I remember our new middle school (back when I was in middle school) was brand new. And most kids have a (non-serious) fantasy about their school burning down, but it almost entirely made of painted cement blocks.Cement, I think can be burned/charred if say you hold a blowtorch/flamethrower to it, or douse it with gasoline and ignite it, but I don't think it can catch fire and have it spread like wood can. I know the twin towers collapsed but that was because an plane flew into them. It was the engine fuel that burned it. For a fire to catch and spread and become really strong, it needs some decent food/combustible fuel like wood to get a strong fire going.
Many concrete or steel structures use wooden supports in various ways, most importantly as roof or floor trusses. These can fail within minutes of a serious fire breaking out, which is why many jurisdictions require they be clearly marked for firefighter safety. Also, as mentioned, the contents of most schools are ordinary fuels that include combustible wood, cloth, paper of various kinds, not to mention synthetic plastics (carpets, wiring, furniture stuffing) and coatings (paints), all of which could make a fuel load sufficient to burn the place down. Unlike the popular myth, steel structures are very unlikely to melt (at less than 2,500 F), but steel under stress will easily DEFORM when heated, including the temperatures reached by burning jet fuel and routinely found in fully-involved structure fires.
no, but the things inside the building will burn up. concrete doesn't burn, but intense heat can make the mortar crumble.
While the building itself may not burn, all of the things you need to make if a functioning school can. All the electrical systems, books, papers, furnishings and whatnot will burn and make a terrible mess, and their absence will be inconvenient to say the least.
Cement/concrete and metal are not combustible. The problem is that things inside the building can burn and make toxic gases that will kill you.
Whilst cement and metal can't burn the heat from the fire will cause the materials to weaken and then generally buildings collapse because they can't support their own weight.
