So far in 2021 (as of October 4, 2021), The National Interangency Fire Center reported 46,508 wildfires have burned 5,945,756 acres.
California has been hit the hardest by the wildfires — over 2 million acres have burned.
A Recipe for Disaster
Buildings with the greatest likelihood to burn from a wildfire are those constructed on the wildland-urban interface, areas close to open space overgrown with brush and foliage.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection identified 5 million homes and 200 communities located within this vulnerable zone, making the need for non-combustible building’s essential.
Building to Prevent Fires
Throughout the U.S., builders are turning to cold-formed steel (CFS) framing to rebuild homes and non-residential structures lost to wildfires. Steel is non-combustible, it cannot burn because it contains no elements that can serve as fuel. It provides no means for a fire to start, and it does not contribute to fire growth or fire spread.
Unlike wood studs, which easily combust when temperatures reach over 500 degrees, steel studs do not ignite when exposed to the same temperatures, says TheBigRedGuide. Without the ability to add fuel to a spreading fire, steel studs protect the integrity of a structure.
Fighting Fire with Steel
As we see an increase in destructive wildfires, many believe that non-combustible steel framing is the future of construction. In an interview with AccuWeather, Scott Acton, Forté Specialty Contractors, says that a home’s chance for survival goes way up using steel framing.
5 Reasons to Use Steel Framing
A recent BuildSteel article, Don’t Get Burned: Steel for Fire Safety and Insurance Savings, highlights 5 reasons to use CFS:
- Steel is non-combustible
- Steel maintains its non-combustibility
- Steel-framed buildings lower the fire risk to workers and occupants
- Steel-framed buildings lower the impact on municipal fire services
- Steel-framed buildings tend to cost less to insure
The Future of Construction
According to TheBigRedGuide, the need for builders to adopt non-combustible building methods has never been greater with the incidence of fire growing at an increasing rate. Non-combustible steel framed buildings are the future, especially out West, where drought and dry conditions create the perfect recipe for fast-spreading wildfires.
Additional Resources
- Contractor Chooses Cold-Formed Steel Framing for Rebuild After Santa Rosa Wildfire
- California Homes Destroyed by Wildfires Being Rebuilt with Steel Framing
- Steel’s Fire Resistance