American fire compartmentation and building safety, Bronx apartment building, New York architecture design
American fire and building safety
January 12, 2022
Location: USA
New York fire underlines importance of compartmentation
Jane Embury, a director of Wrightstyle, the advanced glazing specialist, reflects on recent fires in the USA

American fire and building safety
The recent tragic fire in New York underlines how fire remains a potent threat, despite advances in building design and construction and strict building regulations.
Some 20 people, including nine children died during a fire in the Bronx apartment building. Another 32 people were taken to hospital, several of whom remain in a critical condition.
It came just days after an apartment fire in Philadelphia killed 12, with eight children among the dead. With the Grenfell Tower file still fresh in our minds, it?s also a reminder of something else. Residential and commercial buildings need fire alarm systems, a sprinkler system where appropriate, and fireproof compartments to contain the fire at source and prevent it spreading.
No doubt, American fire and building safety experts will be looking at both fires. Not only to determine their cause but how they could have spread so quickly.
Taken together, active and passive fire safety elements are designed to allow occupants to escape from the building. They also provide safe access for the fire and rescue services. How those elements are applied depends on the size of ...