I realize this is an ancient post… but, I cannot help myself.

A *house fire* can get hot enough to turn structural steel to taffy. I’ve literally seen an i-beam used to support a roof section, in the wreckage of a burnt building, draped down the walls and resting on the floor. It was still supported by the walls at either end, at ceiling height, but it was resting on the floor for most of the width of the room.

(This is also how blacksmithing works, BTW, and everyone knows: jet fuel burns hotter than coal.)