Actually timber has a nice property of loosing strength gradually and slowly in case of fire, giving time for people to escape. Steel and concrete reinforced structures tend to collapse when a certain temperature is reached.
https://youtu.be/8XMTALBYRNA?t=40
https://youtu.be/LB9wwTmrMYA?t=15
Fireproofing steel beams has been practiced since the 1950s. (https://www.asbestos.com/products/fireproofing-fire-preventi...)