Balloon frame homes were built with long, uninterrupted studs that run the full height of the structure. That means once fire gets into a wall cavity, it has a straight shot upward toward the attic. For firefighters, that changes everything. Venting, searching, and stretching lines in these buildings requires an understanding that conditions can deteriorate out of sight and out of reach.

A room-and-contents fire on the first floor can quickly turn into a full attic job if these voids aren’t identified early. When we understand the building, we control the fire. When we don’t, the fire controls us.

Key points of balloons frame to keep in mind:

Mostly used of light framing
Studs run full length of structure - sill to ratters
Floor joist rest on 1" x 4" ribbon set into studs
Less rigid than braced frame
Fire Operation Considerations:
Fire on upper floors could be resulted from deep seated basement fires.

Until next time, work hard, stay safe & live inspired.