We are in the early stages of building our next home and want it to be as sustainable as possible and built from timber. But we are concerned that timber is a fire hazard. There is a common misunderstanding that timber construction is more susceptible to fire than other building materials. The cause of most domestic fires is electrical faults or people, such as smoking or kitchen accidents — fires very rarely start in the structure. The fact is that all materials have some vulnerability to fire, for example, steel softens and concrete explodes. The key therefore is to protect the structure to ensure that the building retains its integrity to enable inhabitants to escape and allow time for fire fighters to deal with the blaze.