Two three-alarm fires have broken out at Denver construction sites within a two month span, causing city officials and housing industry leaders to increase fire safety education programs.
The last three-alarm fire reported in Denver was in 2013. Firefighters and construction professionals alike say that wood-frame buildings are mostly safe from fires once construction is completed, but wood is still very susceptible to fire without safety systems in place or operational. Home Builders Association of Metro Denver CEO Jeff Whiton tells The Denver Post that the group is putting together a fire-safety training session for members in June, "Typically we don’t see a lot of fires, but this caught our attention. We want to keep our labor safe, and we want to protect the investment that people are putting into their homes."
Denver’s recent fires have also drawn the eyes of some outside of Colorado. Steve Conboy worked as a lumber and framing contractor in the construction industry for more than four decades before becoming general manager of M-Fire Suppression Inc. The company produces a spray it claims can be applied to wood framing and other wood elements at job sites during construction, insulating the wood from fire even in cases of arson where fuels like gasoline may be used.
PB Topical Ref
