What happens when you light a fire in the fireplace in a house with a thatch roof???

[Don2222]

Hello

See Cooke House Plimoth Plantation Story!! Why is it called the Cooke House??

See story and video here
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/11/19/fire-destroys-building-at-plimoth-plantation/

See story
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_1120plimoth_plantation_house_burned

Fire swept through the Cooke House at Plimoth Plantation yesterday, severely damaging the replica Colonial-era building, the plantation said.

The museum was open but no one was in the house at the time and there were no injuries, said Robert Kluin, director of marketing and communications for Plimoth Plantation. It was the first fire in about 15 years in the village, he said.

“We’re just thankful here that we’re open and that no one was hurt,†he said.

Kluin said the blaze began after one of the Colonial role players lit a fire in the fireplace. Flames leapt up the chimney and the thatched roof caught on fire, he said.

“The roof burned extensively and there was damage to the walls,†Kluin said.

Plymouth Fire Department Battalion Chief Dean DelTorto said the call came in at 9:37 a.m. and fire was coming through the roof when firefighters arrived.

“You could see embers flying that way,†he said.

DelTorto said the fire was under control in 30 minutes and was “not at allâ

 

[begreen]

Sorry to see that. Fires like that were not uncommon back in days of yore. A taller chimney might have helped. One thing wrong with this picture - those aren't colonial firemen and where is the (wooden) bucket brigade?

 

[rottiman]

Not to worry, Ben Franklin is dispatching an adjuster as we speak..........................................

 

[Don2222]

Hello

Well, I heard that the special cooking demo did not take place, but the structure is ok and all they need is some new thatch for the roof!

Also according to the plantation this is only the 2nd fire in 65 years! Not bad. Probably people do not smoke in bed there!!

I wonder what a new thatch roof costs nowadays? I hope it is not $5,000 like the asphalt shingle roof!

Anyways no insurance company in their right mind would insure a straw roof!!

 

[BrotherBart]

Not to worry, Ben Franklin is dispatching an adjuster as we speak..........................................

Love it. Somebody actually knows where insurance started! Invented the stove and then the product to insure you against what happened with it.

As to the OP. Everybody that bitches about building codes should look at this and think about how many of things stuff like asphalt shingles have prevented over the years. We live and learn. And some died for us to learn.

 

[BrotherBart]

I wonder what a new thatch roof costs nowadays? I hope it is not $5,000 like the asphalt shingle roof!

Send me the phone number of your roofer. The quote I have is twenty grand.

 

[firefighterjake]

Not to worry, Ben Franklin is dispatching an adjuster as we speak..........................................

Love it. Somebody actually knows where insurance started! Invented the stove and then the product to insure you against what happened with it.

As to the OP. Everybody that bitches about building codes should look at this and think about how many of things stuff like asphalt shingles have prevented over the years. We live and learn. And some died for us to learn.

Looks like this wasn't the first time there was a fire at Plymouth -- granted it was 388 years ago . . . (From South Placer Fire District web site)

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Fire prevention activities actually predate the creation of organized fire departments in the United States. Fire was a constant threat to early European settlements in America. Major fires struck in Jamestown, Virginia in 1608 and Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623.

Fire regulations in the early years primarily affected the construction, height, and maintenance of chimneys. The carrying of hot coals from fireplaces to fireplace was also a constant source of large blazes. Wooden building construction aggravated the situation.

Boston banned smoking paraphernalia in 1638. Ten years later, Peter Stuyvesant forbade the use of wood or plaster chimneys in New Amsterdam (New York City). Stuyvesant also appointed four fire wardens who served without pay. They inspected chimneys and patrolled for fire hazards. They also accessed large fines for carelessness. The fines were used to buy firefighting buckets, ladders, and hooks.

Arson was a problem then as now. A rash of arson fires prompted Boston to pass legislation in 1652 that imposed punishments of flogging or death for convicted arsonists.

Besides inspections of chimneys, fire wardens also preformed fire watch duties in many cities. Patrolling the streets at night, they would use large “rattles†to summons assistance and notify the city of a fire.
Ben Franklin, the father of the organized volunteer fire service, also was an early supporter of fire prevention. His words, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,†are famous. In addition to inventing the efficient and safe “Franklin stove,†he also was a proponent of chimney cleaning and the proper handling of burning Materials.

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Darn government with all their rules and regulations . . . banning wooden chimneys . . . I tell you it's an infringement on my rights . . . if I want to build my chimney out of wood I think I should have that right . . .

OK, back to our regularly scheduled program before this thread winds up going right sideways into the Ash Can . . .