A fire in any Tri-State home is going to cause some damage.
But in many newer homes, the damage may be worse than it would be in an older home.
"The previous buildings could have withstood a bomb going off. The new construction is just not built for that," Tom Lakamp, of the Cincinnati Fire Department, told News 5's Sheree Paolello.
The problem is that the structure of new homes burns more quickly and thoroughly than older homes, making it more dangerous for firefighters and home owners.
The reason? Newer homes are framed with manufactured wood.
"These are wood chips that have been glued together, using glue and resins which are flammable," Lakamp said.
It's cheaper and stronger than solid wood, which keeps the cost of a new house down and makes for a sturdier house than those built in the past.
The catch is that the manufactured wood burns faster.
"It's a good construction method for everyday use, but when you actually have a fire in there, that's when we're going have a problem," Lakamp said.
News 5 did an experiment with beams made of both types of wood, putting weight on the beams and setting them on fire.
After 29 minutes, under less-than-perfect fire conditions, the manufactured wood beam was burned through, while the solid wood beam was charred, but intact. Inside an enclosed home, the fire would burn much hotter and faster.
But if you want to buy a home today, odds are, it's got manufactured wood in it.
John Mamone, with the Home Builders Association, said there are many more factors involved in the safety of any given home than just the wood used to frame it.
"We are working under very stringent building codes, and we do everything to make sure these homes are well built and they meet every one of the building codes," he said.
And on the whole, homes are safer now than they used to be. Since 1960, the number of people killed in house fires has dropped 60 percent.
Mamone said newer safety requirements, such as improved heating and electrical systems, fire-blocking framing techniques and hardwired smoke detector and fire alarm systems, are helping to cut down on fatalities.
"The home itself is much safer," he said.
But firefighters say that when they have to fight a fire, the wood inside is one of their greatest concerns, for themselves and those living inside.
"The more mass you have, the more fire resistance you have and the more time you have. So, when you're going lighter and you have less mass, you're not going to have as much fire resistance," Lakamp said.
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