Comments on: Straw Bale Homes Protect Against Fire Where Conventional Homes Fail http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california The World's Leader in Straw Bale Education Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:17:42 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Scott Young http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-4099 Scott Young Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:04:11 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-4099 Leroy, I just purchased some land near Evanston, Wyoming. Since you indicated you are building a stawbale in Wyoming, I would be interested in learning more about any code issues you have encountered and whether you are building the house yourself or having it contracted. Thanks! Leroy,

I just purchased some land near Evanston, Wyoming. Since you indicated you are building a stawbale in Wyoming, I would be interested in learning more about any code issues you have encountered and whether you are building the house yourself or having it contracted. Thanks!

]]> By: Alain Saffel http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-750 Alain Saffel Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:38:51 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-750 Leroy, Sorry to hear about your house burning down. It's surprising that it did. One thing I wondered is if you had aluminum or steel roll shutters to protect your windows and doors? These are becoming more and more common on houses as anti-theft devices (businesses too) and I wonder if that might have helped to protect your house further. If the fire spontaneously combusted the materials inside your home, perhaps that might have been enough protection to help stop it? I'm not sure, but it's an idea. When I eventually build my house, I'd like to install them anyway. Good luck on your next straw bale house! Alain Leroy,

Sorry to hear about your house burning down. It’s surprising that it did.

One thing I wondered is if you had aluminum or steel roll shutters to protect your windows and doors? These are becoming more and more common on houses as anti-theft devices (businesses too) and I wonder if that might have helped to protect your house further.

If the fire spontaneously combusted the materials inside your home, perhaps that might have been enough protection to help stop it? I’m not sure, but it’s an idea.

When I eventually build my house, I’d like to install them anyway.

Good luck on your next straw bale house!

Alain

]]> By: Andrew http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-263 Andrew Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:38:23 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-263 What an awesome story. I am sorry for the loss, obviously, but what a great tale to tell about the power of straw bale walls against fire. Thank you for sharing this with us all. Andrew What an awesome story. I am sorry for the loss, obviously, but what a great tale to tell about the power of straw bale walls against fire. Thank you for sharing this with us all.

Andrew

]]> By: Leroy http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-256 Leroy Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:56:34 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-256 Andrew, and others, My wife and I recently (April, 2007) completed our straw bale home south of Hot Springs, S.D. We live in Wyoming, so it was really just a get away place for us, and several of our friends. On July 7th there was a lightening strike in the canyon to the southwest of our property. The local firefighters were unable to fight the original fire because of its location, and opted to wait until it came up out of the canyon and try to contain it. When the fire erupted out of the canyon several hours later it was a virtual tornado of fiery destruction. The path it took over the next 24 hours was more typical of a tornado than a conventional fire. It spared some homes, and completly destroyed others within minutes. Eyewitness accounts tell of the approaching flames spontaniously combusting houses in their path, leaving only smoking foundations in their wake. No house managed to survive a direct assault by the fire. Most were consumed within moments. While our house was destroyed in the fire, it survived for more than 14 hours. Our stucco exterior was complemented with a steel roof, facias, and soffits. The surrounding trees had been pruned up, all brush had been removed from the site, and all the surrounding trees had been thinned. I have determined that the house burned from the inside out. The furniture, cabinets, interior wood work, post and beam structure, second floor framing, stairs, roof framing, and all the interior partitions burned out....completly, leaving only ash behind. Once the framework burned sufficently to allow the roof to collapse, the walls came down with it and then the straw smouldered, tho never was burned and consumed. I am convinced that had the fire department been able to get to the house, after the flame wall had passed, they could have put out the interior fire, and the house would be standing today. All in all I was quite proud of the way the house stood up to the fire, and I am in the process of using the insurance money to build another straw bale house here in Wyoming. What a totally awesome technology. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Andrew, keep up your good work. The planet needs it. Leroy Andrew, and others,
My wife and I recently (April, 2007) completed our straw bale home south of Hot Springs, S.D. We live in Wyoming, so it was really just a get away place for us, and several of our friends. On July 7th there was a lightening strike in the canyon to the southwest of our property. The local firefighters were unable to fight the original fire because of its location, and opted to wait until it came up out of the canyon and try to contain it. When the fire erupted out of the canyon several hours later it was a virtual tornado of fiery destruction. The path it took over the next 24 hours was more typical of a tornado than a conventional fire. It spared some homes, and completly destroyed others within minutes. Eyewitness accounts tell of the approaching flames spontaniously combusting houses in their path, leaving only smoking foundations in their wake. No house managed to survive a direct assault by the fire. Most were consumed within moments. While our house was destroyed in the fire, it survived for more than 14 hours. Our stucco exterior was complemented with a steel roof, facias, and soffits. The surrounding trees had been pruned up, all brush had been removed from the site, and all the surrounding trees had been thinned. I have determined that the house burned from the inside out. The furniture, cabinets, interior wood work, post and beam structure, second floor framing, stairs, roof framing, and all the interior partitions burned out….completly, leaving only ash behind. Once the framework burned sufficently to allow the roof to collapse, the walls came down with it and then the straw smouldered, tho never was burned and consumed.
I am convinced that had the fire department been able to get to the house, after the flame wall had passed, they could have put out the interior fire, and the house would be standing today.
All in all I was quite proud of the way the house stood up to the fire, and I am in the process of using the insurance money to build another straw bale house here in Wyoming. What a totally awesome technology. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Andrew, keep up your good work. The planet needs it.
Leroy

]]> By: R. J. Humpal, JD http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-220 R. J. Humpal, JD Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:04:15 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-220 Great information! I am designing several homes for a project here in Southern California. I am using cargo containers for the structure, with strawbales and a new foam material for the insulation. I want the homes to be as fire safe as one can get. Using the containers for structure gives me a house that is termite, fire, earthquake and windstorm safe. I would like to have others who have tried this to comment. Thanks, Dr. Rich Great information! I am designing several homes for a project here in Southern California. I am using cargo containers for the structure, with strawbales and a new foam material for the insulation. I want the homes to be as fire safe as one can get. Using the containers for structure gives me a house that is termite, fire, earthquake and windstorm safe. I would like to have others who have tried this to comment. Thanks, Dr. Rich

]]> By: Piet http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-204 Piet Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:11:14 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-204 Hi Andrew Have a look here http://www.compaillons.fr/celles_sur_belle1.html This "ARCANNE" is involved in safety, buildingcodes, insurance and more in the JURA in France and did the firetest on bales in lab conditions for roof and walls. Temperatures of 900°C on the outside for more than one hour and only after more than 40 minutes there was a slow smoldering inside the bales started! Only bricks or cement do better Piet Netherlands Hi Andrew
Have a look here http://www.compaillons.fr/celles_sur_belle1.html
This “ARCANNE” is involved in safety, buildingcodes, insurance and more in the JURA in France and did the firetest on bales in lab conditions for roof and walls. Temperatures of 900°C on the outside for more than one hour and only after more than 40 minutes there was a slow smoldering inside the bales started!
Only bricks or cement do better

Piet
Netherlands

]]> By: Andrew http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-197 Andrew Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:33:11 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-197 Thanks for this information Megan. I hope you are able to locate the source of the study and provide us with a link to the data. That would be great. Andrew Thanks for this information Megan. I hope you are able to locate the source of the study and provide us with a link to the data. That would be great.

Andrew

]]> By: Megan Garrett http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-196 Megan Garrett Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:19:54 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-196 Dear Andrew Morrison, A Canadian builder, Louis Gagné, got the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to do fire testing on straw bale houses some years ago. Unfortunately I do not have the exact reference to give you, but I do remember that the test included applied heat of about 1800 degrees F (about 1100C), and that in some 3 hours' of application, the bales did not burn, and the inner temperature changed only some 60C (or so - sorry I can't be more precise). If I find the reference, I'll send it you ( a search didn't turn it up, but I have a paper copy here - somewhere). Louis Gagné's method is somewhat different from yours: he encases each bale, leached, in mortar, creating enormous, independent "bricks". When I come to build, I think that it is the method I will choose. Cheers! Megan Montréal, Québec Dear Andrew Morrison,

A Canadian builder, Louis Gagné, got the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to do fire testing on straw bale houses some years ago. Unfortunately I do not have the exact reference to give you, but I do remember that the test included applied heat of about 1800 degrees F (about 1100C), and that in some 3 hours’ of application, the bales did not burn, and the inner temperature changed only some 60C (or so – sorry I can’t be more precise). If I find the reference, I’ll send it you ( a search didn’t turn it up, but I have a paper copy here – somewhere).

Louis Gagné’s method is somewhat different from yours: he encases each bale, leached, in mortar, creating enormous, independent “bricks”. When I come to build, I think that it is the method I will choose.

Cheers!

Megan
Montréal, Québec

]]> By: Andrew http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-195 Andrew Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:40:01 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-195 Jacquelyn, I am sorry to hear about the loss of your home and more importantly your grandmother. I am also happy for the safety of the rest of your family. The house can be rebuilt, so saving the family is everything. I truly believe you can build the home you want. I can offer you support in the form of consulting and/or a workshop. I do not currently have plans to do a workshop in your area, but I would be happy to consider it if you want to host one. You and I can talk more about this on email if you are interested. The bottom line is that I do believe you can build the straw bale home you want and I know I can help you in some capacity. Jacquelyn,
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your home and more importantly your grandmother. I am also happy for the safety of the rest of your family. The house can be rebuilt, so saving the family is everything. I truly believe you can build the home you want. I can offer you support in the form of consulting and/or a workshop. I do not currently have plans to do a workshop in your area, but I would be happy to consider it if you want to host one. You and I can talk more about this on email if you are interested. The bottom line is that I do believe you can build the straw bale home you want and I know I can help you in some capacity.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california/comment-page-1#comment-194 Andrew Tue, 30 Oct 2007 03:11:22 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-fire-resistant-southern-california#comment-194 You are correct Keith. This is an older video. Sorry to not have mentioned that when I put the blog out. If you read the comments you will find the link to the actual data from the study. Thanks for pointing this out Keith. You are correct Keith. This is an older video. Sorry to not have mentioned that when I put the blog out. If you read the comments you will find the link to the actual data from the study. Thanks for pointing this out Keith.

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