Avalon Bay and "Lightweight" Wood Construction

A friend asked for help tracking down an article on the Edgewater inferno that destroyed 240 units in an Avalon Bay complex. The article mentioned the role lightweight wood construction likely played in the fire's rapid spread. A compilation of past fires and violations at Avalon Bay facilities can be found at this link. Interestingly, Avalon Bay's Edgewater project burned down not once but twice. The first time, in 2000, adjacent homes also were destroyed. So it's not surprising that officials are calling for a review of the Avalon Bay structure to be built in Princeton. Meanwhile, Avalon Bay is finding it much harder than expected to intentionally destroy the old hospital that has occupied the site up to now. There's irony in all the effort being spent to destroy a tough old building, so that a vulnerable new one can be built.

The Edgewater fire brought back memory of an article about how wood used these days, often laminate or made of compressed chips, has a lower flash point and thus allows fire to travel faster through a building. Newer furniture also tends to be made of materials that catch fire at much lower temperatures than solid wood. The idea being that fire in one room will heat the air in the next room, which will suddenly burst into flame once the flashpoint is reached. The lower the flash point, the quicker adjacent rooms ignite.