Fire safety during construction of multi-storey wood buildings is a major concern for developers, insurers, and the fire service. This is particularly true for mid-rise buildings (up to six storeys), taller buildings approved through Alternative Solutions, and potentially Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC) buildings proposed up to 12 storeys for the 2020 National Building Code of Canada . These taller and larger wood buildings have unique fire risks during construction; it is important to understand these risks to be able to mitigate them. Fire safety during construction has historically been a difficult issue to address, since building code regulations apply to the completed structure and do not necessarily need to be met during the construction phase. Although prefabrication of timber elements is expediting construction timelines and reducing fire hazards on site, there is still a critical timeframe during construction when wood elements are exposed. Advanced fire detection methods are needed on these sites, in particular before other active fire protection systems are installed. The earlier a fire is detected, the greater the opportunity the fire service has to extinguish it before it is able to spread.