How you can protect fire in your house
May 05, 2015
According to modern building standards, every building must have fire safety and escape measures. Some of the measures may include fire extinguishers and emergency exits.
By Umar Nsubuga
According to modern building standards, every building must have fire safety and escape measures. Some of the measures may include fire extinguishers and emergency exits.
Although fire is one of man’s greatest inventions, one thing that has persisted todate is the need to protect ourselves from the damage it can cause.
Fire fighting strategies must be put into consideration, especially when planning your home, an apartment, mall, shopping centre among others.
Abdu-Wahab Nyanzi an architect at JR Consultants says before embarking on any building, it is important to cater for burglary.
“This should cater for general protection in case of fire or theft. Consideration should be put on the type of materials purchased”, he says
In the present day we consciously or subconsciously guard against the dangers of fire in our lives.
In construction, Architects design buildings with the danger of a possible fire in mind. There are a number of ways to address this danger but in general there are three, Fire proofing / fire resistance, Fire detection and Fire fighting.
Fire proofing
Architects design for fire resistance or fire proofing in building with an intention of trying to keep the fire from moving from one section of the building to another.
It is also aimed at preventing fire from spreading from one building to another. This is achieved through careful selection of materials for construction.
Some materials are more combustible than others. Therefore when selecting construction materials for fire prone areas the architect must be sure that such materials do not catch fire easily.
Nyanzi says the materials must be able to resist fire for a certain period of time before they collapse. The fire resistance of a material is measured in terms of the time it takes to burn.
This time is critical in allowing fire fighting or rescue of people and valuables that might be otherwise destroyed. Materials like gypsum are known to have very good fire resistance.
Fire detection
This means the time we get to know or get alerted in case of a fire. Nyanzi says given the complexity of homes constructed today, architects have to use sophisticated means of alerting house occupants of fire outbreaks.
These systems may include smoke sensors, heat sensors and infrared cameras. There gadgets usually linked up to an alarm system that informs the house occupants of any danger.
“Other gadgets are designed to be triggered manually once a person sees the fire. The architect will help you select a suitable system for you during the house design”, Nyanzi says.
Fire fighting
Fire fighting is the action of trying to put out a fire that may have started. In a home setting the most fire prone area is the kitchen but fires can start from anywhere.
Fire could be from poor electrical wiring, a careless candle left about or from arson.
Nyanzi says it is highly recommended that every house is fitted with appropriate fire fighting equipment to extinguish fire in case fire breaks out.
Your Architect should specify the appropriate fire fighting equipment and method as they design. Different fire types shall require different fire fighting agents, Nyanzi advises.
For example the options available may include water, carbon dioxide gas, foam and fire suppressants. These agents can be presented as fire extinguisher cylinders, water sprinklers, fire hose pipes, and fire blankets.
What to look out for in your house
Nyanzi says it is good to Work with your architect to understand the fire design that he is putting for you.
Some clients refuse to implement fire designs due to limited knowledge. Working with the architect as he develops the fire design will help the client understand the reasoning behind and to appreciate the safety that it brings to life and property.
For example for a storied building Nyanzi says there should be stairs at every ten metres appropriately placed in the middle of the building.
While building, he says fire escapes can be created through emergency.
Ensure that fire installations in your house are regularly serviced. This helps to check whether they are still in good working order.
Avoid keeping unwanted combustible material in the house. Some people keep a lot of old boxes, newspapers, Styrofoam and mattresses which they could otherwise dispose of. In the event of a fire, these materials can help spread sustain it since they are good fuels.
Educate all house members on how to prevent fires and the dangers it can cause. It is also important to educate them on what to do in case it breaks out.
Having knowledge on what to do might be better than having fighting equipment and detectors that you can’t use.
Have an emergency exit / alternative escape route on your house the design allows, that. Nyanzi says emergency exits should be placed at the extreme corners of buildings.
Unfortunately, many houses do not have emergency exits yet the building code emphasis their significance.
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