Fire safety issues in residential buildings-Los Angeles wildfires

Introduction

The wildfires in Los Angeles have resulted in at least 25 deaths, over 12000 buildings destroyed, and losses exceeding $50 billion. This fire highlights the long-standing problems in Los Angeles.

The city is located between mountains and the sea, and is susceptible to fires, floods, and earthquakes. Climate change has also made fires more frequent and severe. The existing housing stock is mostly old houses and mostly single family residential areas, which have spread to the foothills and are adjacent to flammable shrubs, making it difficult to clear flammable vegetation. Once ignited, with the help of strong Santa Anna winds, the fire will quickly spread.

Although Los Angeles will be rebuilt, we need to learn from this tragedy, establish reasonable regulations and insurance markets, promote reinforced housing methods, and encourage people to live in safer places.

（The image is sourced from the internet）

The most severe natural disaster in American history

As of January 16th, wildfires that have hit the city have caused at least 25 deaths and destroyed over 12000 buildings. The entire block looks like it has been bombed by a incendiary bomb. AccuWeather, a meteorological research data company, predicts that the damage and economic losses caused by wildfires will be between 250 billion and 275 billion US dollars. Make these fires the most costly fires in American history.

（The image is sourced from the Visual China）

An important factor - most houses lack fire safety measures

Fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades have damaged or destroyed over 12000 buildings, many of which were houses. At the time, a group of architects designed small, affordable homes made of easily assembled materials, with open floor plans and large windows drawing the most blurred boundary between indoors and outdoors. At that time, there were almost no building regulations in Los Angeles, so most houses lacked fire safety measures, which led to the rapid spread of wildfires and serious consequences.

（The image is sourced from the National Geographic,photographed by SEPTEMBER DAWN BOTTOMS）

The strict regulations in Los Angeles require that newly built houses must have fire resistance, but most houses are not newly built. NIMBYism and complex environmental regulations make building houses exceptionally difficult, so many housing stocks were built before modern building regulations and are filled with flammable wood. Dense urban development is to some extent fire-resistant, but most areas of Los Angeles are designated as single family residential areas, which extend to the foothills and are adjacent to flammable shrubs.

（The image is sourced from the National Geographic,photographed by SEPTEMBER DAWN BOTTOMS）

In the crisis of homelessness, Los Angeles needs more low-cost housing. But replicating the style of lost buildings may not be feasible or desirable. The construction specifications have been changed; The cost will be too high; The risk of natural disasters is increasing. Sarah Lorenzen, an architecture professor at California Institute of Technology Pomona, said, "What's the point of a simulation when it doesn't meet the requirements of our lives today.

The necessity of fire safety in contemporary housing

（The image is sourced from the BBC）

Couple's fire-resistant LA home survives amid destruction(Reported by BBC)

Karina Maher and Michael Kovac, an architect, built their Los Angeles home with fire-resistant and sustainable features.

When the Palisades fire broke out, their house remained intact while others around it were destroyed.

The design of their home focuses on resilience, using eco-friendly materials and protective systems that make it resistant to flames.

Obviously, Fire performance are an essential primary function of contemporary residential buildings. We at Manbus have been committed to the research and development, production, manufacturing, construction, and sales of the real estate construction industry; Our container houses meet Class A fire safety standards, easily handling various harsh environments, and are easy and fast to install; The current disaster caused by the Los Angeles wildfires urgently needs to address the issue of accommodation for evacuees.