American Building Standards and Wildfires

[Flyguy330]

So, we've all seen the destruction in California caused by the wildfires. Whole neighbourhoods literally levelled. Not a brick standing on top of another - except for the bizarre sight of brick chimney breasts rising up out of the flattened ash vista.

 

They're all so shocked.

The houses in the neighbourhood cost Millions!

Did I say houses? Man - I mean MANSIONS!! CELEBRITY MANSIONS!

All evaporated. Atomised. Gone.

How could it happen?!? It's so SHOCKING!

 

Well, if you've ever seen a building being erected in the US (besides skyscrapers) you'll probably have gazed in wonder at how they're built. All they consist of is wood.

Wood frame.

Wood exterior cladding.

Wood roofs, often with wood shingles for tiling.

Cardboard interiors - they call 'sheet rock', which is NOT rock. It's plasterboard, and easily lit up.

 

So when you have hundreds of MANSIONS (lol) crammed together in dry forest areas, and a spark ignites one - the whole lot can quickly go up too.

And wood likes to burn. And when it burns it burns completely. And all that's left is ash. As we can see.

 

There's a pic floating around of the Malibu beachfront, with ONE house standing, and all the next door multi million dollar 'mansions' burned to ash.

A MIRACLE! they say....

 

No it's not. It's basic common sense. It's the only house in the row made of concrete.

 

Why do Americans build these 5hitty structures? How can the 'building code' allow WOOD structures to be built in high fire risk zones? How can a pile of matchwood be called a MANSION, and carry million dollar valuations?

All fake, like so much else about the USofA.

[BritManToo]

When you build your houses and roofs of wood, fire is a problem.

[marin]

9 minutes ago, Flyguy330 said:

Why do Americans build these 5hitty structures? How can the 'building code' allow WOOD structures to be built in high fire risk zones? How can a pile of matchwood be called a MANSION, and carry million dollar valuations?

All fake, like so much else about the USofA.

They are safer during an earthquake. Hope you feel better now after your America clueless USA bashing. 

[OneMoreFarang]

And then there is of course the little issue that these fires happen again and again. And again and again in the same area.

Why are they surprised about fires this year when they had fires in the same locations for decades?

The land of the free... 

[BritManToo]

17 minutes ago, marin said:

They are safer during an earthquake. Hope you feel better now after your America clueless USA bashing. 

Probably best not to build in earthquake or volcanic areas of the world.

[dingdongrb]

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Probably best not to build in earthquake or volcanic areas of the world.

...or floods....hurricanes.....tornados....blizzards....arid areas....   LOL, are you for real?

Maybe those in Japan should start migrating to the UK soon?

[anyone]

I sometimes watch the Discovery Channel, particularly shows like Flip or Flop where they restore houses. I was also amazed to learn that in the USA, there are woodsheds, while in England, there are red brick, gloomy houses.