Resolution No. 4814 - Laserfiche WebLink

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9.1 Fire Primer For this section of the multi-hazard mitigation plan, the focus is on wildland/urban interface fires. However, to provide a context for the discussion of wildland/urban interface fires, we first briefly review the characteristics of all three types of fires. Structure Fires Structure fires are fires in urban, suburban or rural areas where structures (and contents) are the primary fire fuel. Ever since the first volunteer fire department was established in the United States in 1648, the primary focus of most fire departments has been to reduce the risk of structure fires. Historically, structure fires have posed the greatest threat to both property and life safety. In dealing with structure fires, fire departments have three primary objectives: first, minimize casualties; second, prevent a single structure fire from spreading to other structures; and third, minimize damage to the structure and contents. In recent decades, the rate of structure fires (number of fires per year per 1,000 structures) and the total number of structure fires have declined sharply even though the number of structures has increased with increasing population. This decrease in structure fires is attributed to a number of factors, most importantly better building codes that have reduced both the numbers of ignitions and the likelihood that a small fire will quickly spread. Building code improvements include better wiring, smoke detectors, better design of furnaces, reduced use of portable heating devices, the widespread use of fire resistant materials such as sheet rock and non-flammable roofs, and more widespread use of automatic fire suppression systems (i.e., sprinklers). In addition to the building code improvements, fire suppression capabilities have also improved over the decades. Improved water systems provide greater and more reliable water flows for fire suppression efforts. Better training, better communication equipment, better fire fighting equipment and apparatus have also all contributed to improved fire suppression capabilities. Widespread use of smoke detectors has also reduced the number of casualties by providing occupants more warning time for evacuation. In recent decades, a decline in the percentage of smokers in the United States has also had a beneficial impact on the rate of accidental ignitions from careless handling of smoking materials. The decrease in the number of structure fires has been accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the number of deaths from structure fires as shown below in Table 9-1. Public Review Draft: August 6, 2004 9-4