Debunking the "New Homes are Safer" argument

A devastating fire in a new home in Stuarts Draft, VA, destroyed most of the home, surprised the homeowner, and provided evidence that newer homes are not safer homes. The home involved in the fire is less than one year old. The homebuyers occupied the home in October, 2009.

How many times have you heard a homeowner say; “I thought it would never happen to me.” What is interesting in this particular fire is that,  according to the story, the homeowner’s statement was “It’s a brand new house. I never thought this could happen to me.”

Opponents of residential fire sprinkler systems like to boast that newer homes are safer homes and that the fire and death problem is limited to older homes.  Age of housing is a poor predictor of fire death rates.  When older housing is associated with higher rates, it usually is because older housing tends to have a disproportionate share of poorer, less educated households.  Statistically, the only fire safety issue that is relevant to the age of the home is outdated knob-and-tube wiring.  Beyond that, age of the home has little to nothing to do with fire safety.

In fact, newer homes are also more likely to include a threat to firefighters in the form of lightweight construction. Lightweight construction has been variously estimated to be used in a half to two-thirds of all new wood one- and two-family homes. Sprinklers can offset the increased dangers posed by lightweight construction and create a safer fire environment for firefighters to operate.

- Maria Figueroa

Comments

[David B. Stone, AIA]

I'm surprised by the statement that only outdated knob-ad-tube wiring poses a fire hazard in older homes.

Many of the early type NM ("Romex") cables used insulation materials that shrank-back with age and use, accelerated by replacement of 15-amp fuse protection with 20-amp circuit breakers. It was not unusual in my c.1920 house to find 4-6 inches of exposed conductors inside the device box.

Many older homes have ungrounded circuits, refitted with three-prong outlets for convenience. Most DIY homeowners buy the $0.98 15-amp replacement devices for 20-amp overload protection circuits.

Last but not least, until the 1970s many homes used aluminum wiring. All fire safety bets are off if those DIYers fail to properly twist connections, or fail to use appropriate antioxidants/wire-nuts, or don't pay the 300-500% premium for AL/CU devices.

[Maria Figueroa]

Mr. Stone:
Thank you for your comments and observations. Although I listed knob-and-tube wiring as the only electrical fire safety issue associated with older homes, you are correct that this problem is not exclusive of other electrical problems of older homes. The point of the post is that the age of the home is not a good predictor of fire death rates when you exclude the electrical problems associated with them.

[Lynn T. Benfield]

Once again emotion enters into the picture where logic is needed. Your artical does not show a trend. Yes, new homes homes burn and firefighting is dangerous. In the vast majority of cases it is older homes, older population, poor, where fatal fires occure. What is proposed is to force me to put a sprinkler system in a 1400 sq. ft. home on the river with a well and 6 GPM of water. Oh yea, I could get a storage tank and a pump. Things look great in the city and maybe that's where the focus needs to be.

[Denis M. Pilon, Fire Chief]

On May 3, the City of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada passed a residential sprinkler bylaw which requires residential sprinklers in all new construction outside of the identified 7 minute response time. This is the first sprinkler bylaw in the Province of SDaskatchewan and has garnered interest across the province and in neighbouring provinces.

During the development of the bylaw, builders were consulted and brought on board with some of them now offering sprinklers in new construction in all areas of the City.

The information shared by the Fire Sprinkler Initiative was invaluable in getting this bylaw in place. We believe this is just a start and that in the future it will be ammended to cover the entire City.

[Earle Kidder]

When will the emotions leave and common sence take over. Here in Michigan we dont want this type of forced increase to the housing initial cost. Frankly we can't afford it. Lets take a look at the real reason that this is proposed.
Insurance companies are in business to make money and every fire takes away from their profit. Lets not have insurance on homes only liability insurance on contractors and builders.
that makes just about as much sence as spitting in the wind.

[Fire Extinguishers]

I feel ensuring that the trades working within the new building trade all being third party accredited is the only way to go. High quality workmanship is the way forward.