Large house fire

In Prospect Ky yesterday a large house burnt, a storm was going through at the time and lightning is suspected.
The house had 16,500 square ft and was valued at 3.5 million.
3 Fire Dept and over 30 fire fighters on scene battling the blaze.
A majority of the homes in that area are owned by doctors, lawyers and upper class business people.
It's sad for anyone to lose their home to fire, no matter if rich or poor.

That house was over 10 times the size of mine, I can not imagine wanting or owning a home that big.

I don't know how to post a link to the news clips.

Here is a link to a news story on the fire. looks like a real nice place before the fire.
Prospect , KY fire

When I was doing real estate inspections, I did a house that was so big the lady of the house admitted she and her husband carried walkie-talkies in the house to keep track of each other.

I'm satisfied with my 1800 square feet. It's comfortable and the taxes and insurance are reasonable.

Was the FD able to save the basement?

That's the best we expect around here!

(quoted from post at 21:43:04 08/21/18) Was the FD able to save the basement?

That's the best we expect around here!

Click to expand...

I can drive around my town and pick out 25 homes where here were fires over the last forty years, where the damage was repaired and they moved back in in a few weeks or a few months. There were a few notable exceptions that I can think of: two were lightning strikes, one was lack of an aggressive interior attack due to manpower shortage, and another was just very bad multiple adverse conditions.

Bob-are you a volunteer fireman in your town?

If you can't sell it, burn it unless the deductible is too high.

Couple years back most of a family perished in a mansion fire in Annapolis, MD. Huge Christmas tree ignited from an electrical cord, was very dry and burned violently. I usually don't share distressing news like this, but you can't underestimate the force of a burning christmas tree--I've lit them on the burn pile outdoors and it's scary how fast they burn. Maybe worse than gasoline because the fire is actually consuming the tree and providing more fuel as it burns. Starts with the dry needles. The fire dept said that a residential fire-suppression system probably would have been quickly overwhelmed by such a fire. When you're done with the tree--get it out of the house.

(quoted from post at 06:01:29 08/22/18) Bob-are you a volunteer fireman in your town?

Click to expand...

$20 says the answer is no.

Just love how people like that expect half a dozen old guys and a couple of teenage girls to go rushing in to save a house, when they live 20 minutes from the nearest fire station.

I am on a local Fire Dept but didn't fight that fire.

With new construction homes burning 5 times faster than older homes built in the 70's it hard to save anything these days.
Even when we do save one, with the smoke and water damage the insurance companies won't repair them, they want them torn down and replaced.

In areas with volunteer fire depts like mine it's even worse, modern room and contents can potently become fully involved with fire in 3 1/2 minutes, on a good day it takes me 4 minutes to get to the fire house AFTER I get the call.
It's hard to save something that burns so fast.

(quoted from post at 07:01:41 08/24/18)

(quoted from post at 06:01:29 08/22/18) Bob-are you a volunteer fireman in your town?

Click to expand...

$20 says the answer is no.

Just love how people like that expect half a dozen old guys and a couple of teenage girls to go rushing in to save a house, when they live 20 minutes from the nearest fire station.

Click to expand...

Barnyard, Chances are good you need to get the check in the mail. Bob is known to be a public servant in his small community just as he is here. Just because he is retired from it doesn't mean that he hasn't paid his dues.

(quoted from post at 07:27:24 08/24/18)
I am on a local Fire Dept but didn't fight that fire.

With new construction homes burning 5 times faster than older homes built in the 70's it hard to save anything these days.
Even when we do save one, with the smoke and water damage the insurance companies won't repair them, they want them torn down and replaced.

In areas with volunteer fire depts like mine it's even worse, modern room and contents can potently become fully involved with fire in 3 1/2 minutes, on a good day it takes me 4 minutes to get to the fire house AFTER I get the call.
It's hard to save something that burns so fast.

Click to expand...

Destroked I have to disagree with you on this one. Back in the good old days we could have two good structure fires a year in our little town. There were no sprinkler systems let alone smoke detectors. There were no inspections during construction, and buildings were drafty with little insulation. Fires could get burning really good before anyone even new there was a fire. It used to be that a few guys could have some really good times. You might have to go back out for new cylinders two-three or four times. It is true that the atmosphere may be worse due to the synthetic materials, but that makes no difference when there is no oxygen to breathe anyway. Some materials may burn hotter, but when it is hot enough (1200 degrees) to melt the Reflexite trim on your helmet, what's another fifty degrees? twenty years ago it seemed like fires just stopped fighting back and went out quickly.

Nothing to disagree about, documented facts through controlled testing.
A room and contents using 70's construction and materials took over 16 minutes to reach flashover when a candle was turned over on the sofa.
A room and contents using modern construction and materials reached flashover in 3 1/2 minutes when a candle was turned over on the sofa.

I've been to a couple of fires that had put themselves out from lack of oxygen and I've used up a few bottles in some older homes, on newer homes by the time we get there it's almost to late to make entry.

(quoted from post at 16:11:33 08/24/18)
Nothing to disagree about, documented facts through controlled testing.
A room and contents using 70's construction and materials took over 16 minutes to reach flashover when a candle was turned over on the sofa.
A room and contents using modern construction and materials reached flashover in 3 1/2 minutes when a candle was turned over on the sofa.

I've been to a couple of fires that had put themselves out from lack of oxygen and I've used up a few bottles in some older homes, on newer homes by the time we get there it's almost to late to make entry.

Click to expand...

I don't disagree with your controlled testing but there is nothing controlled about a private residence.