Lots of talk these days about building taller buildings with engineered wood beams...In 2008, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) conducted a study comparing traditional wood materials found in older homes with unprotected, lightweight construction. The UL report, "Structural Stability of Engineered Lumber in Fire Conditions," indicated that that the unprotected, lightweight construction assembly collapsed in six minutes versus the 18-and-a-half minutes it took for the "legacy materials" to collapse.
http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org/advocacy-tools/for-builders/fire-dangers-of-modern-building-materials-and-furnishings.aspx