Encyclopedia of fire safety

Causes of fires in public buildings. Fire safety measures in residential buildings and hostels. Fire in nature

IN residential And public buildings fire mainly occurs due to a malfunction of the electrical network and electrical appliances, gas leakage, ignition of electrical appliances left unattended under voltage, careless handling and pranks of children with fire, the use of faulty or home-made heating appliances left behind open doors furnaces (stoves, fireplaces), the release of burning ash near buildings, carelessness and negligence in handling fire.

Researchers completed detailed analysis results and determined the characteristics that will form the basis of a computer model for modeling typical fires. Code designers and authorities will also be able to use the myriad data created to better understand the impact of fires on various aspects of housing.

The results of the study also provided quantitative data on the combustible loads of residential buildings, as well as the growth rate, intensity and duration of fires. Commonly used calculation methods to determine variables such as total opening time, maximum heat release rate supported by a given window size, peak temperature, and fire duration were also evaluated in light of the results of this study, and recommendations were made for improvement when necessary. .

Causes of fires in public enterprises most often are:

  • violations committed in the design and construction of buildings and structures;
  • failure to comply with elementary measures fire safety production personnel and careless handling of fire;
  • violation of fire safety rules of a technological nature during the operation of an industrial enterprise (for example, during welding work), as well as during the operation of electrical equipment and electrical installations;
  • involvement in manufacturing process faulty equipment.

Spread the fire on the industrial enterprises contribute to:

Researchers will use the results of the project to develop, in collaboration with industry and code bodies, more robust methods for calculating key fire properties such as temperature. The next potential phase of the project is under preparation and will take into account other types of buildings such as high-rise buildings and better assess the contribution of structural fuel loads.

Development of a realistic fire scenario

For getting additional information about this project, please contact Mr. This project demonstrates the complexity of planning, installing and running realistic fire experiments when there are so many parameters at stake. The researchers started by looking at fuel equipment commonly found in homes; this study was followed by computer simulations to help design realistic experiments and better understand the implications of various parameters.

  • accumulation of a significant amount of combustible substances and materials in production and storage areas;
  • the presence of paths that create the possibility of the spread of flame and combustion products to adjacent installations and adjacent rooms;
  • the sudden appearance in the process of a fire of factors that accelerate its development;
  • belated detection of a fire and reporting it to the fire department;
  • lack or malfunction of stationary and primary means of extinguishing a fire;
  • improper actions of people when extinguishing a fire.

Spread of fire in residential buildings most often occurs due to fresh air providing an additional supply of oxygen ventilation ducts through windows and doors. That is why it is not recommended to break glass in the windows of a burning room and leave the doors open.

An initial series of 36 experiments were carried out on an individual setting in a 16m2 room simulating a standard bedroom to determine the combustion characteristics of the setting commonly found in living spaces in residential buildings that have high level fires. The researchers then used these results to design and run 14 highly structured, full-scale experiments in a ground floor or first floor test facility. apartment building with a floor area of ​​about 48 m2.

This facility has tested various configurations of fully furnished rooms that mimic the characteristics of bedrooms, living rooms, main floor, accessories and rooms in residential institutions. His dynamism is a source of wonder. Visitors from all over the world are going to visit the giant slaughterhouse that has made its reputation, as well as its skyscrapers that are beginning to be copied in other American cities. It is hard to imagine that sixty years ago Chicago was a small village of 330 inhabitants. This impressive growth is not always well received.

In order to fire and explosion warnings to preserve life and property, it is necessary to:

  • Avoid storing flammable and combustible liquids, as well as self-igniting and explosive substances in the house. Available small amounts should be kept in tightly closed containers, away from heating appliances, do not subject to shaking, shock, spill.
  • Special care must be taken when using household chemicals, do not throw them into the garbage chute.
  • It is forbidden to store furniture, combustible materials on landings, clutter up attics and basements, arrange pantries in niches of sanitary cabins, and collect waste paper in waste bins.
  • It is not recommended to install electric heaters near combustible objects.
  • Switches, plugs and sockets for power supply and electrical appliances must be maintained in good working order.
  • It is forbidden to overload the electrical network, leave the switched on electrical appliances unattended; when repairing the latter, they should be disconnected from the network.

By following these conditions, you can prevent the possibility of a fire!

Some, like writers Upton Sinclair and Theodore Dreiser, attribute this to the immorality of their inhabitants. Long before Al Capone, Chicago was associated with an image of corruption. The image of Chicago is inseparable from the great fire of October 8th. This is not the first time that a large city has suffered a major disaster. However, this does not mean that spirits are Chicago fire. This event is indeed so significant that it gives rise to a rich literature. Two months after this disaster, the first book written by journalists Elias Colbert and Everett Chamberlin is dedicated.

2.1.1. Territory educational institution must be kept clean at all times. All garbage, waste, etc. should be collected in specially designated areas and systematically removed.

2.1.2. Drives and entrances to all buildings and structures, fire water sources, as well as access to fire equipment and equipment must always be free. Fire gaps between buildings and structures are not allowed to be used for storing materials, equipment, packaging containers and for parking motor vehicles.

Looking for the cause of the fire

Even today, the fire in Chicago is being studied, as evidenced by the scientific writings of Christina Rosen and Ross Miller. What is the share of myths and reality? What do these myths say about how the city is trying to bring back this disaster? This question is all the more important as Chicago has struggled to conquer the top of the American urban hierarchy in front of the old East Coast urban centers. It quickly spread from the southwest side to the northeast of the city. Firefighters can't get through the blaze that destroys everything on the way to Fullerton Avenue.

2.1.3. The closure of certain sections of roads or driveways for their repair (or for other reasons) that impede the passage of fire trucks must be immediately notified to the fire brigade.

For the period of road repair, detour direction signs should be installed in appropriate places or crossings through the repaired sections should be arranged using road signs used in these cases.

Two days later, when the fire is finally under control, the situation is catastrophic. All of East Chicago is reduced to 800 acres of ash. Numerous buildings that were the pride of the people of Chicago, such as the Palmer House, Opera theatre, The Chamber of Commerce or the state street's elegant shops have disappeared. Some very rare structures such as the water tower and pumping station North Michigan Avenue, withstood the flames. Property damage is estimated at $250 million.

They are so big that 58 insurance companies went bankrupt. The human record is also terrible. Three hundred people die in the fire, and a quarter of the city's residents are left homeless. The municipal authorities set up an official commission of inquiry. When she does her work, the local papers are on cutting edge. They are on the front line to cover the event. Indeed, the development of American cities is closely related to the development of the press. It is both information and a tool to advance the land and the economy, and thrives with the city.

2.1.4. The construction of temporary buildings and structures on the territory of the educational institution, as a rule, is not allowed. In some cases, such construction must be agreed with the authorities of the State Fire Supervision.

2.1.5. In areas of the territory where the accumulation of combustible vapors or gases is possible, the passage of motor vehicles is prohibited. In these cases, appropriate signs (pointers) should be installed.

By extolling the virtues of the city, the newspaper helps attract new residents and investors. He is also a representative of the community whose passions he reflects. Its influence is growing because its moderate price gives it an important audience. He explains in detail that the disaster began in the stable of a certain Kate O'Leary. It started a fire by spilling a kerosene lamp. Mull, popularize this story. It is also said that Kate O'Leary is an alcoholic who set fire to revenge as she was hit on the city's welfare lists.

This woman is tracked by journalists and is curious. She has never been photographed, but newspapers publish pictures that are supposed to represent her milking up the famous DC. She refuses to be interviewed. Regardless, journalists come up with them. Indeed, most American newspapers are devoted to this event, like the New York World and the Milwaukee News. This may seem strange in a country where the press is essentially local and therefore focused on the problems of the inhabitants of the city where the newspaper is published.

2.1.6. It is forbidden to leave barrels with flammable and combustible liquids, cylinders with compressed and liquefied gases, empty barrels and cylinders, as well as make fires and throw away unextinguished coal and ash.

82. The main causes of fires in buildings

The main causes of fires in buildings with round-the-clock stay of people are human carelessness.

In fact, such coverage is related to the scale of the disaster. Not only do readers sympathize with the people of Chicago, they also feel uneasy because they live in cities that are very vulnerable to fires. Newspapers see this disaster as an opportunity to increase their circulation at a time when the press is very competitive. Newspapers are looking for a sensation that sells. These messages have significant implications for the catastrophe, particularly due to their apocalyptic tone. Still a month after the incident, Frederick Law Olmstead says that "those who survived the tragedy said they actually saw the world burn."

People sometimes forget to turn off household appliances (electric irons, electric stoves, electric boilers, etc.), especially the elderly.

The causes of fires are also:

    smoking in undesignated places,

    malfunction of electrical appliances,

    use of uncalibrated fuses,

    He is, however, a man of reputation for his reasonable and pragmatic mind. The impact of these articles is all the greater as the texts are complemented by photographs illustrating the scale of the disaster. They evoke such strong emotions that help flows from four corners of the country.

    Objective causes of the disaster

    Millionaires Jay Gould and William Vanderbilt organize relief trains for victims of natural disasters in New York. Undoubtedly, the Chicago fire was the first disaster to be treated in this way by the media. This does not mean that journalists offer an accurate analysis. Twenty-nine years after Michael Ahern admitted to a colleague of John Kelly that with two other journalists James Haney and John English he came up with the story of a cow with its foot to a lamp. The idea came to them because a lamp of broken kerosene was found in the middle of the wreckage of O'Leary's stable.

    the use of electrical wiring with broken insulation,

    making open flames near buildings,

    violation of the rules for storage of flammable substances, materials,

    flammable and combustible liquids,

    use of open fire gas burners And blowtorches when thawing frozen pipes heating systems and plumbing

    Recent research suggests that the incident was inadvertently caused by Daniel Sullivan, the man who shared the O'Leary family barn. However, it's undeniable that even if O'Leary's cow was the trigger for the fire, his intervention couldn't, on its own, destroy much of Chicago. There are other things to consider as well.

    Violence in the fire is explained primarily by meteorology. The people of Chicago are indeed the victims. natural elements. The flame is fanned strong wind blowing from the great plains. The timber frame that forms the basis of most homes is especially flammable due to drought. In fact, after three months, he fell only five centimeters of water.

    failure to comply with fire safety measures during electric welding,

    the use of flammable materials to decorate Christmas trees,

    during the new year holidays, lightning strikes in buildings that are not equipped with lightning protection, etc.

83. Primary fire fighting equipment

Buildings and premises must be provided primary means fire extinguishing. For their placement on the territory of enterprises, special shields are installed. The following manual fire equipment is placed on the shields: crowbars, hooks, axes, buckets. A box with sand and shovels, as well as a barrel of water with a capacity of 200-250 liters is installed next to the stand. Crowbars, hooks, axes must be well sharpened. The angle of sharpening the chamfer of crowbars and gaffs is recommended 65-70 degrees, axes - 45-50. In case of fire, crowbars, hooks, shovels, axes are used for disassembly wooden structures. A crowbar is introduced with a strong blow between the boards, after which, working with it, like a lever, they tear off the floor boards or partitions. If the fire has penetrated the interfloor ceiling, the plaster is beaten off with a gaff ring. An ax is used for cutting boards, structural elements, opening doors. The felt mat is designed to isolate the combustion source from air access. "The JIOT method is very effective, but it is used only in a small source of combustion. The burning object should be quickly covered with a felt mat, trying to better isolate it from air access and keep it until the combustion stops completely. To extinguish fires inside buildings, fire-fighting water pipes are used, equipped with fire hydrants. The fire hydrant has a fire hose (up to 20 m long) and a barrel. Approaches to fire hydrants must be free. The fire hose must be stored attached to the faucet and the barrel. The hose rolls into a roll (circle) or fits into an accordion. The cabinet for storing the fire hose should be closed from the outside with a latch and sealed. leaks in the faucet may be a malfunction of the stuffing box, the absence or wear of the gasket. the fire cock and the barrel has special nuts at both ends. For a tight connection, the nuts are equipped with rubber gaskets. The sleeves must be periodically cleaned of dust and rolled, changing the place of the longitudinal folds. Wet sleeves must be dried, but not in the sun. During operation, make sure that there are no frayed or torn fabrics on the sleeves. Fire extinguishers are reliable primary means of extinguishing fires before the arrival of fire departments. Fire extinguishers by type extinguishing agent are divided into chemical foam, air-foam, carbon dioxide, powder.

This lack of rainfall also leads to a significant reduction in the water supply for firefighters. natural causes, however, do not explain everything. They have a devastating effect because people have not provided themselves with the means to deal with large-scale fires. If the flames spread so quickly from building to building, the design code is weaker. We tried to make smallest plot land profitable, without taking into account the fire risks inherent in buildings that are too close together. Municipal officials did not want to issue too strict rules that would discourage potential investors.

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