Reducing the carbon footprint of construction involves the replacement of concrete and steel with timber. Thats a given. But, for the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS), the implications of this change are complex and far reaching. Yes wood burns, but the challenges stem from how it burns, how it loses strength under the action of heat, where it is in the building, whats attached to it, how it is used to form walls, ceilings and floors and, moreover, whether the fire service has sufficient resourcing, training and funding to be effective in this new era of public sector cuts.To enable and future-proof the greater use of timber, architects have a crucial role in strengthening overall building resilience through design. The phrase hope for the best, prepare for the worst seems apposite and, in future, when citing the FRS in building applications, architects might now have to court the intervention they would be seeking in the event of a fire by designing in features that will support the safety and effectiveness of the FRS.A good place to start is the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, freely downloadable from the website of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products. This provides a framework for designers of timber buildings to work to with the objective of ensuring not only that the delivered building supports FRS operations, but is insurable.AdvertisementThe Playbook promotes early and ongoing engagement with all stakeholders, including FRS, and promotes measures designed to keep the fire small, support safe access and building stability and resource firefighting operations by options that might include:Giving attention to fire service vehicle access and water provisionInstalling fire sprinklersDesigning to ensure the structure is built of non-combustible materials (concrete and steel), with dominant timber use in floor-plate infillSelecting to use non-combustible materials (concrete) in key areas such as in the building cores, ground floor and (eg) alternating floor platesProviding dry and wet risers (internal firefighting water supplies)It might seem counterintuitive but, by improving resilience, each of these measures helps to enable greater use of timber. So why is such an approach necessary when designing largely timber buildings?There are various reasons for this, including the fact that wood will be replacing materials that last significantly longer in a fire, the fact that several timber construction methods create combustible voids and that wood can smoulder for hours, or even days, often giving few signs of its presence.Unless these material and detailing differences arent specifically ameliorated by the architect, the risk is that fires will be more prevalent, larger and harder to tackle, with potentially less of the building remaining afterwards.Other factors involved in the transition to a net zero future energy generation and storage systems, and lithium battery-powered bikes and scooters, to name but a few may also compound the situation, changing not only the statistical likelihood of ignition but the aggressiveness of these fire-initiating events.AdvertisementIt will take just one or two significant fires in timber or largely timber buildings to destroy the reputation of construction methods that are much needed to save the planet. Theres a lot at stake.Dr James Glockling is the current chair of BSI FSH/16 Hazards to life from fire and a visiting professor at the University of Central Lancashire 2025-03-25will hurstcomment and share