It takes endurance and physical fitness for people to evacuate via the stairway, and they are further slowed down if they don't know much about fire safety.
Also, perhaps some people don't act immediately after the first warning because they are waiting for further instructions or they are trying to save their valuables when evacuating. But seconds count in a fire. It can be the difference between life and death or severe injury.
Their paper recommended stairways and fire escalators that run directly from the top to the bottom floor.
The architectural design of high-rise buildings further encourages the spread of a fire, Ma and Guo wrote. First, tall buildings just have a lot more fuel load or combustible material than low-rise buildings.
Second, smoke and fire diffuse quickly from bottom to top floors through staircases, corridors and elevator shafts due to their long and narrow shape, something the experts call the "chimney effect." In the case of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, it took only 30 minutes for the entire north wing to be engulfed in flames.
The height of the building also makes it difficult for firefighters to fight the fire and rescue people effectively. Fire hoses sometimes cannot reach the top of a building. Also, according to Ma and Guo, most of China's high-rise building's cladding systems are combustible, which makes it even harder for firefighters to do their job.
A hard lesson
Fire doors, extinguishers, emergency lighting, smoke protected stairways and fire elevators hinder the diffusion of smoke and fire and make the evacuation procedure safer.
To cater to the specific fire safety needs of high rises, the Ministry of Public Security of China issued the Code for Fire Protection Design of Tall Buildings in 1995. The fire departments and other authorities control its compliance.
Not everyone likes these controls. For some expat business owners, the high safety standards and regular checks can be a challenge. James (pseudonym), who runs a kindergarten in Beijing with his wife, finds it confusing.
"So far my school has had checks?from the education department, the local government, and the fire department. None of them seem to be clear on the requirements apart from checking that exits are clear, exit signs and floor stickers are present, and that there are enough fire extinguishers," James said.
Others are thankful for the regular checks. Lu said that the birth of her baby made her more concerned about fire safety. The training she received from her company, and the incident with the breast pump were the wake-up calls she needed.
"I felt so terrible when I tried to recall the whole accident. What if the baby was in the house? What if we came back a bit later, and it caused a fire and got the whole building on fire? Even though it did not cause serious damage, I was very regretful and learned it as a hard lesson."
Useful tips
Prevention
The most important advice is to think ahead and be prepared. Check the cables and extension cords in your home and turn everything off before you leave the house or go to bed. Small electric appliances are another risk factor. Examine the fire safety rules of your residential building, and if you think that it lacks essential infrastructure, talk to the compound management and your neighbors. In any case, it is highly advised to meet with the compound manager to organize a safety tour.
Equipment
Install fire alarms in all your rooms. They are inexpensive, easy to install and work with a regular battery. Make sure you buy a fire extinguisher, emergency lamps, smoke masks, a fire blanket and rope from an official vendor, such as the national emergency service 119 or San Jiang Fire.
The website 119999.cn sells fire alarms for 155 yuan and the extinguisher and mask at 95 yuan. You have to call or e-mail them to place an order and transfer the money in advance. A full set costs between 400 and 700 yuan. Do not buy from Taobao unless you are certain about the quality of the products and the integrity of the vendor.
Escape
In case of a fire, know the emergency procedure by heart. Check the fire escape in your building and do a fire drill with your family. That way, in case of an emergency, you know what to do. Leave everything behind and get your loved ones out of the building as fast as possible. Once you are outside, call the fire station or the Chinese emergency number 119. If you cannot leave your apartment, seal all cracks that lead into your room to keep the smoke out and call the fire department. Be sure to describe your exact location.
