The Bronx Fire: How to Prevent Similar Situations in Your Facility
On January 10th, a tragic fire that occurred in a Bronx, N.Y. high-rise apartment building claimed the lives of 19 people. After being investigated by the NYFD, it was determined that the fire was caused by a space heater on one of the building’s lower floors. Unfortunately, the building was not equipped to handle fire safety emergencies, and, as a result, this fire became the second deadliest U.S. residential fire in nearly half a century.
Heating Equipment-Related Fires
Fires caused by heating equipment are the second leading cause of residential fires and are the third leading cause of deaths resulting from home fires. With a few more months of winter left, it is understandable that usage of heating appliances is a popular supplement for residential heating. As a result, extra precautions need to be taken to prevent another catastrophic fire from taking its toll.
To better educate the public on the potential fire risks associated with heating equipment, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has created a handout on heating safety. Quick tips offered via this handout include:
Maintain at least three feet of distance between flammable objects and heating equipment or open flames.
Never let children or pets within three feet of heating equipment or open flames.
Have heating equipment installed, regularly cleaned, and inspected by a qualified professional.
Turn all portable heaters off before leaving the room or going to bed.
Do not use heating appliances, such as an oven, to heat your home.
For heating equipment requiring fuel, always use the type of fuel specified by the manufacturer.
Insufficient Fire Prevention Systems
While the cause of the Bronx fire was determined to be a space heater, the severity of the fire was intensified by the building’s supposed fire code violations. The door to the apartment and the door to a stairwell had both been left open, leading to the rapid spread of smoke throughout the building. Had the doors both been up to New York City code, they would have spring-loaded to prevent the doors from staying open. Regardless of whether the building technically violated any fire codes, the high death toll of this fire could have been prevented by this simple change to the structure of the doors.
In addition to safety issues from the open doors, the building was also suffering from a faulty fire protection system. Most apartments were not equipped with a sprinkler system, and the smoke detectors within the building reportedly experienced a high-frequency of false alarms, leading many residents to assume that there was no actual fire. As a result, many people did not react quickly enough to get themselves to safety and quickly fell victim to the dangerous black smoke billowing around them. All in all, the fire claimed the lives of 19 people, including 9 children, and injured over 60 more. Had adequate fire safety measures been in place within this building, many of the deaths and injuries could have been prevented.
How to Prevent a Catastrophic Fire from Wreaking Havoc on Your Building
While the Bronx fire was an unnecessarily tragic event, it highlights the importance of accurate fire protection systems that can mean the difference between life and death.
No matter how unlikely a fire may seem, it is imperative that your fire systems are installed by a qualified professional and tested and inspected on a regular basis to ensure that they work.
Invest in quality smoke detectors with Siemens Advanced Signal Analysis–ASAtechnology™. This technology comes with a No False Alarm Guarantee to ensure that the alarm only sounds during a real emergency.
Be sure your building is up to fire code. See our updated list of NFPA code requirements for inspection and testing here.
Invest in quality fire extinguishing devices, including fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems. Be sure to have an adequate number of devices present throughout the building as per your local fire code.
While the chance of a deadly fire happening may seem slim to none, it is definitely better to be over-prepared than under-prepared when it comes to fire safety. Ensuring your building is compliant with the fire code and up to date with all testing and inspections is the best possible way to prevent a fire event from ending in tragedy.
At Communication Company, we specialize in the complete installation and maintenance of fire safety systems. We are an authorized distributor of the world-class Siemens Cerberus PRO fire prevention systems. Our products utilize Siemens ASAtechnology to offer a No False Alarm Guarantee, restoring confidence in accurate fire detection.
For more information on how to best protect your team and facility from fire emergencies, visit our Fire Safety Solutions page and schedule a free constitution with a member of our team today!