Türkiye woke up to a great disaster this morning. 10 people lost their lives in the fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya. 32 people were injured, including some in serious condition. The horror during the semester break occurred at 03.27 in the morning, while holidaymakers were sleeping. While the cause of the fire, for which extinguishing efforts are still ongoing, is being investigated, it was also noted that the flames started in the restaurant on the 4th floor.
So what are the main causes of hotel fires? Prof.Dr. from Istanbul Technical University. Abdurrahman Kılıç makes remarkable observations on this subject in his article titled “Hotel Fires and Their Causes”.
KITCHEN COMES FIRST
Noting that hotel fires mostly start in kitchens, Kılıç points out that cigarettes come first as a fire source. Kılıç lists the reasons in his study as follows: “Fires in hotels are mostly caused by customers dropping cigarettes on the bed, burning cigarettes being left in the ashtray, hotel staff’s carelessness and imprudence, malfunctions in the kitchen, heating and ventilation systems, errors during maintenance work, and electrical malfunctions.”
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND SMOKING DETAIL
“The main sources of fire in hotels are electrical installations and electrical devices,” said Kılıç, adding, “Although the number of fires caused by cigarettes, which ranks second, decreases day by day, it still maintains a significant rate. While arson and electrical installations have the highest rate in annual hotels, smoking causes the fire in seasonal hotels.” “Inflammations caused by the disease come to the fore,” he found.
DRAWED ATTENTION TO BEDROOMS AND KITCHENS
“The places where most fires occur in hotels are bedrooms and kitchens,” said Kılıç, adding that “One quarter of the total fires in hotels annually are caused by customer mistakes in bedrooms” and listed the critical measures that can be taken as follows: “Reducing the number of fires in hotels and eliminating the factors that will cause fires.” Escape routes must be suitable, personnel must be trained, there must be automatic detection systems and automatic sprinkler systems, and fire protection systems must be maintained and kept in working order at all times.”
-SMOKING AND KITCHEN ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LISTS
According to the study, kitchens come first in fire zones in seasonal hotels with a rate of 13 percent. Among fire sources, cigarettes rank first among the causes with a rate of 29 percent.
WHAT DOES THE REGULATION SAY? 60 MINUTES DETAIL
In the Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings, against a possible disaster, it is stated that “The walls of the bedrooms must be made of certified materials that are fire resistant for at least 60 minutes. In addition, in hotels with a total number of beds over 20 or over 2 floors, there must be at least 2 beds for each floor.” An emergency exit must be provided. However, for places with fewer than 20 beds and a building height below 15.5 meters, if the stairs are protected or there is a pressurization system at the emergency exits, there is only one exit. “There is no harm in using the emergency exit.”
SMOKE CUTTERS, EVACUATION METHOD..
Other precautions in the regulation, which also includes the article “Doors opening to interior corridors must be made of material that is fire resistant for at least 30 minutes. Natural ventilation of internal corridors or mechanical smoke evacuation is provided,” are listed as follows: Smoke arresters must be fire resistant for at least 60 minutes. Smoke-tight doors can be single or double-leaf. Smoke-tight doors should normally be kept closed.”
FIRE DRILL QUESTION
On the other hand, while it is stated in the regulation regarding hotels that fire drills should be held every 3 months in order to eliminate important deficiencies, it also raised questions about what was done in this regard. Accordingly, the regulation states, “Drills are carried out at certain periods, inspected and reviewed, and necessary corrective and preventive measures are taken. A drill form is prepared, including the date of the drill, the deficiencies observed and the arrangements to be made in line with these deficiencies.”
