Category Archives: Fire protection

Kitchen fire scene

More than a third of all fires in private homes start in the kitchen

 

What do you think is the biggest cause of all fires in kitchens?

 

More than half of all fires start on the stove.

And that’s because things were put there that didn’t belong there – in other words, the stove was used as a storage surface. In kitchens, fires often develop quickly and cannot be extinguished on their own, and the fumes are highly toxic.

 

The Institut für Schadenverhütung und Schadenforschung der öffentlichen Versicherer e.V. (IFS) has put the following website online for us consumers: https://gefahr-erkannt.de/

 

Here, we consumers can place various items on an accidentally switched-on hob in a virtual fire test house and then see how quickly they catch fire and how the fire spreads. This site is a service of the IFS. www.ifs-ev.org

 

Oh yes – I also used to leave my towels on the stove…

 

 

I have gone through all these options on the website once – and I will definitely NEVER use my stove as a storage surface again – not even quickly for the kitchen towels….

There’s a fire! Give me the fire blanket! – Is that the right way?

Clearly: YES and NO.

First of all, what are fire blankets?

Fire blankets are available in different sizes, for private use they are usually 1 x 1 m. The fabric is made of fireproof material such as nylon, Kevlar or glass fiber fabric in accordance with DIN EN 1869.
These blankets are not reusable!
They are usually found in red boxes and also have a red cover. Instructions for use are clearly printed on them.

Although the blankets are suitable for extinguishing small fires, they do not replace fire extinguishers in accordance with the Workplace Directive!

 

Fire blankets – yes or no?

YES to the fire blanket:
For very small fires or incipient fires, the blanket is perfect to use, for example on upholstered furniture or kitchen appliances, burning containers such as waste baskets.

 

BUT:

The use of fire blankets for grease fires in the kitchen is now controversial, so DON’T use them. A fire blanket placed over the source of a fire in a pan can sag and catch fire, even though it is actually fireproof.

Therefore, in the event of a fire in the kitchen, immediately:

Switch off the heat source immediately! If the fire is only in the pot or pan, put a suitable lid on it and WAIT! The danger is that if the oil has not cooled down completely, the fat will immediately re-ignite if the lid is opened too soon.
For fires that have spread on the stove, you can also throw a damp kitchen towel over the fire.

 

Caution: A grease fire must NEVER be extinguished with water.

If water gets on the burning oil, a deflagration will occur. As a result, the flames flare up and the hot oil splashes explosively through the kitchen. This can cause the fire to spread and, even worse, cause severe burns to the skin.

The ideal solution for a grease fire would be to use an extinguishing spray.

 

 

So-called extinguishing sprays are a good way of putting out small fires. Although they don’t stand a chance with larger flames, they are easy to use, can be stored in any kitchen and are inexpensive. If a pan, Christmas wreath or hob starts to burn, they can be used effectively.
Here is an interesting overview.

 

BUT:

If the fire is too big and cannot be brought under control, call the fire department quickly.

Because the most important thing is to get yourself and others to safety so that nobody is harmed.

 

A second absolute NO for the use of a fire blanket are fires involving people.

The use of fire blankets poses additional dangers for both the rescuer and the person on fire.

This is because the first reflex of a person on fire is to run away and try to extinguish the fire themselves. Out of panic and fear, the victim often resists using the fire blanket.

In addition, burning or glowing pieces of fabric are pressed intensively against the skin when the blanket is applied, causing additional serious burn injuries.

Therefore, in the event of an emergency, the fire extinguisher (regardless of the type of fire extinguisher!) should be used to the rescue. The topic of personal fires is described in another blog article.

Would have, should, could, would, needed to…. Conjunctives in fire protection?

 

As a passionate motorbike enthusiast, I was naturally saddened by the report of the fire in the motorbike museum in Hochgurgl in January 2021.

The cause of the fire was soon determined: a technical defect in a digital signage display in the exhibition area. The museum was largely made of wood, which made it even more difficult for the fire brigades to extinguish the fire. Just about all the classic motorbikes fell victim to the flames, and of course the question of the fire protection of the building, which was just newly constructed in 2016, arose.

 

KI-Bild
Fire in the motorbike museum in Hochgurgl. (Example photo)

 

However, there was indeed an elaborate fire protection concept – starting with fire protection sliding doors with T-30 fire protection function, which close automatically in case of fire, to optical and acoustic warning systems, to built-in rescue doors, which secure the escape route of persons and the possibility to quickly transport injured persons to hospitals via the helicopter landing pad.

 

And now the ” would have ” comes into play: If the operators or the fire protection officers had known at that time about the possibility of using monitors that are equipped in such a way that fires caused by electricity inside the monitors are automatically extinguished immediately and can thus fight a fire in a targeted manner before a catastrophe occurs, they would certainly have built this preventive fire protection into their fire protection concept.

 

Because: “The problem here was the undetected fire from inside, probably triggered by the electricity in the power supply unit. Such incipient fires can always happen,” explains Rajko Eichhorn, Senior Business Development Manager at JOB (JOB Group – world market leader for high-quality sprinkler lamps and inventor of the world’s smallest fire extinguisher). Most fire protection solutions for displays rely on unsightly, heavy, clunky fire protection enclosures and protective glass.

In contrast, solutions such as JOB’s E-Bulb, an automatic micro fire extinguisher, are integrated into the displays and can thus fight fires in a targeted manner before an actual fire occurs.

E-Bulb Assortment

 

And now to the ” should “: Shouldn’t we all work together so that fires like this and others no longer have to be reported daily in our newspapers?

I think so – and change the “should” to “must”. We must disseminate and pass on knowledge that we gain and that can help the general public.

 

And that’s why we will report in our next articles on how the “Automatic Miniature Fire Extinguisher“, AMFE for short, works, the VDS-certified “E-Bulb” micro fire extinguishers and the concept of “appliance-integrated fire protection”.

 

By the way: The reopening of the Motorcycle Museum was on 18.11.2021!

The reconstruction not only expanded and renewed the lost collection, but also the entire concept of the museum.

So you “could” plan a visit to the museum again…. but:

The Austrian federal government has ordered another comprehensive lockdown, including the closure of all hotels, restaurants and museums.

This officially ordered closure of operations is set for a maximum of 20 days in the period from 22.11.2021 to 12.12.2021 and also includes the possibility of an earlier reopening after 10 days – provided that the infection situation eases significantly.

Check the museum’s website for the latest news.

 

And here’s another photo I took on the Col du Galibier in the summer – for you to understand what makes me so happy when I go motorcycling…

 

 

Photography Col du Galibier
View from the Col du Galibier – Photo: Leopoldi-Art

Fire in Nuremberg residential building 

 

     

On 03 March 2019, five people died in their single-family home in Nuremberg. Four people were seriously injured. The investigation is still ongoing.

Fire experts from the State Criminal Police Office searched for traces throughout the weekend, but even today the cause of the fire has not been clarified. And the investigators are dampening hopes that the information will soon be available because the house was so extremely destroyed by the flames.
Traces of fire can be seen all over the house, even the tiles above a skylight have burned through in the heat. The fire investigators could not determine so far whether the prescribed fire detectors were installed in the house. They concentrate above all on the search for the cause of the fire.

 

 

SMOKE ALARMS ARE MANDATORY IN GERMANY!

The smoke detector obligation for private living space applies in all 16 federal states. The smoke detector obligation for private households is regulated in the regional building regulations of the respective federal state. There is written, who has to attach the smoke detector as well as which areas are to be equipped.

 

International regulations can be found here.

 

This applies to all federal states:

New buildings and conversions must be equipped with smoke alarms – by the owners. However, in most federal states it is the responsibility of the direct owners, i.e. the tenants, to ensure that the equipment is ready for operation.

If you would like to have further informations, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The owners are also obliged to equip existing buildings, but transitional periods apply here until when smoke detectors must be fitted. The transition periods are regulated differently by each federal state. The only exception is Saxony. Here the smoke detector obligation applies so far only to new buildings and changes, not to the existence.

 

In view of such tragedies as in Nuremberg it is however beyond question that really everyone should pay attention to the fact that smoke detectors are attached in the appropriate areas.