Is Container House Fire Hazardous?

Container houses have a certain degree of fire hazard, and the level of danger is influenced by multiple factors such as materials, design, and usage methods. Here is a detailed analysis:

I. Poor fire resistance of the building structure, prone to collapse
The main structure of container houses is mostly made of steel. In a fire, the temperature in the fire scene can reach 800 - 1000℃, while steel structures lose their static balance stability at 500℃. Exposed steel structures will rapidly deform and suffer local damage under high temperatures, leading to the overall collapse of the building. Ordinary container houses may lose their load-bearing capacity within about 10 minutes after a fire, seriously hindering personnel evacuation and material rescue.

II. Flammable core materials, rapid fire spread
To reduce costs, some container houses use flammable materials such as polyurethane and polystyrene to fill the core of the panels. These materials have low ignition points and poor flame retardancy. When exposed to high-temperature sparks, electrical short circuits, or open flames, they will burn rapidly. Moreover, their honeycomb structure increases the contact area with air, resulting in intense combustion. For example, in the 2020 fire of a container-modified house in Langfang City, an electrical switch failure ignited weeds, and the fire quickly spread to the container storing electrical wires in the warehouse.

III. Narrow passageways, difficult evacuation
Some user units, in pursuit of usable area, do not reserve safety passageways that meet the standards and even occupy evacuation spaces to build container houses. Once a fire occurs, personnel evacuation is blocked, and it is extremely likely to cause stampedes or trapped accidents. For example, in the 2018 fire of container temporary houses in Tianjin Binhai New Area, two men died due to poor evacuation.

IV. Prominent electrical hazards
The phenomenon of unauthorized electrical wiring connections and the use of low-quality electrical appliances is common in container houses. For example, the 2025 fire of a container simple house in Linping District, Hangzhou was caused by an electrical wiring fault; the 2018 fire of a container on a construction site in Huadu District, Guangzhou was caused by kitchen embers igniting combustible materials. In addition, lightning strikes can also be a cause. For example, in 2024, a container in Jinjiang, Fujian was struck by lightning, which triggered an electrical wire fire.

V. Illegal storage of flammable and explosive materials exacerbates risks
Some container houses are used for the illegal storage of flammable and explosive materials such as fireworks and gas cylinders. Once an accident occurs, the consequences are unimaginable. For example, in the 2025 fire of a container in the Beian Economic Development Zone of Meizhou Bay, Guangdong, the seven boxes of fireworks and gas cylinders stored led to a rapid expansion of the fire.