Heavy timber generally takes longer to ignite, and longer to reach temperatures that can give rise to rapid fire events like flashover. It also tends to be mor

Heavy timber generally takes longer to ignite, and longer to reach temperatures that can give rise to rapid fire events like flashover. It also tends to be more structurally sound under fire conditions than regular wood construction or plastics. It has a whole NFPA building type classification to itself (Type IV), and from a firefighting perspective can be safer to work in. That said, because it lasts longer, it can reach higher temperatures when it does become fully involved (maybe that'll help with your first thought ;-) ). It's also nowhere near as fire-safe as Type I fire resistant structures made from concrete and protected steel, materials modern hospitals are traditionally constructed from.