MANILA, Philippines?Summer is the hottest and driest time of the year and buildings, especially those made of light combustible materials easily catch fire. Houses that are densely packed, as in many depressed areas, are particularly vulnerable as fire quickly spreads from one house to another eventually gutting down clusters of houses.

Every year life and property are imperiled by fire. The calamity may be caused by a neglected candle, a defective appliance, faulty decorative lights, or others.

How do we make our homes fireproof?

Aside from the usual precautions like having the electrical wiring checked by a qualified electrician, there are some practical steps that can be taken to help make the house less susceptible to fire.

Preventive measures

Building fire-resistant homes start with choosing the right materials. Minimize the use of wood especially for ceilings and roof eaves. Gypsum board and cement board are the preferred materials. They are not only fire-resistant but also termite-resistant.

It is also preferable to use steel members for the roof framing. In the process it will also minimize cutting of our precious trees.

For new townhouses or row houses, the dividing firewall between each unit is an effective deterrent to fire. For it to be effective, though, it must be built higher than the roofing, probably about 50 centimeters. It must also be made of concrete. This is required by the building regulations but in some cases, there are townhouses that do not have this firewall. There have been actual cases where a middle unit in a townhouse burns down sparing the other units from fire.

There are four main areas in the house that have to be watched for fire protection.

Wooden floors easily catch fire, especially if there are easily combustible material and clutter underneath.

Corrugated iron roof is preferred to tiled roof if the tiles are not nailed and just sit by gravity. The winds may lift the tiles and burning embers from a nearby fire may go in and set the roof base on fire.

Concrete walls around many sides of the house prevent fire, and some wood may be used on one side only for esthetic reasons.

Toughened glass for patio doors and windows are fire resistant.

How a house catches fire

A house may catch fire not because of its proximity to a burning neighbor's house. In some cases, the fire is caused by red hot embers that drift wildly from the source. They drift down in the form of a shower of embers, thousand of embers from a fire that may be hundreds of meters away. In effect these embers are like tiny matches in search of a landing site. Once they manage to enter the house they start tiny ignitions that continue to grow. This is what ignites the house.

The key strategy is to prevent the fire from getting inside the house. One area where they could gain access is the ventilation opening above the roof that is not covered with metal screen.

Green materials, concepts

Not all fire victims are burned; many die from asphyxiation due to toxic fumes that they inhale. It is therefore important to avoid using toxic materials that emit deadly fumes when they are burned.

As part of a preventive measure, it is a good idea to collect rainwater that may be used for putting out fires or may also be used for watering the plants. Keeping portable fire extinguishers around the house is also a very wise strategy. Another useful devise is the use of battery-operated smoke detectors to signal the presence of smoke. They emit a high-pitched sound to warn occupants before a fire starts.

Safety zone

One idea that may be used to save lives is by creating a safety zone in the house. This may be a designated bathroom that is made of concrete walls and a fireproof ceiling and louvre windows.

In densely packed wooden housing, there should be fire breaks by way of roads and open spaces to prevent fire from raging through large areas. Evacuation areas, and evacuation routes, in addition to efficient fire-fighting equipment should be in place, as part of fire-resistant urban development.

Many people spend an enormous amount of money on expensive appliances for their homes but will overlook fireproofing their homes. As the temperature goes higher, it is time to rethink our priorities.

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