs, he said. Riley estimated the damage to the three houses at more than $1 million.

A neighbor offered to let Kaplan and her family stay at her house.

"I've got no clothes. All my medications... all the pictures," she said. "I'm happy, of course, that my daughter came out, but I'm like one of those people that's attached to my things."

Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com


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## Uncle Bob (Jul 26, 2010)

FM,

I realize that fire can spread from one home to another; even if the distance between them is 30 or 40 feet; but, I firmly believe that allowing homes to be built too close together (10 to 15 feet) is a major contributor to adjacent homes being burned down from a fire in the first home.

The problem is that, local codes; pushed by homebuilders (to get the maximum number of homes in a subdivision); is a major cause of adjacent homes being destroyed by fire from neighboring burning homes.

Local Fire Marshals and Fire Departments need to be involved to prevent this. There is plenty of room in this country to build out.

And, no apology needed for your conserns and service,

Uncle Bob


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## fatboy (Jul 26, 2010)

15'-20'?..............Thats a mile around my parts. 10' is typical, had a subdivision a few years back that had envelopes that created 6' in between structures, crazy..........when we figured out that our dumbass planning division allowed this, all the sudden we are fire-rating soffit and fascia assemblies, and builders didn't understand why.

I'm happy to say my closest neighbor is about a half mile away....don't think a structure fire will impact either of us.


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## mark handler (Jul 26, 2010)

One firefighter suffered a hand injury. no deaths. Went well.


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## conarb (Jul 26, 2010)

Marshal Burns:

Can you find out what the homes were constructed with, lightweight construction? Styrofoam behind the siding? What kind of insulation? What kind of siding? Can you call the local fire marshal when things calm down?


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## peach (Jul 26, 2010)

I'm sure it was lightweight construction...

not too long ago I walked thru a fairly new subdivision in a county with a pretty good reputation for good plan review.  I pretty well can guarantee that it's a zero lot line subdivision.. windows on the zero lot line side..


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## FM William Burns (Jul 26, 2010)

A little further on the fire:

ConArb,

Based on the debris video, I saw LW I joists in the second story and can logically deduce that the other floor/ceiling assemblies were similar. It looked like Tyvek or similar wrap behind the siding in a slide in one of the links to slide shows I viewed. Based on the speed and smoke I would initially suspect the use of foam and light weight construction. I’ll be interested in the on-going investigation. I’ll try to reach out and dig a little further.

UB,

All too correct about the density! 

http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-vb-ridgely-fires,0,1547560.story

http://www.wvec.com/news/local/2-alarm-fire-at-Va-Beach-condo-complex-99028494.html

http://www.wvec.com/home/b911-callsb--99113524.htmlhttp://www.wvec.com/home/b911-callsb--99113524.html *(Disregard this link......looks like Big Brother already stepped in)*


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## peach (Jul 31, 2010)

The Codes are minimums.. not necessarily even good practice.


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