Fire separation - what's the deal?

How often do we read of fires in an apartment complex that quickly spreads to multiple units?

Many times, this is unavoidable. After all, for a structure to share walls, floors, and ceilings between units. it's common sense that a fire could and should spread between units.

However, what you may not know is that many fires start, or spread fastest, through the attic area of a structure. 
This is caused by several factors - open areas in an attic in an enclosed space, sometimes with high temps, ample oxygen, etc. 
The opportunity for the fire to spread can be mitigated to some extent by fire separation.
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In a nutshell:
The purpose of an area separation fire wall is to separate multifamily units into distinct, structurally independent fire areas. Area separation walls are non-load-bearing, fire-rated gypsum board assemblies that are attached to framing on both sides of the wall with aluminum breakaway clips. During a fire, the clips will melt allowing for the collapse of the fire-exposed unit without causing failure of the adjacent building unit and leaving its occupants safe from fire.

Does your residence have these materials installed in this manner?

Don't wait - it may be prudent to have your home inspected to prevent a possible catastrophe!

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