Container Houses Are Prone to Fire

Container houses indeed pose a high risk of fire, primarily due to multiple hazards related to materials, structure, and usage management.

I. Material Hazards as the Main Cause of Fires
To reduce costs, some container houses use flammable materials such as polystyrene and polyurethane foam as core materials. These materials have poor fire resistance and can be ignited by sources such as electrical welding sparks, cigarette butts, and even high-temperature oil residues. For example, a fire broke out at a construction site in Tianjin Binhai New Area due to high-temperature oil residue discarded in a trash can of a color-steel-plate house; the fire at a nursing home in Pingdingshan, Henan, was caused by poor electrical contact igniting polystyrene color-steel plates, resulting in 39 deaths. When burned, these materials also release toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, exacerbating the risk of casualties.

II. Structural Characteristics Exacerbate Fire Spread
Although the metal structure of container houses is sturdy, its strong enclosure leads to heat accumulation, and the internal temperature may be much higher than the ambient temperature. Flammable core materials will melt, deform, and drip at 80°C, forming "flowing fires" that ignite surrounding combustibles. For example, in a container house fire in Linping District, Hangzhou, the fire quickly spread to cash and documents inside the house; a fire in a Langfang industrial park started due to an electrical switch failure igniting weeds and then spread to container houses. In addition, when containers are stacked or densely arranged, fires can easily spread to adjacent units through ventilation holes and door gaps.

III. Usage Management Loopholes Amplify Risks

1. Electrical Hazards: Problems such as unauthorized wiring, overloaded power strips, and aging electrical lines are common. The fire at a building materials store in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, was caused by an electrical circuit fault, and the hidden danger remained undetected for a long time due to illegal power transfer.
2. Lack of Fire Protection Facilities: Some container houses are not equipped with fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, or other equipment, or do not have fire separations, making it impossible to handle fires promptly in the early stages.
3. Blocked Escape Routes: Clutter at the door of container houses and insufficient safety distances (such as not maintaining a 6-meter gap) can hinder personnel evacuation. In the Zhaoqing fire, three employees died because the escape route was blocked.
4. Illegal Occupancy: When container houses are used as dormitories or office spaces, if they are not effectively separated from business and storage areas, the fire load and the risk of casualties will increase significantly.

IV. Risks in Special Scenarios Add Up
During thunderstorm seasons, if container houses are located near high-voltage transmission towers, lightning strikes may cause electrical wires to catch fire; containers loaded with dangerous goods such as lithium batteries and chemicals are prone to explosion under high temperatures or impacts, resulting in three-dimensional fires.