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While architects and builders have known for years that the strawbale walls of their buildings have superior fire-resistance, several examples of homes surviving recent wildfires bear further evidence of this quality. This newsletter describes and illustrates a number of case studies. All of these examples were within the perimeter of the wildfires, and in some instances these structures survived when all else around them burned. A combination of factors aided in their survival; all have metal or tile roofs, other fire-resistant materials and details, and most had defensible space. In certain firestorms no structure will survive, so some amount of good fortune must be credited as well. Case Study #1: Sonoma This strawbale home that survived is located near the end of Norrbom Road, north of the City of Sonoma. The residence features strawbale walls coated in Natural Hydraulic Lime plaster, rusted metal roofs and a concrete terrace adjacent the wood frame walls. While the fires burned up to the plastered bale walls, and charred a sliding wood door, the home did not catch fire. The owner stated, “I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some patrols for hotspots. [It] looks like once power is restored all our systems are go. We are SO LUCKY! Go Strawbale construction!”

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Page 1: “I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some … · While architects and builders have known for years that the strawbale walls of their buildings have superior fire-resistance,

Whilearchitectsandbuildershaveknownforyearsthatthestrawbalewallsoftheirbuildingshavesuperiorfire-resistance,severalexamplesofhomessurvivingrecentwildfiresbearfurtherevidenceofthisquality.Thisnewsletterdescribesandillustratesanumberofcasestudies.Alloftheseexampleswerewithintheperimeterofthewildfires,andinsomeinstancesthesestructuressurvivedwhenallelsearoundthemburned.Acombinationoffactorsaidedintheirsurvival;allhavemetalortileroofs,otherfire-resistantmaterialsanddetails,andmosthaddefensiblespace.Incertainfirestormsnostructurewillsurvive,sosomeamountofgoodfortunemustbecreditedaswell.CaseStudy#1:Sonoma

ThisstrawbalehomethatsurvivedislocatedneartheendofNorrbomRoad,northoftheCityofSonoma.TheresidencefeaturesstrawbalewallscoatedinNaturalHydraulicLimeplaster,rustedmetalroofsandaconcreteterraceadjacentthewoodframewalls.Whilethefiresburneduptotheplasteredbalewalls,andcharredaslidingwooddoor,thehomedidnotcatchfire.Theownerstated,

“Ithinkitprettymuchsurvivedonitsown,withsomepatrolsforhotspots.[It]lookslikeoncepowerisrestoredalloursystemsarego.WeareSOLUCKY!GoStrawbaleconstruction!”

Page 2: “I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some … · While architects and builders have known for years that the strawbale walls of their buildings have superior fire-resistance,

MichelCouvreuxofTransMineral,purveyorsoftheNaturalHydraulicLimeusedtoplasterthewallsofthehome,notedthatthepinkhueistheresultoftheheatofthefiresdrawingoutironoxidesfromthemineralimpuritiesinthelimemix,andthattheyuseheattocreatesomeofthecolors.Headdedthatthewallssufferednopermanentdamageandshouldbeserviceablewellintothefuture.MichelprovidedCASBAwiththesephotosofthehomeafterthefire.CaseStudy#2:LovallValley

EngineerGaryBlackofIntegratedStructuresInc.providedthisaccountofastrawbalehometheirfirmdesignedandbuiltintheLovallValley,whichsurvivedthePartrickFirebetweenSonomaandNapa:

“IamveryhappytoreportthatIspokewiththeowneroftheNapahouseasthefirewasapproaching,(hegotoutintimeandcalledmebackafewdayslater).Apparentlyhalfof[the]landscapingwasdestroyedandthefireburnedforquitesometimewiththeflameshittingthewallsandeaveofthehouse.Hehadseveraloaktreesthatwereindirectcontactwiththewalls,resultinginNOdefensiblespace.Hereportsnodamagetothehouse,notevenabrokenwindowwheretheflamesclearlyburnedforsometime.RayColebelievesthatthe14”insetprotectedtheglassastheflamestendtogoverticallyoncetheyhitawall.Histwonearestneighbor’shousesburnedtotheground.”

Page 3: “I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some … · While architects and builders have known for years that the strawbale walls of their buildings have superior fire-resistance,

CaseStudy#3:RedwoodValley

CASBADirectorDavidArkinreceivedthisharrowingtaleofsurvivalfromEdwardDoody,homeownerofoneofArkinTiltArchitects’strawbaledesigns:

“SpikeandIwereupinRedwoodValleyovertheweekendandhadgonetobedSundaynightabout10o’clock.Around2:30amforsomeunknownreasonIawoketofindastrangeglowoutsidemybedroomwindows.Igotupandputonmyglassesandsawthatthehousewasliterallysurroundedbyfire.Firewaseverywhere,nearandfar.Thegrassesaroundthehousewereglowingasalineofflamewastravelingacrossthelandscape.Theskywasredandlivesparkswereflyingeverywhere.Thetreesjustdownthehillfromthehousewereablaze,fueledbytheragingconflagrationoftheopen,metalstoragecontainerthathousedmysolarpowersystem,storageandmostofmytools.Treesandbrushatallpointsofthecompasswereablaze.Thefiresilluminatedisolatedpatchesoftheneardistance.Thelightwaseerieglowandallofthiswasagainstalargerbackgroundofdarkness.Afterrunningthroughthehouse,checkingoutthewindowsandfightingwavesofpanic,Ikindofjustsettledintosurvivalmodeandstartedtomovewithpurpose.Thehouseitselfdidnotappeartobeonfire,althoughitseemedlikeitwasonlyamatteroftime.Thetreesnexttothecontainerwerenowablazeandtheflamesfromthemwereawfullycloseandseemedtobelickingattheendofthehouse.Iquicklydressedandfoundmyphone,buttherewasnoservice.FlightmodesettledinandIdecidedtomakearunforit,downtheroadamiletothevalleyfloor.IhadtocoaxSpikeoutthedoorandintothefirestorm.Hewasnotanxioustoleavetherelativecalmandsafetyofthehousetorunahundredfeetacrosstheburningandburntlawnareatothetruck.Wejumpedinonlytofindthatthekeyswerebackinside.Idashedbackinside,foundthemandranbacktothetruck.Thewindowshadbeenleftopenandsparkswereinthecab,butitfiredrightupandawaywewent.Reachingthetopofmydriveway,Istoppedto

Page 4: “I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some … · While architects and builders have known for years that the strawbale walls of their buildings have superior fire-resistance,

try911again.ThistimeIgotasignalandspokewithdispatch,onlytolearnthattheywereoverwhelmedwithcallsfromalloverthecountyandalreadyinfulloutresponse.Therewouldnotbeanyoneavailabletocometomyimmediateassistance.Itriedtocallmyuphillneighbor,butgotnoanswer.ThereIwas,poisedatthemouthofmydrivewaywiththefireadvancingupthehillsidebehindme,theravinesoneithersideofthepropertyalightwiththeunderbrushandtreesonfireandthewoodsatthetopofthepropertystartingtogo.Totherightwastheroaddowntothevalleyfloor.FormostofwhatIcouldsee,thewaywasopenwithonlywhatappearedtobesmallblazes,alongtheroadside.Totheleftwasthedriveuptomyneighbor’shouse,awindingroadthatwentthroughthewoodsthatwasnowstartingtocatchonfire.Iwasfacedwiththedecisionoffleeingdownhillorgoinguphilltoseeifmyneighborwashome,awakeandabletogetout.Ihaveneverbeensoscaredinmylife.

AsIsoughtthestrengthtogouphill,headlightspiercedthesmokeandRonnie’scarcamearoundthebend.Ihaveneverbeensorelievedinmylife.Whileweconferredandweredecidingonwhattodo,thewellhouse,downtheroundaboutaneighthofamileeruptedintoflames,blockingourpassagethroughforimmediatefuture.Forthoseofyouthathavenotyetvisited,myhousesitsinaclearingonthesideofahill.Theclearingisapproximatelythreetofouracreswithonlygrassesandlowvegetation,afewlargeoaksandawayfrommostoftheoverhangingtrees,whichlinetheperimeter.Thegroundfireswerebeingdrivenuphillbyagale-likewindandwerewellpastthehouseandthroughmostoftheclearingbynow,sowewererelativelysecureoutthereintheopen.Theairwasfulloflightedembers,peltinguslikeraindrops.Smokeandashwereswirlingthroughtheskyandbreathingwasabitdifficult.Asthecontainerfireburnedthroughthecontents,thetreesnexttoitweremostlyburntout.Thehouseappearedtonolongerbeinimminentdanger,soweretreatedthereandsettledintowaitouttheremainderofthestorm.”

Theowner,whohaskindlyagreedtomaketheplansofhishomeavailabletootherfirevictims,providedthephotos.ArkinTiltisprovidingthisandeightotherstrawbaleplansetsfreeofcharge,includingengineeringcourtesyofATA’sofficepartnersVerdantStructuralEngineers.

Page 5: “I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some … · While architects and builders have known for years that the strawbale walls of their buildings have superior fire-resistance,

CaseStudy#4:Napa

Aremoteone-roomstudiowithstrawbalewallsonthreeofitsfoursidesburnedintheAtlasFireontheeastsideofNapathefirstnightofthewildfires,whenwindswereoutofthenortheastandgustingtoover70mph.Theeastendofthestructurefeaturedwoodframingtotheground,withatrellisabove;oncetheseignitedtherestofthestructurewasconsumed.Theownerreportedthefollowing:

“Itlookstomethattheplastercoatedstrawbalesurvivedwelluntilthewoodpartofthestructureburneddown.Iwonderifthewallswouldstillbeintactiftheplastercoatinghadcoveredthetopofthewallaswell.Ithinkthestrawburnedafterthetopcapofthewallburnedawayandcoal/embersdroppedintothestrawbales.Tomethestrawbaleencapsulatedintheplaster/concretestoodupwelluntilthetopwasgone.”

DavidArkinvisitedthewallsonDecember2,2017,justpriortodemolition,andobservedthatthePISE(pneumaticallyimpactedstabilizedearth)wallswerestillstanding,andhadbeenwellbondedtothestrawpriortothefire.Twospecificassembliesofstrawbalewallshavebeentested,andonewithalime-cementplasteroverbalesplacedon-edgeachievedatwohourfireratinginanASTME119test.Additionally,balesasinsulationhavearewithincodelimitsfortheflamespreadindexandsmokedevelopedindex,confirmedinanASTM-E84test.Linkstothetestreportsareprovidedbelow.Inadditiontofire-resistivequalities,strawbalewallssequestercarbonintheirconstruction,andthroughouttheirlife—alongwiththoughtfulpassivedesignandotherdetails—helptokeepstructurescoolerinsummerandwarmthroughthewinter.Learnmoreatwww.strawbuilding.orgForfurtherinquiriescontactCASBADirectorDavidArkin,AIA,[email protected]:FreeDownloadofthe2015IRCStrawbaleCodewithCommentaryfromtheCASBAwebsite:http://www.strawbuilding.org/news/3587353StrawBaleFireTestVideo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjM0yXF7sy8StrawBaleTesting(firetestsandmanyothers):http://www.strawbuilding.org/testinghttp://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/projects/straw-bale-construction-supporting-documents


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