November 27, 2009
Peckham Fire Highlights Vunerability of Timber Frame
Yesterday’s (26th November) major fire at Peckham underlines the potential fire hazard of timber frame whilst under construction.
The fire started on the construction site of a half completed 5-storey timber frame building which has been completely destroyed. Adjacent blocks of flats and a public house have also been badly damaged and some 300 residents have had to be evacuated. Some 30 fire engines and over 150 fire fighters were called in to fight the blaze. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said that the fire appeared to have “spread very rapidly”.
There has been a number of devastating fires at timber framed projects over recent years. Earlier this year the Practitioner’s Forum and the Business and the Community Safety Forum asked the Communities and Local Government department to urgently review building regulations and guidance to reduce the incidence of rapid fire spread in timber frames under construction. Timber frame construction for social housing is of particular concern.
Their report, ‘The Dangers of Fire in Timber Framed Construction’, states that the evidence of these fires suggests that the volume of timber in the construction contributed to the fire hazards and to the risks to construction workers and firefighters, with the intensity of the fire leading to rapid spread and structural collapse.
“Despite the strong promotion by the timber frame industry for multi-storey timber frame, this is yet another example of their potential fire risk particularly whilst under construction”, said Graham Mackenzie, chairman of the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR) “Reinforced concrete does not burn and offers up to four hours inherent fire resistance. This fire resistance is built-in, free-of-charge, and available both during and after construction.”
