How One House Survives When 1000's around it Burn

[Weedygarden]

Fire is certainly not the only thing that can get us, but have you seen the stories of all the houses in neighborhoods that burn, except for one? Following is one story that someone posted.

"As we all watch the destruction caused by the California fires, our hearts and prayers are with all those affected, and the heroic 1st responders.
There is 1 family's example of being prepared that we all might learn from:
It was reported that 2000 homes were destroyed in 1 area. However, there was 1 (ONLY 1) home in the middle of all the destroyed homes that is still standing! It only needs a paint job to bring it back to what it was prior to the fires engulfing it.
How can that be?
According to the firefighter interviewed, this home was made of rammed earth. Their roof was made of steel beams and fireproof tiles. There was a sprinkler system on top of the roof.
The water for it was pumped from their basement rainwater catchment tank, using a generator to power the pump.
This family of 4 children from 14 to 20 and their parents, STAYED in their basement safe area while their house was engulfed by the raging fire, and operated an air purification system manually. "

 

[LadyLocust]

Good for them! I was just watching a clip (maybe yesterday) about historic construction vs modern construction. It’s not surprising newer homes shatter.

 

[Supervisor42]

Fire is certainly not the only thing that can get us, but have you seen the stories of all the houses in neighborhoods that burn, except for one? Following is one story that someone posted.

"As we all watch the destruction caused by the California fires, our hearts and prayers are with all those affected, and the heroic 1st responders.
There is 1 family's example of being prepared that we all might learn from:
It was reported that 2000 homes were destroyed in 1 area. However, there was 1 (ONLY 1) home in the middle of all the destroyed homes that is still standing! It only needs a paint job to bring it back to what it was prior to the fires engulfing it.
How can that be?
According to the firefighter interviewed, this home was made of rammed earth. Their roof was made of steel beams and fireproof tiles. There was a sprinkler system on top of the roof.
The water for it was pumped from their basement rainwater catchment tank, using a generator to power the pump.
This family of 4 children from 14 to 20 and their parents, STAYED in their basement safe area while their house was engulfed by the raging fire, and operated an air purification system manually. "

Hard to believe there is still a smart person out there, (besides Havasu ).
I'd bet it was built like this one:

This one is from the 1993 fire.

 

[Steve_In_29]

While construction "can" make a difference, even a rammed earth house can go up if the heat from nearby structures breaks a window.

Also it is really just luck of the draw in most cases. I saw a picture from the Palisades fire where a single trailer was still standing amidst a burned out trailer park.

 

[Weedygarden]

While construction "can" make a difference, even a rammed earth house can go up if the heat from nearby structures breaks a window.

Also it is really just luck of the draw in most cases. I saw a picture from the Palisades fire where a single trailer was still standing amidst a burned out trailer park.

I don't even know what rammed earth is, but I am going to do some research and maybe start a thread about it.

 

[Steve_In_29]

I don't even know what rammed earth is, but I am going to do some research and maybe start a thread about it.

Short answer...building with dirt.

 

[LadyLocust]

 

[Robert Stewart]

It does happen quite a lot during major bushfires here in Australia you'll find that fire behavior is a funny thing it will nuke a whole row of houses leaving others untouched or slightly singed from flame heat a classic example is from Black Saturday 2009 at Kinglake in Victoria whilst the whole town was practically wiped off the map only building standing was its pub because of proactive defense by community residents and publican

 

[Steve_In_29]

It does happen quite a lot during major bushfires here in Australia you'll find that fire behavior is a funny thing it will nuke a whole row of houses leaving others untouched or slightly singed from flame heat a classic example is from Black Saturday 2009 at Kinglake in Victoria whilst the whole town was practically wiped off the map only building standing was its pub because of proactive defense by community residents and publican

Well that can hardly be attributed to luck of the draw.

 

[UserNameTaken]

Yeah, I just mentioned wanting to build a earth berm home.

When I was in the Laguna Beach fire in '93 in an area called Top of the World (basically a steep ridgeline) one house survived. The slope was cleared below the house, down about 100 ft, it was tile roof, stucco, no vegetation right next to the house. Not sure I remember this right, but I think they also had a fire truck to protect it as it was a (the only) defendable space.

Many homes were cantilevered on pilings on the hillside. Great views! The fire just ran right up under them and, poof!

 

[Peanut]

When I was in the Laguna Beach fire in '93

Didn't remember it, had to look it up... oct of 93. I had just switched companys, took a new job in west virginia. After 3yrs in LA I left in July and was so happy to be out of that cesspit!
-----------
Don't get fires here but see this sort of things with tornadoes often. They will wipe out a neighborhood but skip one house for no apparent reason.

 

[Magus]

Fire is certainly not the only thing that can get us, but have you seen the stories of all the houses in neighborhoods that burn, except for one? Following is one story that someone posted.

"As we all watch the destruction caused by the California fires, our hearts and prayers are with all those affected, and the heroic 1st responders.
There is 1 family's example of being prepared that we all might learn from:
It was reported that 2000 homes were destroyed in 1 area. However, there was 1 (ONLY 1) home in the middle of all the destroyed homes that is still standing! It only needs a paint job to bring it back to what it was prior to the fires engulfing it.
How can that be?
According to the firefighter interviewed, this home was made of rammed earth. Their roof was made of steel beams and fireproof tiles. There was a sprinkler system on top of the roof.
The water for it was pumped from their basement rainwater catchment tank, using a generator to power the pump.
This family of 4 children from 14 to 20 and their parents, STAYED in their basement safe area while their house was engulfed by the raging fire, and operated an air purification system manually. "

Ten bucks says they try to charge them with some kind of crime like water hoarding.

 

[Robert Stewart]

Well that can hardly be attributed to luck of the draw.

Proactive defense does sometimes attribute luck of the draw others its merely a matter of how a fire behaves another example comes from the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 this was initially fanned along by gale force Northwesterlies much likened to what is currently happening over in California with the Santa Ana winds

However just after 16:00 hours on that day winds swung from Northwest to Southwest amplifying not only intensity but forward speed and rate of spread resulting in the what was known as the Kangaroo Inn fire threatening my hometown of Kalangadoo with spot fires but ultimately burnt around it decimating farm land and pine forests near Nangwarry and Tarpeena