After visiting a burned out apartment yesterday, I decided to post this video that I recently found. This is an interesting test to show differences in wood truss framing and traditional stick framing. This highlights the importance of fire stops and firewalls in buildings. Limiting the fire's access to certain portions of the structure can greatly impact the overall fire resistance.
I can say that I was impressed with the wood performance at the apartment complex I visited. As you can see above, several studs were burned through and no longer supporting the top plate. The top plate was also severely charred. The trusses were still in place. I would not recommend being in the area without shoring the trusses, but at least they did not fall.
