Fire safety in buildings is determined by a number of factors: the provisions of means of escape in case of fire, the ability for a building to resist the effects of fire and to minimize the spread of fire and smoke and the provision of means of access to enable firefighters to effect rescue and fight fire.

Common fire hazards

• Improper use and poor maintenance of gas stoves often create fire hazards.
• Kitchen fires from unattended cooking, grease fires/chip pan fires
• Electrical systems that are overloaded, poorly maintained or defective
• Combustible storage areas with insufficient protection
• Combustibles near equipment that generates heat, flame, or sparks
• Candles and other open flames
• Smoking (Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, lighters, etc.)
• Equipment that generates heat and utilizes combustible materials
• Flammable liquids and aerosols
• Flammable solvents (and rags soaked with solvent) placed in enclosed trash cans
• Fireplace chimneys not properly or regularly cleaned
• Cooking appliances – stoves, ovens
• Heating appliances – fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, furnaces, boilers, portable heaters, solid fuels
• Household appliances – clothes dryers, curling irons, hair dryers, refrigerators, freezers, boilers
• Chimneys that concentrate creosote
• Electrical wiring in poor condition
• Leaking/ defective batteries
• Personal ignition sources – matches, lighters
• Electronic and electrical equipment
• Exterior cooking equipment – barbecue

Fire Safety Code

In the United States, the fire code (also fire prevention code or fire safety code) is a model code adopted by the state or local jurisdiction and enforced by fire prevention officers within municipal fire departments. It is a set of rules prescribing minimum requirements to prevent fire and explosion hazards arising from storage, handling, or use of dangerous materials, or from other specific hazardous conditions. It complements the building code. The fire code is aimed primarily at preventing fires, ensuring that necessary training and equipment will be on hand, and that the original design basis of the building, including the basic plan set out by the architect, is not compromised. The fire code also addresses inspection and maintenance requirements of various fire protection equipment in order to maintain optimal active fire protection and passive fire protection measures.

A typical fire safety code includes administrative sections about the rule-making and enforcement process, and substantive sections dealing with fire suppression equipment, particular hazards such as containers and transportation for combustible materials, and specific rules for hazardous occupancies, industrial processes, and exhibitions.

Sections may establish the requirements for obtaining permits and specific precautions required to remain in compliance with a permit. For example, a fireworks exhibition may require an application to be filed by a licensed pyrotechnician, providing the information necessary for the issuing authority to determine whether safety requirements can be met. Once a permit is issued, the same authority (or another delegated authority) may inspect the site and monitor safety during the exhibition, with the power to halt operations, when unapproved practices are seen or when unforeseen hazards arise.

“Stop, drop, and roll” is a fire safety mantra that has probably been drilled into your head since elementary school. While that is great advice with some truth to it, fire safety is a bit more complicated than those three simple actions. Fire safety is more than just what you do in the moment, and it requires prior planning and prevention measures, especially when you live in an apartment. According to the American Red Cross, once a fire has been detected by a smoke detector, an apartment resident has two minutes or less to safely escape.

Escape Plan

Arguably the most important part of fire safety is knowing where to go to get to safety. Make an escape plan that includes the locations of every possible exit route in your condo, be it the front door or a designated fire escape. Check to see if the owner of your building has designated a meeting place for tenants in the event of a fire. If not, choose a suitable location with your household. Once you’ve planned your escape routes and meeting place, gather your household and practice getting out of your apartment via all of your planned exit routes as quickly as possible once or twice a year.

It’s also important to think through everything you might need to remember in an emergency. For instance, make sure each member of your household knows the number of the fire department, including young children, so that they can call for help once they escape. If there are very young children or disabled or elderly people living with you, make sure someone is assigned to help them so that no one is left behind.

In a high-rise building, it may be safer to stay in place when a fire strikes, depending on your exit options. If this is your situation, stay close to a window to get air and to signal your location to emergency responders. Lay down towels or duct tape over the door seals and vents to prevent smoke from seeping into your apartment.

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The fire began due to pressurization of fluid leaking from a hydraulic line. The leak, in combination with heat, caused immediate vapor and flames. This ignition transpired into heavy smoke making it a serious hazard very quickly. When workers attempted to escape they realized that the designated fire escapes were blocked and the doors were locked. It was common for the doors to the facility to be locked during working hours, but this often made the workers uncomfortable.

Upon further research, it was discovered that Imperial Foods had been in business 11 years without a proper inspection. The federal government was blamed at first for not enforcing the building codes and standards.

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Downtown has experienced an unprecedented development boom over the past two decades, with new high-rise residential and commercial developments ushering in a new era of the Central City.

The historic Herald Examiner Building is expected to be ready for Arizona State University students by late 2020.

(photo by Gary Leonard)

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