Published: 14.05.25
A new study shows that timber construction is popular – both because of its aesthetics and its green profile. However, many people perceive timber buildings as being less fire-safe than those made from concrete, brick, or steel. But what are these perceptions based on? And could public perception become a barrier to increased timber construction?
We use wood for firewood. We have heard of major historical city fires from the days of wooden buildings. And we all know the fairy tale of the three little pigs who built houses out of straw and sticks, which were easily blown down. So yes, our attitudes toward timber construction can arise from many different sources.
A new study conducted by, among others, Leo Menzemer, Master of Fire Safety Engineering and PhD student at DBI, shows that people generally have quite positive feelings about timber buildings. Timber is perceived as an aesthetic and sustainable material that signals nature, health, and well-being. On the other hand, the perception is that construction using concrete, brick, and steel is more stable, more durable, and more fire-safe than timber construction. And the taller the building, the safer concrete, brick, and steel structures feel in comparison to timber buildings.
The study is based on 323 online survey responses and 28 interviews. The participants are predominantly from Denmark and Sweden, but a smaller number also come from outside Scandinavia, including the UK and the US.
“Culture and local building traditions play a role in people’s responses. In order to place the study in a Danish context, we aimed for participants from our own part of the world. At the same time, it was crucial that respondents didn’t have a background in fire safety engineering, as the study attempts to capture the opinions of the general public rather than the professionals in the field ” says Leo Menzemer.
Although the study shows a perception of timber construction as being more prone to fire than concrete, brick, and steel construction, there is also strong trust in the professionals involved in the building process. This trust applies both to the experts’ ability to manage risks through safe design and fire strategies, and to the authorities’ control and approval procedures.
“Generally, people expressed trust that qualified professionals are involved in construction projects, that the necessary inspections are carried out, and that everything is in order – even if they are not familiar with the technical side. Still, they don’t feel as safe in timber buildings as in other types of construction, and recognize diffuse risks” says Leo Menzemer, and elaborates:
“For this reason, some people mentioned that they would be more likely to think about fire safety in timber buildings and take easy measures to feel safe, like familiarizing themselves with evacuation plans and mentally rehearsing potential emergency response.”
According to Leo Menzemer, it is important not to downplay the challenges associated with timber construction.
“As professionals, we have a responsibility to acknowledge both challenges and solutions in timber construction, and not downplay challenges involved with certain materials, as this can lead to neglecting associated risk and lead to unsafe buildings. It is no use claiming that wood doesn’t burn – because it does. If we trivialize the risks, we create risks and become untrustworthy, and then people lose trust in us,” says Leo Menzemer, and emphasizes:
“Instead, we should speak openly about the fire risks related to timber buildings, while making it clear what knowledge we have about which solutions to mitigate fire risks. When we communicate with the public, we need to explain why the buildings are safe to use, but we must do so without getting lost in technical details.”
This type of research is relevant because the building sector accounts for more than one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. That makes it necessary to find more climate-friendly building materials, and one of the most promising solutions is timber.
“Some timber supporters argue that timber is hard to ignite and burns in a predictable way due to forming a protective char layer. However, fire experts criticize such oversimplifications of the material’s behavior, and point out that timber has potential to burn and increase growth of fire. Fire safety is, in other words, a highly debated topic in timber construction and can become a barrier to its wider use,” says Leo Menzemer, and continues:
“In addition, there are regulatory limitations that can be a stumbling block for using timber in high-rise buildings. Many countries, including Denmark, have strict fire safety regulations, which can limit the use of wood as a load-bearing material on a large scale. In many places, the use of timber is still mainly limited to low-rise and residential buildings.”
There is a growing focus on finding bio-based solutions in construction, also at a global level. But there is still a lack of knowledge about timber-based solutions and experience with timber design. That is why it is essential to examine what is needed to increase the share of timber construction in our building stock. In fact, today many people are lacking the option to choose bio-based housing due to current availability and affordability.
“We need legislation that makes timber construction feasible without becoming prohibitively expensive. But we also need better communication about fire safety, more knowledge about the fire properties of wood, as well as the development of effective fire safety strategies that will make people be and feel safe in timber buildings. These factors can help increase public perception of timber buildings and perhaps influence future material choices in construction,” says Leo Menzemer, and concludes:
“We hope that our study can contribute to a better understanding of people’s perception of fire risks and thus help explain their behavior. Decision-makers and other public stakeholders should recognize that the general public has less need for in-depth technical knowledge about the fire properties of wood, and instead focuses on aspects that demonstrate the safety of buildings at the system level. We need to look at the entire building as an integrated system and take a holistic approach to fire safety, where we utilize the potential of a wide range of different fire protection measures,” says Leo Menzemer.
Read Leo Menzemer’s scientific article: Public perception of fire safety and risk of timber buildings
