Building Construction
The building construction resource page includes important information about how structures are designed and how such construction factors affect building strength, likelihood of collapse, interior layouts and other issues that could compromise firefighter safety.
A year before the Boyle Heights warehouse fire, the facility operator asked city officials about removing a rooftop solar safety device now under scrutiny in the ongoing investigation
A structural failure at the former Pfizer headquarters prompted mass evacuations and fears of a collapse before engineers stabilized the building
The 1978 roof collapse served as a wake-up call about the dangers hidden in building construction, specifically the weaknesses of trusses
Firefighters evacuated construction workers and nearby buildings after two structural columns buckled inside a 38-story Manhattan high-rise
The July 1, 1988, fire claimed the lives of five New Jersey firefighters
States are easing stairwell, electrical and fire code rules to lower housing costs, raising safety concerns from firefighters and code experts
From Worcester to Los Angeles, refrigerated warehouse fires pose unique challenges for fire crews
As Lineage’s massive Boyle Heights cold storage facility continues burning, officials and experts are raising concerns about warehouse fire hazards
As homelessness and squatting rise, firefighters must assume vacant structures are occupied until proven otherwise
Be vigilant; you can’t help others if you don’t stay safe yourself
Why home fire sprinklers are the only technology that can stop a fire from becoming deadly
Communities in wildfire-prone areas must now follow new construction standards, though some local leaders worry about rising rebuilding and enforcement costs
Fire officials say doors left open allowed smoke and heat to spread rapidly through a stairwell, trapping residents in a five-alarm blaze
Shared walls, narrow layouts and concealed void spaces make rowhouse fires uniquely dangerous, and understanding fire behavior and coordinated tactics is essential to improving fireground outcomes
Researchers in South Carolina are torching houses on purpose to test how materials, landscaping and extreme winds impact fire spread
Collapse
A roof failure triggered a progressive collapse across all seven levels of a parking garage under construction, officials said, as crews work to safely search the unstable structure
A man was killed after a fast-moving five-alarm blaze tore through the top floor of a Bronx apartment building, spread into the cockloft, triggered a roof collapse
State officials reversed a proposed code update that would have allowed taller apartment buildings with one stairwell, siding with fire marshals who warned the change could endanger residents
Lessons learned in managing a simultaneous hazmat run, resource confusion and limited access
In Cameron Park, a KB Home neighborhood is marketing fire-resistant construction and ember-blocking design as a way to reduce wildfire danger and improve insurability
Over 200 FDNY firefighters battled high winds and burning debris to knock down a massive warehouse fire in Brooklyn, which damaged 10 bays before being brought under
Collapse during RIT operations highlights the need for improved pre-incident planning and collapse zone awareness at vacant structures
A USFA report details how an undetected basement fire, a modified support system and a sudden floor collapse led to one of the deadliest incidents in department history
A multi-alarm fire tore through a three-story apartment complex under construction, prompting road closures, nearby evacuations and significant power outages
Collapse
Camden firefighters knocked down a predawn blaze at an abandoned building, but heavy fire conditions led to a structural collapse
A top-floor blaze tore through a six-story building in Manhattan, collapsing the roof, sending debris onto the sidewalk, and injuring three residents and a firefighter
How a simple, integrated sprinkler design was meant to deliver basic home fire protection — and why most states no longer require it
Codes, utilities and infrastructure must be designed to function when the system is under stress
How standards can highlight station needs or deficiencies impacting your department’s delivery of service
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