Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009

FIGHTING FOR The Inadequacy of Modern Modular Structure Construction in the twenty-ﬁrst century continues to be fraught with danger. Despite advances in equipment capabilities, apparatus performance and the education of our ﬁreﬁghters and ofﬁcers, far too many members of the ﬁre service are injured and killed each year. Given the economics surrounding the residential construction industry we should continue to expect that homes will be built using components that speed construction and reduce the bottom line all the while increasing the hazards confronted by the individuals under our command (think truss ﬂoors and roofs, laminated I beams, ﬁnger-joint trusses). In the past year, three structure ﬁres in Massachusetts have ﬁre ofﬁcials and code developers looking closely at construction methods used in prefabricated (modular) home construction – speciﬁcally, the use of ﬂ ammable polyurethane structural adhesive used in place of screws, to sheetrock to ceiling assemblies as well as the presence of large void spaces between levels of multi-story homes. Together, these methods of construction – used to save time and money in the factory – represent yet another hazard for our ﬁreﬁghters. In the early morning of January 13, 2007, the Acushnet Fire/Rescue Department responded to a structure ﬁ re in a two story, single family residence of modular construction. The occupants were alerted to the ﬁre not by smoke alarms but by an increased sensation of the house getting warm. Four minutes after the receipt of the ﬁ rst 911 call the ﬁrst on-scene police ofﬁcer announced the structure was 75% involved. The house was destroyed in a matter of minutes. The investigation, led by the State Fire Marshal’s ofﬁce, concluded that discarded smoking material placed in a ﬂower pot on the farmer’s porch smoldered for several hours before ﬁ nally igniting the vinyl siding. The ﬁre consumed the farmer’s porch then raced up the building, through the open sofﬁt and into the lightweight truss laden attic. In addition, the ﬁre bore through the exterior sheathing into the void between the ﬁrst and second ﬂoor. The sensation of heat noted by the occupants was ﬁre burning beneath their feet! The origin and cause did not answer the most disturbing question: why did this ﬁve-year-old Colonial burn so quickly? Arriving personnel Fireﬁghting commented on ﬂames being visible above the tree line from one-half mile away. A column of thick black smoke was seen from miles away. To answer these questions, we solicited the assistance of the local building inspector, the Department of Fire Service, the NFPA as well as the leadership of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM). The answers we are ﬁnding, along with information acquired by the Hanson Fire Department following a July ﬁ re that completely destroyed a two-story Colonial modular (manufactured by the same company that built the Acushnet home) and the Wilmington Fire Department, where in September a ﬁre severely damaged a single story home under construction, tell us that our understanding of this particular type of construction, gaining in popularity across the Commonwealth, is exceptionally limited. Simply put, modular homes are wood frame structures built in factories and then shipped over-road in sections to the house lot. The modular “boxes” are then lifted off the ﬂatbed truck and positioned in place. The structure that burned in our community consisted of four boxes, two on each level, joined at a marriage wall. When these boxes leave the factory, they arrive on site complete with ceiling, ﬂoor and wall assemblies. When placed on top of each other a void space is created between the sheetrock ceiling of the ﬁrst level and the plywood decking of the second level ﬂoor. We have seen voids of 20–22 inches in height that run the length and width of the structure up to the marriage wall. We are ﬁnding the typical dimensions of modular boxes in our community to be 48' x 14', therefore a void of that dimension – 20 to 22 inches in height – exists in the front and rear sections (joined at a marriage wall) of two story modular homes. What is equally alarming is the presence of polyurethane foam structural adhesive used to afﬁ x the sheetrock to the structural members. Present day codes allow for glue to be used with or without mechanical fasteners. What we discovered, after sending samples of the adhesive from a newly constructed modular home to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, is that the glue is highly ﬂ ammable. Samples subjected to a calorimeter test indicate that it ignites fast, burns readily, loses its consistency and produces hazardous levels of heat as well as thick, LEFT: TWO STORY COLONIAL OF MODULAR CONSTRUCTION PRIOR TO ARRIVAL OF ACUSHNET FIRE DEPARTMENT ON 1/13/08. MIDDLE: LOOKING DOWN AT THE INSIDE OF FIRST FLOOR CEILING ASSEMBLY SHOWING USE OF GLUE. RIGHT: SHOWING INSIDE OF LARGE VOID WITH PRESENCE OF TRUSS FLOOR M A SSA C HUSE TTS FIRE CHIEF 2009 | 25 BY CHIEF KEVIN GALLAGHER CODE CHANGE

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009

Massachusetts Fire Chief 2009 Contents A Message from the FCAM President Code of Ethics/Vision Statement Bonds of Service Legislative Report The Fire Chief for 2009 and Beyond Leading a Combination Fire Department Remember When Fighting for Code Change Leadership Matters Fire Risk Management - Fire Chiefs - Codes The Current Economy and its Effect on Fire Departments Statewide Fire Mobilization Plan Beware of the Truss Index of Advertisers

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