Structure Fire Hazard in the Home: Children Playing with Fire

Posted on Monday, May 13th, 2013

“Little rascal” isn’t quite accurate. Most people do not realize that children can pose a significant fire hazard in the home. According to a report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an average of 56,300 fires are ignited by children on an annual basis. Damages amount to 110 deaths, 880 injuries, and $286 million

State Fire Marshal to Investigate Pensacola Chemical Plant Explosion

Posted on Friday, May 10th, 2013

No one was injured in a late night explosion and fire last month at a Pensacola chemical plant that is said to have caused $1 million in damages and is being investigated by the Florida State Fire Marshal. Crews took approximately 30 minutes to extinguish the fire. The explosion occurred at Reichhold Chemicals Plant in

Fire Protection Engineering on the Ground Is Better than in a Boeing 787

Posted on Thursday, May 9th, 2013

The New York Times may not publish an article on fire hazards on the ground, but fire protection in the aerospace industry really grabs the publication’s (and the public’s) attention. January’s near-disaster with a Boeing 787 gained the spotlight and shed light on how designers and fire protection engineers work together to keep the public

Historic Gastonia Mill Fire Causes $4-6 Million in Damages

Posted on Monday, May 6th, 2013

A massive fire at a historic Gastonia, North Carolina warehouse last month is estimated to have caused between $4 million to $6 million in damages and will likely disrupt operations for weeks. The fire took several hours to contain and was large enough to appear on Doppler radar images of the area. It destroyed about

Fire Hazards in Nightclubs: What Architects Can Learn from Brazil and Rhode Island

Posted on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

Earlier this year, a nightclub in Brazil caught fire and caused over 240 fatalities. Most of the victims were college students who had come for a Federal University of Santa Maria event. The party featured a band and pyrotechnics show. When the members of the band lit flares as a planned part of the show,