x
Breaking News
More () »

VERIFY: Do new homes burn faster than old ones?

We look into the online post claiming you have 15 minutes less to get out of your burning house than you used to.

If you own a new home, you may have less time to safely evacuate a house fire. 

A post online claims that newer homes burn 13 minutes faster than older homes, which means you may only have three to four minutes to get out of a burning building. 

Public Information Officer for Rural Metro Fire Department Jeff Bagwell said newer homes burn faster because of materials used to build them. Furniture which is made of pressed wood and glue instead of solid, hardwood, burns much faster and much hotter. 

"Furniture today is not made as durable as it was 40 or 50 years ago," said Bagwell. 

RELATED: Leaving water bottles in hot cars can have unexpected consequences, officials warn

The materials used today are of lower quality and cheaper. Roofs are now made with aluminum nail plates that can melt and collapse, speeding up the destruction. 

Bagwell also said that this same principle can apply to apartment buildings. Fires can burn into common attics and then jump to different apartments, which can destroy entire apartment buildings

But there are things you can do to minimize the damage. Simply closing interior doors can contain fires, allowing people inside to escape and firefighters to quickly extinguish them.

RELATED: VERIFY: Yes, DOE called Natural Gas, 'Freedom Gas.' But it isn't permanent.

"If there's a fire in that room, what that does, it kind of holds that in. You have to remember, the one thing a fire needs is oxygen," said Bagwell. 

Installing sprinkler systems can extinguish a small fire before it becomes a massive blaze. 

"Having a sprinkler in each room of the house adds to the level of protection and is able to extinguish the fire in its earlier phase, called the incipient phase," said Bagwell. 

Bagwell said that having smoke detectors in every room is extremely important. Rural Metro Fire Department and Knox County will provide and install smoke detectors, for free. Check out their website for more information. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out