Fires started in community garages are particularly sensitive, as they can damage the structure and foundations that support the entire building.
Within the regulatory framework in Spain, since 2017, all car parks with a surface area of more than 500 m2 must be subject to a
periodic inspection every 10 years, apart from the annual check that every prevention company carries out. For surfaces smaller than 500 m2, it is not mandatory to carry out this inspection, unless the space is considered to be very risky.
Fires in public garages usually take longer to be discovered because they develop in a less crowded area, so the response time is longer. In turn, they are usually fires characterized by their violence, rapid spread and danger to health, because the smoke produced by the burning of paint, plastic and rubber of vehicles is very dense and highly toxic.
As explained
Jaime Ortega, technical director of Iberext «Fires started in community garages are particularly sensitive, as they can damage the structure and foundations that support the entire building. To prevent spreading, fire doors must always be kept closed and special care must be taken not to leave corrosive and highly flammable products behind.
Experts recommend keeping the fire doors in the garage closed at all times, especially not leaving the house, moving to the room with external ventilation furthest from the main entrance, and placing wet towels under the doors to maximize smoke entry. minimalize .
As soon as a fire is detected, it is recommended not to leave the house. Although it may sound contradictory, when there is a fire in a garage, we do not know what stage it is in and whether or not the smoke and/or fire has spread through the building. For this reason we must
put wet towels under doors and go to the room with a window to the outside furthest from the main door, and close all the doors that separate the entrance of the house from the room in which you can take refuge.
Never leave garage doors open. While most doors close under their own weight, they are often held open by a stop for convenience. This recklessness could easily allow smoke and fire to spread throughout the building. This point also applies to the rest of the doors located on the floors or landings.
Flammable materials, waste or cardboard should not be stored in garages. It is essential that the entire surface of the garage is clean, especially the vehicle care products. These liquids, such as gasoline or oil, are highly flammable.
It is essential to know the location of all fire protection elements. It is recommended that owners who are members of the community of neighbors
know how to find and use fire extinguishers scattered throughout the garage. This would help put out a small fire and thus prevent greater harm. It is vital to have the presence of fire detection elements that alert us that an emergency is happening.
The exponential growth of electric vehicles and mobility aids increases risks in garages, both because of charging areas and because of the accumulation of batteries, mainly Li-Ion. Due to the virulence of this type of fire and the toxicity of the gases they produce, it is recommended to have extinguishing agents that can encapsulate and significantly reduce their temperature, to prevent re-ignition. For this reason we recommend having extinguishers tested on this type of Li fires, more effective than
traditional extinguishers.
Finally, you should never run the cars. Although it is not a risk aspect
to make a fireit is essential to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide emitted by burning cars, which can intoxicate a person and lead to fainting and even death in a short time.
Source: La Verdad
I am Mary Fitzgerald, a professional journalist and author of the Today Times Live. My specialty is in writing and reporting on technology-related topics. I have spent the last seven years extensively researching and understanding the field of technology so I can properly inform my readers about developments in this ever-evolving world.
