Of all construction materials, concrete is one of the most resistant to heat and fire. That fire resistance gives homes made with concrete block a number of definite safety advantages.
Experience shows that concrete block homes and apartments are more likely to remain standing through fire than are structures of other materials. Unlike wood, concrete block won’t burn. Unlike steel it won’t soften or bend. These facts have been confirmed in numerous “fire-wall tests” where walls have been subjected to gas flames and temperatures of up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as 4 hours. None of the concrete walls failed structurally. In contrast, wood frame walls typically collapsed in less than an hour.
Most definitely. In the same tests, concrete block walls did not allow flames to pass through from one compartment to another. They also did not allow enough heat to pass through to the next compartment to start a fire for over 4-5 hours; in contrast to wood frame which allowed this heat exchange to happen in an hour or less. This factor is extremely import in apartment fires where flames can spread through a wood frame structure in minutes as oppose to concrete block construction which compartmentalized fires -not allowing them to spread. It’s also significant in rural areas where brush and forest fires are prevalent. With concrete block constructed homes and apartments, fires can’t run up to a house or jump from one house to another as quickly by igniting walls with flying sparks and cinders.
Bet you didn’t know that Florida wildfires are one of the top causes of damage to property and structures in the state. In fact, wildfires account for hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage every year in Florida. They are also a direct cause of almost 20% of the fire damage to residential and commercial structures here in Florida every year. Our active wildfire locator below is a quick way to keep tabs on any fires that may be near you. Its fun, easy to use and can quickly alert you to any wildfire threats in your vicinity.
