When fire rages across a landscape, wood can go up in flames. But dirt does not burn, so some people are drawing inspiration from age-old earthen building methods to help create more fire-resilient homes.
Morey: “The blocks that I make are considered unfired earthen masonry, and we have been using this material for over 10,000 years.”
That’s Lisa Morey, owner and founder of a company called Nova Terra. She says much of the world continues to build with earth, but it’s rare for new buildings in the United States. So she’s trying to change that.
Her company manufactures compressed earthen bricks called EcoBlox. They’re made from sand and clay, mixed with lime for additional strength and water protection.
The blocks themselves cannot burn.
Morey: “So … for wildfires that we’re seeing of course more often now, the walls provide a lot better resistance.”
She says homes built with EcoBlox can also be more energy efficient. And creating the blocks themselves uses minimal energy and fuel.
So this modern take on an ancient building method can create homes that are better for the climate and less vulnerable to some of the impacts of a warming world.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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