BY FRANCIS L . BRANNIGAN, SFPE (FELLOW)
Editor’s note: For further reference, consult Building Construction for the Fire Service, Third Edition (BCFS3). Page numbers, where applicable, are included.
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The finish on laminated beams is protected by a flammable paper wrapper that has high flame spread. (BCFS3, 393)
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Many older buildings are now being preserved. Most were constructed with sand lime mortar, which is soluble in water. Over the years, the mortar and bricks may have lost adhesion. This photo shows bricks from a collapsed sand lime mortar wall; they are well separated from each other.
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Note the wires above the rolling fire door. They contain a fusible link. A flash of fire overhead can fuse the link and drop an “iron curtain” behind you. NEVER pass through a fire door without blocking it open. If you back out, remove the blocking so the door can close. (BCFS3, 195)
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A high volume of fire in this exposed wood surface, heavy timber church was killed by heavy straight streams’ sweeping the surface. The building is structurally sound, but its utility is lost. The entire surface had to be refinished. Some of the arches had to be sent back to the factory to be reworked. The possibility of such a major loss can be greatly reduced if all interior structures, such as sacristies and choir rooms, are sprinklered. A robing room set afire by a burglar was the kindling needed to set the entire church on fire. (BCFS3, 134)
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Wired glass resists failing when heated but will pass radiant heat. (BCFS3, 36)
FRANCIS L. BRANNIGAN, SFPE (Fellow), the recipient of Fire Engineering’s first Lifetime Achievement Award, has devoted more than half of his 59-year career to the safety of firefighters in building fires. He is well known as the author of Building Construction for the Fire Service, Third Edition (National Fire Protection Association, 1992), and for his lectures and videotapes. Brannigan is an editorial advisory board member of Fire Engineering.
