While I agree that obviously wood as a building material burns a bit better than cement, a lot can be done prior to the fire ever reaching any wood constructions. Wooden houses are the norm where we're at the moment, currently in fact living in a house that above the foundation is completely out of wood (aside from the firewall for the fireplace), and this house is close to being 100 years old. As I know the history of the house, I know that aside from a bit of paint for the outside wall, nothing has been done aside from renewing electricity and plumbing over the years. One benefit of wooden construction is that it "lives". If anything happens in the ground, a house built from concrete develops cracks while a wooden construction simply adjusts to the new state. Obviously with limits, but still.
Near us, there are also museum-like buildings, also made completely out of wood (above the foundation), that are indeed hundreds of years old, with minimal maintenance required. Once it's properly built, it lasts.