Building codes
Oct. 25th, 2007 11:30 amThe picture on the front page, above the fold, of today's Times shows a block of destroyed houses, with one house on the block still standing. (The closest shot I could find on the Times online appears to be from the same street, but shows more houses still standing.)
Since periodic wildfires are apparently common to SoCal, one wonders why the insurance companies and building codes don't require houses to be built to withstand these fires, since it appears to be possible. Or is this a case where the fire "jumped over" a house that was built the same way as the others in the development?
Since periodic wildfires are apparently common to SoCal, one wonders why the insurance companies and building codes don't require houses to be built to withstand these fires, since it appears to be possible. Or is this a case where the fire "jumped over" a house that was built the same way as the others in the development?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-25 06:50 pm (UTC)Generally, fire is not such a big risk as compared to earthquakes. Everywhere is hit by earthquakes. Fires are usually brush fires and occur in the fields and hills that do not have houses on them. Dry brush has a low combustion point and the fires in these areas spread like, well, wildfire. As most people in Southern California live in the cities (it's continuous cities unlike the northeast), there isn't much risk of getting hit by a fire. The fire that hit our house came through Fullerton before it was built up.