To the Editor, The United States is on the brink of a fire
crisis. New lightweight construction methods and materials are
making it harder and more dangerous for firefighters to safely
extinguish blazes and for occupants to escape safely. It’s
estimated that most homes built within the past 20 years contain
these dangerous lightweight materials, which are designed to
carry a greater load with less material by using prefabricated
components. While these lightweight construction materials are
touted as being more cost-effective and environmentally
friendly, they also allow fires to spread much more rapidly,
significantly reducing the time occupants have to escape a fire,
and the time firefighters have to safely extinguish the blaze.
In my hometown of Carmel, New York tragedy struck this spring
when a fire claimed four lives, spreading so quickly that the
entire structure fully collapsed within 10 minutes. Firefighters
attributed the quick collapse to the home’s lightweight
construction materials. Materials used