Fire

Fire

       Recent droughts and wildfires have made a deep impression on residents of the West and the State of Florida, again reminding us that parched and combustible materials are effectively kindling for fires in open lands, neighborhoods, and homes. A fire resistant roof is essential in fighting this danger. The majority of house fires start and stay inside the home, but many spread to adjacent buildings after the roof itself catches fire. These fires may be caused by sparks from nearby sources and occasionally even by errant July 4th fireworks but, most fire concerns are associated with forest wild fires.

The following map suggests areas most susceptible to wildfires - those near forested lands. Use it to estimate the wildfire risk to your project.

Approximately 33% or 745 million acres of U.S. lands is forested. Increasingly, homes are being built in and around these forested areas, increasing the likelihood of homes being damaged or destroyed by forest or grassland wildfires. Typically, over 100,000 structures each year are threatened by wildfires in the U.S.

United States Wildland Fires
Number of Fires (2003)	85,943
10-year Average (1993-2002)	101,575
Acres Burned (2003)	4,918,088
10-year Average (1993-2002)	4,663,081
Structures Burned (4,090 residences, 51 commercial buildings, 1,640 outbuildings)	5,781

Roofing materials are rated for fire resistance on the basis of an industry standard test by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Fire ratings under UL 790 testing protocol are granted at one of three levels: Class A, B, or C. In some cases, products are not fire rated, as they cannot meet even Class C criteria. Class A is the highest rating a product can receive. Testing is accomplished by measuring the resistance to penetration and spread of flame of a representative test deck. The Class A rating indicates that the product has equaled the testing industry’s most stringent fire resistance standard, and is the best measure of how the roof will perform in severe fire conditions.
Class A fire listed roofing may be required by local building or fire codes and is generally required if the building is in or adjacent to forested land.

Ce·Dur AND FIRE

       The current Ce·DUR certification from UL is a Class A fire listing when the product is installed to ENDUR•ALL guidelines. The Ce·DUR Shake Class A system rating is accomplished through the use of fire resistant underlayment, the best being Versa Shield (a roll-on product by Elk Roofing weighing 42 pounds per 100 square feet) when installed to ENDUR•ALL specifications. Other acceptable fire resistant underlayments are:
          -Georgia-Pacific’s ¼ inch Dens-Deck® (110 pounds per 100 square feet,
            in addition to the weight of the necessary roofing felt)
          -½ inch Type X fire rated gypsum board (220 pounds per 100 square feet,
            in addition to the weight of the necessary roofing felt).
These products, when used in conjunction with Ce·DUR Shakes, also provide a Class A roof system.

A Ce•DUR Shake roof will not burn due to flame from above or below, thereby providing both a barrier to resist the spread of fire, and a shield to resist the invasion of fire, as illustrated by this simple test.

View a summary of fire resistance of popular
roofing products.

Propane torch at 1400° F
for 2 minutes

ENDUR•ALL Technologies, Inc., 6200 So. Syracuse Way, Suite 125, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303-670-0774