It can take less than a minute for a small flame to grow into a major fire. Residents generally have about two minutes to escape before the smoke becomes too dangerous to breathe. Within four to five minutes, house fires spread so rapidly that they can be seen from the street.
Fires burn faster than they used to because of modern plastics and synthetic materials, according to Underwriters Laboratories. Forty years ago, your house might burn down in the amount of time it takes to watch an episode of “The Office.” These days, a house can burn down in the time it takes to watch Keith Urban’s “For You” music video — about four and a half minutes.