what is a fire resistive building?

Answer 1

A building of Type I or Type 11-222 construction in which the structural members, including walls, partitions, columns, floors, and roofs, are of noncombustible or limited combustible materials.

Some people feel safer in a fire resistive building, and from a statistical point of view they are right. Rapid spread of fire in a fire resistive building is rare.

However, in a residential situation the contents present the greatest contributor to danger of fire to the occupants of a unit. By the time a fire involves basic construction materials, the fire in the contents can have incapacitated occupants,or prevented their evacuation.

Answer 2

Brick, concrete, steel, plaster, drywall - building materials pretty much fire proof.
Enclosing the interior of a wooden structure with 3/4" drywall, for instance, or covering the rear of a commercial wok or multi-element stove with a sheet of stainless steel.
Installation of fire doors and other barriers to contain a fire.

Answer 3

One in which materials that would be damaged by heat are protected by materials that are not affected by fire: for example sheetrock panels over wood in residences and insulation over steel beams to keep them from softening.
Choices can also be made to reduce spread of fire including paint that either does not ignite or actively foams up to be protective and treatment for fabrics to prevent them from spreading fire.