According to Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, which conducts state-of-the-art fire safety testing, today you have three minutes or less to get out of a house fire alive compared to 17 minutes, 30 years ago. That’s less than 180 seconds… On your mark. Get set. Go!
With the frequency of news reports on residential fires engulfing multiple homes, whether neighbouring houses, or adjacent apartment or condo units, the threat of losing your home – or your life – seems to be on the rise.
In fact, you have a 1 in 4 chance of experiencing a house fire.
These devastating fires are often the result of one person’s carelessness, but end up affecting the lives of many others – displacing families from their homes, destroying their belongings and keepsakes, and in some tragic cases… resulting in the loss of loved ones.
Why such a decrease in time to get out? A lot of it has to do with the evolution of construction methods and materials, and the preference for more open floor plans and higher ceilings which provides fires with fewer barriers and more oxygen. Commonplace OSB and plywood sheeting contains glue which becomes a volatile fuel once ignited. Vinyl sliding can quickly transfer flames from one house to another when in close proximity.
Manufactured using magnesium oxide cement board and EPS foam insulation, MgO’s wall panels provide superior fire protection and decreased heat transfer.
When we measured the surface temperatures of external walls during our demonstration burn, the OSB registered 1200°F compared to 250°F on the MgO side. Awestruck spectators were able to comfortably place their hand on the MgO wall despite raging flames being blown against the opposing wall face.
It is this fire performance that makes MgO’s C3 Engineered Wall System a better way to build single and multi-family residences. The magnesium oxide cement board and EPS foam insulation help prevent the spread of fire, whether providing your home with a shield against a neighbouring fire, or containing a fire to a residence constructed using C3 wall panels.
The best way to escape a fire is to not experience one at all. The next best, is to have more time to get out alive.
Building with MgO’s C3 Engineered Wall System can give you that extra time. Watch the above video to witness the difference for yourself.
