Trumpy: Understand your concerns extremely well, being a retired firefighter myself. Wasn't able to get into the structure to do any close up examination as the fire department had released the scene prior to my being made aware of the event. The fire department policy is to contact the on call building official and get a judgment call on the structural before they leave the scene. I generally am the last call if they can't find anyone else. In the years that I was with the fire service we would never have left a structure until we were assured that it was being secured, but that was then and things seem to be handled differently now. I get more information from the local newspaper than I do from my own departments. Nuff said. The roof looked straight and from what I could see there wasn't any deep char on the studs or roof members so I would say this house came out extremely well considering. In cases where the char is light and there is no structural problems I have seen the wood coated to seal in any odor and just the damaged areas repaired. If there is any doubt, a structural engineer is required to make the call. Biggest problem I have found is when the building division isn't involved the structure may be repaired, without permit by unlicensed contractors, and will never be inspected. For that reason, the utility companies become our most valuable assets when they require a city clearance prior to restoring the gas or electrical, and it gives us a heads up on what is going on.
