Commercial fires are almost certain to make headlines. While structures, alarms, safety equipment and response times are far superior to those of just decades ago, commercial fires are still happen. What are the likely causes of these fires in commercial structures like offices, stores, hotels, warehouses and manufacturing plants?
Arson
Intentional fires, or arson are the fifth leading cause of fires in the United States. Fires of a suspicious nature are not necessarily arson. Read more
Just after 03:30 hours, Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion 1 companies were dispatched to a reported structure fire in 17’s first-in at the intersection of Long Beach Ave. x Washington Blvd.
E14 was first on-scene and unable to locate any signs of fire. Upon further investigation, E17 found an outside rubbish fire impinging on a 100 x 300 single-story commercial building on the 2700 blk. of S. Long Beach Ave. (14’s first-in), approximately half a mile south of the reported intersection.
Buildings are broken down into five categories (Types 1–5), ranging from the stoutest of construction to that which will most likely fail rapidly when under fire conditions. Each building type has specific characteristics that ladder companies must be familiar with so that they are able to ventilate the building in the safest and most efficient way possible.
A building is best identified during preplanning, but there are distinct features that will help firefighters identify the building type as they pull up on scene. There are also several diagnostic techniques that ladder companies can use when they’re up close and personal with a building.
The potential for extensive damage during a fire event is greatest when a building is under construction because it is largely unprotected. Code-required fire-suppression systems such as sprinklers and fire walls are typically nonexistent until a building is near completion. Regardless of the material used in a building’s construction, prolonged exposure to fire without mitigation can lead to structural weakness and potential collapse. However, a building does not spontaneously combust. Fires that occur during the construction process are most often attributable to human error, but in instances when a fire starts during a non-work timeframe, arson can also be a cause.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A huge fire at an apartment building under construction in suburban Kansas City has sparked fires at several homes blocks away.
The eight-alarm fire broke out about 3:30 p.m. Monday at the multimillion-dollar CityPlace development in Overland Park, Kansas, sending plumes of smoke and embers toward homes in the suburban neighborhood nearby, The Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/2nLM3Hg ).
NEVER IGNORE A FIRE ALARM! Your first reaction should be to grab your room keys, alert the people around you, and go.
In 1871, Chicago experienced a massive fire that forced the city to rebuild. However, this fire was not among the United States’ deadliest.
Wiping out properties, charring tracks of land, and killing up to thousands of people, these terrible fires are some of the most heartbreaking disasters to ever have hit the country. The causes behind these fires include natural means, arsonists, abandoned campfires, and electrical faults. However, the cause of some of the fires remains a mystery. A few of the fires stand out both for their size and the role in shaping the historical events in the country. Here are some of the worst fires in American history.
An explosion in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday caused a large fire that left 11 firefighters injured, authorities said.
Firefighters first received a call about 6:30 p.m. about a structure fire in the 300 block of Boyd Street south of Little Tokyo, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Read more
Smoke management is a term used to describe the methods implemented to passively or actively control the movement of smoke within the built environment in the interest of providing safety to occupants, fire fighters and property. Smoke management methods include compartmentation, dilution, pressurization, airflow and buoyancy.
The following is a brief description of the different methods that are currently considered when designing smoke management systems. These systems can be implemented individually or in conjunction with one another. Read more
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. Read more
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