Why older homes are safer from fires

Wow, guys (and gals), this has been enlightening. I doubt I'm alone in having assumed that newer structures would generally be more fire-safe than older ones.

Our place is a duplex built in 1993 to suit the particular needs of a quadriplegic on a ventilator. So, ramps instead of steps, wide halls and doorways, big roll-in shower, etc., etc. And, as I understand it, a "firewall" separates the two living units in the structure. Oh, and there are four wall-mounted fire extinguishers in each unit. We were told that these extraordinary fire-safety measures were taken because the person for whom the place was built was (yes, we refer to him in the past tense, sadly) extraordinarily vulnerable to the hazards a fire would pose. He couldn't run out the structure, of course, and that ventilator used oxygen, so ...

I've left the fire extinguishers right where they are. Sure, they look a tad "institutional," but among the people living here now is a wheelchair user who would have real difficulty getting herself out of here in anything like a hurry, so that added little measure of safety lets us all rest a bit easier.

Thanks everyone who put in on the cellulose, it really is looking better all the time. I really hate spray foam insulation, it doesn't seem safe.

BigFitz said:

I've "put out" a television before after seeing the glow through the smoke. One time I "put out" an electric space heater! Well, hey now, Sparky!:eeek:

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The gentleman whose now our chief once spent a few minutes trying to put out the last of a brush fire. He could see the glow through the smoke and fog just at the top of a small ridge. Turns out, it was the moon backlighting the top of the ridge. Naturally we NEVER remind him of the night he tried to put out the moon!

On a more serious note, several years ago when I was a Captain in our volunteer department I was leading an attack crew that was attempting to extinguish a fire in a bedroom. There was one small area of flame in the room that we could see through the smoke but could not extinguish no matter how much water we put on it. It finally went out and when we were overhauling the room we found that what we were seeing was a jet of flame from the relief valve on a 20 lb LP gas bottle. It was a reminder that you never know what some people will have in their house, and just how close firefighters are to disaster at any given time.

The discussion of vintage vs. modern homes got me to thinking of the gear that golden era firefighters wore. They did not have Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and consequently inhaled lots of dangerous combustion by-products. They wore a leather helmet, a long rubberized jacket and hip boots. The gear we wear today provides much greater protection. This is one instance in which I greatly prefer modern dress to it's vintage counterparts!

Old Rogue said:

The discussion of vintage vs. modern homes got me to thinking of the gear that golden era firefighters wore. They did not have Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and consequently inhaled lots of dangerous combustion by-products. They wore a leather helmet, a long rubberized jacket and hip boots. The gear we wear today provides much greater protection. This is one instance in which I greatly prefer modern dress to it's vintage counterparts!

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A lot of firefighters still wear leather helmets (leather heads). They are heavier, but provide just as good protection. S.C.B.A. was not needed as much back then due to lack of toxic materials in most structures.

Mr_D. said:

A lot of firefighters still wear leather helmets (leather heads). They are heavier, but provide just as good protection. S.C.B.A. was not needed as much back then due to lack of toxic materials in most structures.

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True, some of the guys around here like the old-style leather helmets also. In addition to being heavier they are typically somewhat more expensive compared to modern helmets. It shows how tradition-oriented the fire service is that these guys are willing to buy these out of their own pockets. That sense of tradition is one of the things that I really like about the fire service.

Mr_D. said:

A lot of firefighters still wear leather helmets (leather heads). They are heavier, but provide just as good protection. S.C.B.A. was not needed as much back then due to lack of toxic materials in most structures.

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Old Rogue said:

True, some of the guys around here like the old-style leather helmets also. In addition to being heavier they are typically somewhat more expensive compared to modern helmets. It shows how tradition-oriented the fire service is that these guys are willing to buy these out of their own pockets. That sense of tradition is one of the things that I really like about the fire service.

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I'm one of those tradition-oriented guys in the fire service. I have 2 in service leather helmets and have collected 7 older ones from various cities such as NYC & Boston. I also keep a pair of 3/4 boots in my locker for when I drive and have the snap closures on my coat rather than the more modern zipper seen now a days.

JonnyO said:

I'm one of those tradition-oriented guys in the fire service. I have 2 in service leather helmets and have collected 7 older ones from various cities such as NYC & Boston. I also keep a pair of 3/4 boots in my locker for when I drive and have the snap closures on my coat rather than the more modern zipper seen now a days.

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Cool!

S.C.B.A. was not needed as much back then due to lack of toxic materials in most structures.

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I remember when I was a volunteer firefighter and we were voting on converting our SCBAs to positive pressure. Several old leather-lungers who no longer fought fires tried to vote it down. Some of them wanted us to go back to MSA Chemox SCBAs (OBA for old navy guys).

I preferred the leather helmet because the long back kept water off my neck better. I did buy a shorter coat and bunker pants because the long coat and hip boots were not good if you were down on the ground.