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Alsip works to educate the public on today’s fires
ABC7 has published an important article that highlights the dangers of house fires, focusing on how quickly they can spread and the risks posed by modern materials:
You only have about three minutes after a fire alarm sounds to escape your home safely — a drastic decrease from the 17 minutes it used to take. This alarming change is due in large part to the materials used in today’s homes. To demonstrate this, the Alsip Fire Department created two room mockups: one filled with older, antique furniture made from natural materials like cotton, wool, and down, and the other representing a typical modern home with synthetic furnishings made from polyurethane and hydrocarbons.
Firefighters lit both rooms simultaneously using a candle. In just 90 seconds, the newer furnishings reached flashover — a point where flames engulf the entire space almost instantly. The older furniture burned much more slowly, taking over 13 minutes to reach the same stage.
Thomas Styczynski, Fire Chief of the Village of Alsip, explains, “Modern products are mostly synthetic. They’re essentially solid gasoline. They ignite faster and release toxic gases like cyanide, which are extremely dangerous to humans.â€
It's not just furniture that speeds up fires — modern construction materials also play a role. Research by Underwriter Laboratories shows that lightweight building components, such as laminated beams and trusses, may be efficient under normal conditions, but they collapse much faster during a fire compared to traditional wood.
Ron Hazelton, a fire safety expert, explains, “Solid wood burns from the outside in, so even if it chars, the inside remains structurally sound for longer. But synthetic materials burn hotter and faster, and when they fail, it happens almost instantly.â€
While most people aren’t ready to switch to vintage furniture, some homeowners are choosing to install sprinkler systems, which can cost around 2% more in new construction. Retrofitting existing homes is pricier, but many insurance companies offer discounts for homes with sprinklers.
If you're not ready for sprinklers, there are still steps you can take to improve safety. Replace smoke detector batteries every six months, keep your home organized to allow for better airflow, and limit the number of items in small rooms. Closing doors can also help slow the spread of fire between rooms.
Over 90 communities in Illinois now require sprinklers in new single-family homes and townhouses, but for most people, this isn’t an option. That’s why it’s crucial to stay alert and maintain your smoke detectors, check your electrical systems, and ensure your furnace and appliances are in good working order.
Stay safe, and remember: preparation can save lives.
Thanks, Dan.