[GSBN] Straw Bale House Fire

[BuildersWithoutBorders]

This is probably a good time to share our recent fire story.  Like 
the CO fire, it started due to "operator error" in unusual 
circumstances.  But it has a happier ending, as it was mostly 
confined to a workshop and some old sheds with few irreplaceable 
things. Thanks to some quick thinking on Pete's part, a lot of water 
from our valiant volunteer fire department, and perhaps some good 
karma, it involved our Lodge (B&B) very minimally.  And we were insured.

The strawbale lesson learned:  In the dark of night, while fire 
fighters aimed hoses at the burning wood-framed workshop and sheds, 
fire crept along the log beams that supported a roof connecting the 
shed with the Lodge.  The log beams terminated into an exterior 
straw-bale "wrap" - that we had installed around a cold corner of the 
stone and brick structure.

About 3AM, as the volunteer fire fighters were wrapping up their 
hoses, a flashlight illuminated a bit of smoke curling up from where 
a log penetrated the strawbale wall.  Pete & I knew right away the 
straw was probably smoldering inside the wall.  He climbed up a 
ladder and started hammering off the stucco at that spot 
(fortunately, no stucco wire hindered him.)

Reaching into the wall with a gloved hand, he pulled out many 
handfuls of shiny yellow straw, and a bit of charred stuff.
We also climbed around the attic to get as close as possible, 
squirting water from a hose hooked up to the water heater drain down 
into the ceiling and wall.  Fortunately the fire was not in the 
ceiling and was confined to smoldering straw...

Then something a fire fighter (who later turned out to be the fire 
marshal) said triggered an idea:  He said, "Feel the wall on the 
inside... is it hot?"  Yes it was, and there was a particular place 
where it was warmer than anywhere else.  The light bulb went on in 
Pete's head and he located a handy tool that can be bought at any 
hardware store, and Radio Shack for about $25 (or less):  A 
non-contact thermometer.  Aim it at anything and it will tell you the 
temperature.

We told the firefighters they could go home (though they left us a 
truck and a hose hooked up if we were to need it.)

On the inside, with the non-contact thermometer, I could pinpoint 
exactly where the smoldering was, and yell out the window to Pete who 
was pulling straw and a small amount of charred straw out of the 
wall.  When he got it all, which didn't take long, the temperature of 
the wall rapidly went down (fortunately it was a cool night.)  We 
could breath easier then.  He stayed up the rest of the night 
monitoring the wall with the non-contact thermometer, inside and out, 
to make sure there was no more smoldering in the wall.

The result - water in the strawbale wall damaged the interior finish, 
and took a while to dry out.  We still haven't fixed the hole in the 
stucco (it's in the back and doesn't show), but it is quite 
repairable.  We'll stuff it with more straw because it's not even as 
big as a bale.

What would we do differently?  Try not to put water into the 
wall.  If anything, the old-fashioned fire extinguishers with powder, 
might have helped without damaging the straw.

What did we learn that is worth sharing?  A non-contact thermometer 
is a pretty handy tool to have on-hand.  Naturally in a big fire it 
wouldn't be helpful. But in this type of circumstance, it made a huge 
difference.  We could pinpoint the fire, and did not have to take the 
whole wall down just to be sure the smoldering fire was out.

I hope this idea proves helpful to others in the future.


Sincerely,
Catherine Wanek
Co-director
Builders Without Borders
<mail at builderswithoutborders.org>
www.builderswithoutborders.org
575-895-5400 
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