Fire trap

[cas1414]

Anyone have any good response when people say "oh, you live in a doublewide. Those things are a fire trap." I sometimes really get frustrated at the attitudes people have. Although I have always heard mobile homes burn faster than stick built houses. Whether it's true or not I don't know.
Any opinions or ideas? This hit me on a really bad day and I need some encouragement if anyone has some. Thanks.

[Greg]

Older Homes were notorious for "fast burning" but when you stop and consider that they were made with kindling wood, wood paneling and small size studs that is reasonable.

Newer homes meet HUD requirements and contain fire resistant materials such as drywall (replacing wood paneling) & full size studs.

I Have seen newer homes after a fire that had very limited fire damage. One had a stove fire, The master bedroom was attached to the kitchen. EVERYTHING in the bedroom was saved from fire damage (the fire never made it through the door) However the whole home did suffer smoke & soot damage.

In my opinion, Newer (post HUD) homes are as safe as a stick built home and possibly safer than the old stick built Balloon construction type home. you still need to take basic common sense precautions such as detectors & fire extinguishers. and always have an escape plan.

Greg

[cas1414]

Greg, thanks for the encouragement. Our doublewide was built in 1990. Other than being in 2 halves, I don't understand it being any different than a stick built house and burning faster. (but what do I know?). We do have smoke detectors in all bedrooms, etc.

[Greg]

It is part of the stigma of living in a "trailer". Some people just plain don't understand that Mobile homes have evolved over the last 30 years.

Greg

[DaveyB]

I did some hunting and found some official stuff you may be interested in. Specifically a 40 page report prepared in 2005 for the National Fire Protection Association, and entitled "Manufactured Home Fires". A direct quote from the summary of the document:

"Manufactured homes have a higher rate of civilian deaths per hundred reported fires than do other dwellings, but as of 1999-2002, they have nearly the same risk of fire death relative to the number of occupied units."

The full document can be found here

Hope that helps!

DaveyB

[AbbottsManor]

I've lived in this very nice park for 21 years as of last month. Of the 5 fires that have taken place here 1 was an underground transformer fire, 1 fire in an unattached large shed used as a wood shop-damaged adjacent home but home was repaired and shed replaced, 1 wood stove malfunction-destroyed home, 1 home destroyed because fire wood stacked directly against home was set on fire by a carelessly tossed cigarette (idiot)-home destroyed and 1 heat tape malfunction-fire extinguished by owner before fire department arrived. None of these fires had anything to do with the construction of the dwelling!

[Seasider48]

I think it may also have had something to do with the placement of exits (kitchens placed between door and bedroom) and the small size of bedroom windows in the older models - too small to escape from.