This fire stresses the importance of a fire wall extending through the attic between each unit. Once a fire reaches the attic and no fire wall to slow or stop the fire equals this, a total loss. Just how many families lost everything because of poor construction.
Clearly you have no clue what you are talking about Every wall and ceiling in that building was built using sheetrock... aka drywall... aka gypsum wallboard... aka fireboard... with at MINIMUM a 30 minute fire rating. All multi-occupant dwellings also have built in firebreaks at intervals to local code using Type X or Type C which has at minimum a 60 minute rating. But there will always be breaches that flame can sneak through, not the least of which are doors and windows... which are often not closed when there is a fire/alarm. Decades ago grade schoolers were taught to close all doors and windows on the way out when there is a fir/alarm, you know... common sense. But today they instead are taught absurdity, so when there is a fire/alarm they grab their smart phone and run out leaving doors and windows open to seek out the nearest grief counselor.
@@virgilhilts3924 sheet rock does yes have a fire rating. But a fire wall here means every unit is seperated from foundation to roof. Not every building was built that way and those requirements were only recently put into building code requirements. Example the wall between apartments extends into the attic space so if a fire gets into the attic it will not race from one unit to the next. Please understand better before insulting me.
@@nebraskaninkansas347 And again, clearly you have no clue what you are talking about And you clearly didn't read what I stated, such as... "All multi-occupant dwellings also have built in firebreaks at intervals" As for "insulting"... YOU were the one who asserted "poor construction" when clearly you have no clue I'm sorry that FACTS hurt your feelings 😉
Seems like whenever fire gets into the attic of one of these newer apartment buildings, it races the length of the building and there's no stopping it.
Fire codes have been weakened in many cases where the developers-builders have played footsie with local politicians. In Edgewater, New Jersey a 400 unit stick and wood chip "luxury" condo burned to the ground for lack of fire walls and sprinklers.
@Jay Dee: Are you talking about the Avalon fire? Coz there, there were sprinklers, but they were useless, as the fire started *inside* the walls. The FD arrived after an automated alarm went off; the residents were still unaware of the dangers. There is a very informative video on Vimeo, by an association of architects, who discuss this fire with some FF's who were present at the scene. NOT a very reassuring discussion.
@@33lex55 in my city, those matchstick 4 story condos are going up everywhere. Building codes really need to be tightened up. Looks like balloon frame construction is back again.
as we watch as the entire roof is burned off this apartment building, Why are there no fire walls between any of these units. Firewalls used to be mandatory between every couple of units. All this destruction seems like it could have been minimized.
Chance Brittain it is a wall that is built into a building that helps stop the spread of a fire. They are constructed in a way to were it would take longer or not at all to burn through.
Yes I know wind was a HUGE factor. This department did a great job in these conditions. But I just see light construction just go up so fast even in non wind conditions.
Much much simpler than sprinklers: FIREWALLS between units would stop, or at least slow down the fire. But Hey, that would cost more than a dishwasher...
kither04 I live where this fire happened and trust me, they did not start rebuilding. The entire second story is gone and they just brought the people living there to a shelter (P.S no one died) but I remember it and it was scary, reply if you want me to tell you the story from my POV
kither04 no the building needed fire breaks which has none that's the problem sprinklers make your insurance go way up due to any faults in the system and will continue to go off until you figure out how to shut off the water. Sprinklers are not a fix all.
It's incredible. All that water from all directions and the fire keeps kicking back! If I didn't know better, I'd suspect these homes were built solely from extremely flammable materials.
Actually... They are build of extremly flammable materials. Were is the concrete? Masonry? Stone? Over even glass would help. But no, US keeps using Wood, Paper and synthetics extremely flammable... With no Anti-Fire like firewalls or sprinklers it's burns faster than a dried forest.
Another example of shoddy building practices with inadequate or non-existant firewalls to slow the spread. Perhaps the insurance companies should get together and demand some serious toughening of the building codes.
Wouldn't surprise me if the insurance rates in this area are so high that the insurance company doesn't even care about toughening the building codes. They collected plenty of cash well in advance of this fire to rebuild 50 apartments. The losers here are all of the displaced citizens.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT for home sprinklers/ automatic protections being developed for homes. We're allowing cheap junk all over Lower & Upper Macungie. BUYERS beware !!!
Where do they educate architects and builders? At Origami University? Seems like the list of requirements to produce a microwave oven is longer than the list of requirements for building homes. The US is a Third World country when it comes to building safety. But then, of course, Trump thinks a border wall is sexier than a firewall, cause you can't see a firewall. If ever I need a bonfire, I'll ask an American builder to build me a house. I've seen slower BBQ's....
All of these apartment complexes constructed like this burn with lightning speed. There was one not long ago a couple of towns from me. Damage was incredible.
And that would never happen in western Europe. In Germany for example you can get a heavy fine if a emergency-exit is halfway blocked by some bags in a public building. Not talking about the fact that almost every house and building in Europe is constructed with stone and concrete, you don't see much wood here, so in bigger buildings fire has a tough time spreading^^
...First thing I thought when the cameraman got to the scene: "Look Ma, no Firewalls!" --- Same ol' shit --- "Slap it up for cheap, sell it for a killing, then RUN!"
What a fire trap. And the problem is that these buildings and houses of newer lightweight construction are everywhere now. If building codes are not available, insurance companies could put a stop to the huge payouts, by making insurance premiums sky high on cheap construction like this.
Now I'm a west coast guy, but my question is why are all these Chief Officers on hand lines and in baskets? Is it a shortage of firefighters or are they just not ready to five up the nozzle?
Glenn Jenkins just because you see a white hat, does not always mean incident commander, when it goes to all hands as in this case you use the resources you have available. The ICS model allows this to happen by having designated positions on a mutual aid assignment. Also not all white hats are chiefs. They could be captains, lieutenants etc
This is why I chose the apartment complex I live in poured concrete floors poured concrete ceilings block wall and brick front and back and sides. There has been at least six or eight new apartment complexes going up in the last 2 years All Wood Construction. one complex that's been built for quite a while this had three fires one complete Building 24 units was never rebuilt in the first fire. the second one had one complete side burn down it was rebuilt. And the third the top set of Apartments also or burned and I believe they decide to rebuild. In all three cases it was determined that cigarettes cause the fires. the first one caught The Mulch on fire next to the apartment complex took the whole building down. The second one someone smoking in the apartment. and the third fire smoking on the patio and the wind blew the cigarette off the table and onto the porch and against the wall and caught the building on fire. one good note no-one or no animals were injured or killed
Kathy White fire sprinklers do not protect attic spaces. the plumbing used for sprinklers is made of CPVC, which is plastic and will melt! lightweight construction as it is referred to by fire departments is a death trap. it's cheap that's how and why. greed is the other reason.
It might have, but if the fire is inside the wall or floor, a sprinkler is no help ( see second Avalon Edgeware fire). Technology can let you down; proper safety standards for buildings won't.
Bryan Garey Smoking should not be able to ignite a house. Some burning cigarettes can't ignite grass (unless it is extremely dry) so they should not be able to ignite a house. If you put a cigarette onto a carpet it may or even may not be ignited. If it is, you've got a fire but this fire should not get any further than 1 or 2 rooms, because with proper building you stop a fire fast. Casual US-buildings are just not safe against anything.
cigarette on a balcony. I lived in the apartments next to it, it was a terrifying morning. Two of my friends were in that building - luckily everyone is fine.
I assume that by the time the cameraperson gets to the fire scene, all search and rescue has completed, because it looks like everyone's executing a standoff/outside attack plan with aerials and heavy lines on the ground. Which is exactly as they should be doing with a structure this involved with nobody in it. Least risky for the crews. Most of the radio comms seem to be supply-based, i.e. where the different companies are going to be getting their water from, directing traffic, instructing on hydrants, setting up supply chains, etc.
Jack Colt Even if the officials didn't spot the violations, it should be common knowledge, that you need to build at least it bit fire-proof. If you don't do that, it is the fault of the planner.
How the fire started is not so important; shit happens, after all. What IS important, is that criminally stupid building methods allowed this fire to get so out of hand.
Every wall and ceiling in that building was built using sheetrock... aka drywall... aka gypsum wallboard... aka fireboard... with at MINIMUM a 30 minute fire rating. All multi-occupant dwellings also have built in firebreaks at intervals to local code using Type X or Type C which has at minimum a 60 minute rating. But there will always be breaches that flame can sneak through, not the least of which are doors and windows... which are often not closed when there is a fire/alarm. Decades ago grade schoolers were taught to close all doors and windows on the way out when there is a fir/alarm, you know... common sense. But today they instead are taught absurdity, so when there is a fire/alarm they grab their smart phone and run out leaving doors and windows open to seek out the nearest grief counselor.
Apartment/condo fires spread like wildfire (pardon the pun)....house fires....unless they are extremely close to each other...have a better chance of being put out before they spread.
Well if you've got a good (not cheaply made out of wood) building, then you're quite safe. But yes, wooden apartment buildings are disasters waiting to happen. Just search up "Avalon bay apartment fire" to see what I mean ... XD
Modern housing developments not only build houses extremely close to one another but have done away with expensive things like stone or brick walls on the sides. So you've often got about eight feet between neighboring houses and the walls made of nothing but pressboard and vinyl siding.
GREAT STOP! TYPICAL SHODDY STICK-BUILT CONSTRUCTION. Every new multiple unit dwelling on should be constructed using metal studs. THESE BOXES ARE FIRE TRAPS.
@@dpz9872sheet metal is used to make steel studs. they will twist easily under a lateral load applied by hand. The channel used to screw the studs in place Is again sheet metal. Also these require either structural steel I-beams or laminated beams made of wood.for structural strength and steel begins to lose strength at 600 deg. F.
Foreign replies ask a common question. What do they build buildings with in the U. S. They build cheap and cheaper some towns have no real fire codes. In the Orlando area they are putting up 5 floor massive apartment buildings and they are made of pine frame with plywood walls and particleboard roofing. The outside is sprayed on plastic stucco. A few years ago one of these wooden claptraps collapsed into a sink hole near Disney World.
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This is a good training video. It shows that you can power wash the building and put 10 million GPM on all the smoke you want and the fire won't go out. Washing the outside of the building and throwing water at smoke and flames will do nothing. Water on the FIRE puts it out. Firefighting 101
It's called trying to contain the fire. Trying to prevent the spread of the fire. Plus just bc there's no flames doesn't mean it's not on fire or can't combust into flames.
Not just that, sometimes firefighters just throw water into the smoke to cool it down so there's less spread of debris. Hot smoke goes higher up into the air, lands further away.
Man alive, US building regulations can't be very strict. Here in the UK our new homes aren't all that but they would have to be built with a "firewall" between different dwellings to slow the spread of fire. This would never happen in the UK or in the EU. Funny how it's the rich that keep telling us the EU is bad, that regulations are bad. Yep, they're not so bad when even a raging fire can be contained in one room. My thoughts go to the victim of house building quality scandals nationwide.
It's a crying shame that people pay good money for crappy buildings like this. It's obvious there is no fire walls there. Every unit should have at least a triple 5/8" on both sides on 2 x 4's for a fire wall. We had to do that years ago in Providence, RI any place there was a break between apartments or to the outside. It's a travasty to see how these fires progress many of them the building is basically gone before the FD even gets there to fight it... Not only are there no firewalls but the materials are so cheap and thin, most of the time the roof is ventilated before they even get there. I would NEVER buy a new condo like this....ever.
You guys should start building houses made of concrete and bricks, like in most countries in Europe. Then fire like that would not be as devastating as in this case. I am sorry for the folks who lost a lot in that fire.
There is a higher number of masonry, concrete, adobe, stone, etc houses in the U.S. than there is in all or Europe combined. Further wood framed "balloon" construction is just as popular for new construction in Europe as it is in the U.S. And lastly, in the vast majority of residential fires in all developed countries, it is the contents that are primarily involved, not the structure itself.
@@Og-Judy Of course it is... masonry, concrete, adobe, stone, etc, houses can cost 2... 3... 4... 5... times as much (and more) than comparable sq/ft wood framed "balloon" type construction.
Pretty much. If I had the power, I'd make that type of construction be discouraged (I'm in the USA), but yeah ... I hate it. They're literally built out of sticks and cardboard.
A stick-framed home is a campfire waiting ignition.. Add all of the vinyl building products, synthetic housewares, and lack of fire sprinklers and you have loss of life and material possessions. We lived in France where most homes are concrete or masonry and fires were often limited to one room.
They frame it, slap some pressboard on the frame, a sheet of plastic insulation on the outside, vinyl siding, and that's your outer wall. They tend to put brick or stone on the side facing the street, and that's it. I'm not talking about inexpensive homes, either.
A lot of people bitchin about shabby building. After 1960 things changed. Anything goes. You can go today to Home Depot or Menards & find substandard stuff, falling apart on the shelf's. If the stuff can not make it out of the store, How is it going to survive in a home? I remember once 20 years ago thinking of upgrading my home wiring. I wanted to save money & do it my self. I see junk that they would sell the home owner, that if you used it, IT WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU!! & they were trying to sell this stuff to me. I seen a fire where the internal wiring was burning & causing the inside wall & insulation to burn. 2 years earlier the homeowner did a DYI project to get the old wire out of his house. What do you think the building inspector or insurance company would have said about that if they found out. Yea we all try & save a buck, but if you have no real knowledge of the dangers of electricity, than it is best to keep it with the pro's, who deal with it every day. I once seen a mechanic hitting at a breaker bar switch with a hammer. He told me if that fucker was going to kill him, he wanted to make sure he was getting the 1st swing in. WTF guys. BTW Great video. Lots of fire traffic & communication. That's what help makes for a great video. Nice to see a supervisor up on a ladder helping out rather than in the cab of a truck bitching abut overspray messing up his jeans.
With this type of criminally stupid building, the fire usually starts somewhere on a lower floor, but the design allows the fire to travel to the attic FAST (and sometimes, INSIDE the wall and floor). And, did you see on the neighboring blocks, what a stupid bigass attic they had? In the attic, there is NOTHING to contain or delay the fire (mostly just people's junk, and some chipboard 'walls' which will burn happily). In some cases, when the dark smoke and flames show up from the attic, it's the very first moment people realise there's a fire. And it LOOKS like it started in the attic. In reality, the attic is just the fuse that spreads the fire to the rest of the building.
Should have gotten a citation (ticket) for illegal turn and possibly speeding. Nice, steady video! Sad how advanced this fire got before FD arrival. If everyone is at work, easy for the fire to grow before detection and reporting. Cause?
Robert Gift He was waved through. Had he done anything else, he could have gotten a ticket for not following the directions of traffic control device (yes someone directing traffic in an official position counts, or there is a separate law.)
