Talk of The Villages Florida - How do fires work?

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- The Villages, Florida, General Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/)

- - How do fires work? (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/how-do-fires-work-355761/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bjeanj (Post 2400853)

That’s an interesting question. So much so (for me) that I did some research. Here are some points I found.

Monolithic dome structures drown out fires unlike conventional homes and businesses allowing for them to stand as other structures around them fall. The natural design of a dome starves uncontrolled flames of oxygen, but the actual materials of a dome structure also play a role in fire proofing. Dome homes are energy-efficient, easy to build and are able to better withstand hurricanes and tornadoes due to its round, aerodynamic shape.

Domes are difficult to roof. And if not roofed exceptionally well, they will leak like a sieve. Domes are more difficult to roof and it takes longer than a conventional house.

Why are dome houses not popular?
Since the building envelope is so tight, some people are concerned that domes can become stuffy, moldy, or dangerous to live in

Weaknesses are as follows: non-standard windows and doors installed in frame dome houses, complicated calculations for construction. Building materials are designed for rectangular houses, not for domes made of triangles

Sound and activity from one part of the house can easily carry to other parts, making privacy a concern for families or individuals who prefer more separated living spaces. The curved walls and lack of corners in dome homes make traditional furniture placement and storage solutions difficult.

Thank you very much!!!!! That covered the situation very well. There just seems to be more disadvantages than advantages, which would add to the cost of a structure. It made me come up with a further thought. Maybe dome structure should be used in cases where MONEY is no object. Like for military applications. Or a hospital that you would NOT want to lose in an emergency. Or a Police or Fire station. Another factor is that if Dome home or office building became POPULAR maybe (?) the increased number of them would drive designers to overcome most of the disadvantages. Anyway, thank you for giving me that excellent explanation of factors slowing down Dome popularity. I notice that in many sci/fi movies there are Dome structures. And since Sci/fi is supposedly a predictor of future human life, then maybe our children and grandchildren will see more of them?????? Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe (Post 2400858)

Lot to say, with no knowledge to back it up. Kinda like golf carts. When did you live in CA?
1. How many do you think arrived in CA without authorization?
2. The Santa Ana winds WILL return next year. They return EVERY year, usually in the Spring (milder) and then more powerfully in October-ish.
3. Oregon is not interested in taking 10M Californians. They already are perceptively hostile to Californians moving to ORE as it is.
4. So what is she saying about Florida? Or NY, or NOLA? You are reading far too much into what "Mother Nature" is saying in order to shoehorn it into your misguided agenda.

Thank you for your KIND remarks. I get the feeling that I need to provide an IQ test and maybe a blood sample to keep everyone content. I lived near Modesto, Ca around 1991 to 1992. Modesto was named because the town was originally going to be the name of the Railroad boss that got there. But, the railroad boss did not want to brag about himself. A Hispanic worker said, " Mue modesto" which means very modest in Spanish. That's where the name Modesto came from............and now you know the REST of the story.
.......So, feel free to criticize ANYTHING that I write. It just makes me stronger.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe (Post 2400858)

I KNOW all one needs to know about Golf Carts. Namely, gasoline golf carts pollute the air and have a high center of gravity , which is bad, they brake badly and corner badly. Electric carts are non polluting and have a low center of gravity.

This is not a personal chat room. Snarky insults and off topic posts will be removed.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2400831)

This is a really good thread starter. Response # 44 has the best answer to the question of how the fire gets through the fairly fireproof stucco exterior walls. I noticed that the houses that are standing (with neighboring houses totally destroyed) have small or no soffits. The purpose of soffits is to allow air to circulate inside the attic. The problem is that small spark embers during a FIRESTORM can enter the attic through those soffits. The house then burns down from the INSIDE OUT. The fire proof stucco walls get BYPASSED by the HOT RISING air which contains the SPARK embers. This was explained by response #44. I just wanted to add a little.

Thank you, I looked back at #44 and it, like some other replies, paint a good picture of how the fire actually starts from the inside out. Part of my original question though is the rapidity at which it spreads. An ember would likely take more than just a minute or so to find its way into the house through a tiny opening in the soffit or vent, and once in the home, seemingly would take more than just a minute or two to get the whole house afire. Yet entire neighborhoods were eaten up in a matter of minutes. It's almost as if there's some sort of accelerant. Do you know if the gas company shut off the gas utilities?

I will reiterate for those who don't bother reading the entire post, I'm not doubting it happened, I'm trying to gain an understanding of HOW it happened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrLonzo (Post 2400927)

It was 100MPH winds. Wind + dry + fire. It isn't AN EMBER. It's a RAGING FIRE being blown throughout the neighborhood by hurricane-force winds.

Do the firefighters have water available in the hydrants now? I don't see anything in the news about the current water situation.