Two Homes Destroyed By Fire Three Damaged Graham WA

March 14, 2009. Graham, WA or aka Frederickson. A small metal waste basket used as a fire pit on the deck was the cause of this ugly mess. Another part of the problem was only ten feet separating the houses. Less distance when measured from the eaves.

It was a little windy that morning, but a big contributor of the problem was cheap vinyl siding on these newer homes. It melted allowing the fire to spread rapidly. Wood fences and shed were not affected. An RV parked next to the garage of the primary residence was untouched.

Had the homes been built as required, fire resistant siding materials the fire would have been confined to the primary home, and it more than likely would have not been destroyed. No injures, damages estimate at $800,000.

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[centralvalleyreport]

Excellent Video! Great work!

[VX2100DV]

Thank you.

[PierceScan]

awesome video dude! nice angles. I know its a sad thing that happend, but i guess thats what happens when you build houses too close together.

[VX2100DV]

Opps please see above comments.

[67keefer]

@lrd9999 preaching to the choir here i say the same thing and in my city we have 3 complexs going up just like this

[lrd9999]

How much more would it have cost to cover these houses with something decent like brick or stucco. Something fire-resistant should be required for houses this close. I'll bet they convinced the planning boards that houses with sprinklers are virtually fireproof; not quite. There will be more stories like this, with all the huge complexes they've built recently covered with ugly vinyl siding.

[REWYRED]

This is why I would NEVER buy one of these  shitty houses they build now a days.. too close and too easy to burn among everything else thats wrong with how they build things these days

[yamahonkawazuki]

Vinyl siding FTL ive worked a few of these. damn things give me nightmares, and im 34 YO lol :(

[VX2100DV]

If anyone from the Master Builders Ass. Doesn't want to believe this all they need to do is watch to other videos I've uploaded. I know you saw them. The Springwood house fire. Wood siding. Did not spread. The House fire with dead hydrants video. Once again the structure threatened had wood siding. After a good half hour or more of intense heat from the involved structure the paint did start to blister and smoke, but did not catch fire.

[penguinnmann]

Hopefully this will put the entire concept of "cluster" developments in quetion. Lightweight construction with gusset plate trusses 4.5 feet distance between eves. Ironically I read an article with a Graham Asst. Chief a few years ago discussing the very dangers of these homes, guess they called this one.

[VX2100DV]

Thank you. One ugly event that could have be avoided. The distance between the homes was just part of this problem. The other being vinyl siding. Had this been another other type of siding I do feel the fire would have been confined to the primary structure. This event put that area of Graham/ Frederickson in the national spotlight that weekend.