01 May Battling high-rise fires
The high temperatures within the Middle East create unique risks and challenges that fire teams have to be prepared to deal with, in recent months, Riyadh, and similar cities within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have seen devastating highrise fires.
In this article, we look at some of the challenges unique to highrise building fire scenarios, which will be further explored at the Fire Middle East Conference, later this year in the InterContinental Hotel, Riyadh.
The vertical climb of the highrise buildings creates a unique environment for smoke to be trapped at higher floors and creates a difficult environment for residents of the highrise building to escape, as they are funnelled through an explosive environment. The counter to this, traditionally, fire escapes and external ladders are used, allowing for an alternate path down the building, intended to be free of anything flammable.
Luxurious highrise buildings can lack smoke-resistant barriers, which ultimately contributes to the flow of fire, smoke and heat throughout the constrictive building. The lack of vision can ultimately lead to more confusion, suggesting that one solution to combat highrise fires would be specific fire drills and in-depth information presented to those who are living within, or consistently visiting them.
A third issue involved with highrise building fire scenarios is that their unique architecture and luxurious design can impede firefighters as they make their way up the building.
All of these issues, and more, will be subject to discussion at the Fire Middle East Conference on the 15th May 2024. Register now to be a part of these discussions, forging the future of the Kingdom.