Why are house structures in US/Canada made of wood?
Wood is readily available, cheaper and most people who build houses are experienced in working with wood. People in all countries build with what is plentiful in their area. You don’t see a lot of wooden structures in certain areas of Africa because there is simply very little there. At one time in the Southwest US houses were made from adobe bricks because there was a limited supply of wood. If properly constructed a wooden house is more resistant to earthquakes than brick or stone houses. They can also stand up to hurricanes quite well. I once lived in a wood frame house in New Orleans that had been standing for over a 100 years and I am sure had seen a dozen hurricanes or more. It was hit by three during the time my family lived in it. If a tornado hits, it doesn’t matter if the house is wood or brick. Chances are there will be serious damage in either case. As others have said. Fire kills because of smoke from the interior furnishings more often than from the structure burning down
