Container Houses Cannot Burn Fire Randomly

Container houses cannot burn fire randomly as they pose significant fire safety hazards.

1. High Flammability of Materials Some container houses use flammable materials such as polyurethane and polystyrene to fill the panel cores in order to reduce costs. These materials have low ignition points and poor flame resistance. They will immediately catch fire when exposed to high-temperature sparks, short-circuited wire droplets, or open flames. Moreover, their honeycomb structure increases the contact area with air, leading to intense combustion. For example, on February 24, 2025, a fire broke out in a container shack in Linping District, Hangzhou, destroying 150,000 yuan in cash stored by the owner. Although the cause of the fire is under investigation, the high flammability of such materials increases the risk of fire.

2. Rapid Combustion and Spread Once flammable materials catch fire, they will melt, deform, and drip at 80℃, and the drippings will trigger more severe combustion, causing the fire to spread rapidly. On January 11, 2018, a fire broke out in a container mobile home in Binhai New Area, Tianjin, covering an area of 10 square meters. Two men were trapped and died despite rescue efforts, highlighting the lethal nature of rapid fire spread.

3. Poor Fire Resistance and Susceptibility to Collapse Container houses are mostly supported by steel structures. During a fire, the temperature in the fire scene can reach 800-1000℃, far exceeding the critical temperature of 500℃ at which steel structures lose their static balance stability. Under load-bearing conditions, the exposed steel structure will quickly deform, causing local damage and leading to the overall collapse of the building. Ordinary container houses generally lose their load-bearing capacity and collapse within about 10 minutes after a fire, which is not conducive to personnel evacuation and material rescue.

4. Difficulty in Fire Extinguishment After a fire breaks out, the fire spreads rapidly, and container houses are prone to collapse in a short time. The collapsed houses are wrapped in iron sheets, making it difficult for firefighting water guns to shoot water inside, greatly increasing the difficulty of firefighting and rescue work.

5. Difficulty in Escape for Trapped Persons Both polystyrene and polyurethane emit thick black smoke when burning, and toxic smoke accumulates inside the room, making it difficult for trapped persons to survive and prone to casualties.