Towers windows break too easily

I don't think we can conclude that their cost-cutting included putting ordinary glass in it, that'd be crazy. I think the glass smashes easily just for dramatic reasons, not for realism.

Well, I don't know how often firefighters run into unbreakable windows in houses. Fortunately of course most houses don't end up burning so it never becomes an issue for most homeowners. But in addition to one or two personal experiences I know of a few fires in which I was not involved, where the same problem arose -- firefighters unable to break through hurricane windows.

It's actually pretty impressive that they can produce windows of such amazing strength. Since I'm in a coastal community literally right on the Atlantic I can understand the use of such windows in terms of storm protection, and FEMA regulations encourage the use of such windows. But the downside, and it's not an inconsiderable one, is the problem they pose in gaining entrance in a fire. The building I mentioned was actually a large market and the main window must have been 10 feet or more in length, obviously far larger than anything you'd find in most houses. But whatever the size as I said the only way to get into a building via such a window is to take a Sawzall and cut through the wood around the frame, removing the entire window and frame in one intact piece. As you'd guess this is a lengthy and cumbersome process not without its own hazards. In this case even the main doors had hurricane-proof glass and had to be removed whole to get in. Fortunately no one was inside, but we still needed to get inside to vent the smoke and knock down the fire.

I guess it's a matter of weighing the likelihood and damage potential of separate hazards. Clearly, you're more likely to be in a storm than a fire. On the other hand, which is worse -- having a glass window shatter in a storm, causing wind and water damage inside the building? Or having a fire that can burn longer and unchecked because access may be more difficult? Really, in either case you'll end up with some water damage, so that aspect seems moot. And you're more likely to be caught inside a burning house than in a hurricane, since presumably you'll have evacuated before the storm hit. (You can tell all this reflects my firefighter bias!)