Two Apartment Fires, NYC Dec 16 and, NYC, 11 AM Jan 9 5

[FacEngrPE]

News 4 New York City December 17, 2021 10:05 pm
FDNY: Deadly Apartment Fire Caused by E-Bike Batteries
Event was DEC 16 2021

The cause of Thursday’s apartment building fire has been linked to lithium batteries from an electric bike. NBC New York’s Jonathan Dienst reports.

East 181st, (Bronx) NYC. 11 AM Jan 9, The toll 19 dead, 60 injured. Initial reports said the fire was on the third floor of the 19-story building. The 120-unit building in the Twin Parks North West complex was built in 1973. A sprinkler system is not installed.

Investigators are trying to determine why safety doors failed to close in a New York City high-rise when a deadly fire broke out.

If the LiIon battery in bicycles theory holds up in the investigation, now we have a serious contender with LiIon car battery fires, with a higher likelyhood of storage in living spaces.

Moon161 is correct these two events are separate but as both contain situations which engineering can be improved, I am going to leave this thread up to see what develops.

 

[moon161]

Yup. In addition:

1. Drawings have to be posted so people know the way out of a building anyways.
2. Steel or heavy wood doors to stairs, exits, section boundaries, refuges and critical rooms, on self closers, possibly on electro magnetic holders, possibly with a crash bar. They stick out compared to veneer or vinyl over paper or foam core doors to an office or closet.

Letting people know that doors can stop smoke and fire if they're closed, especially the heavy ones is one or two slides on a fire safety powerpoint. It helps to get through to everyone, but getting through to one can make a difference.

 

[dik]

In these environs, there's a label on the hinge side that gives the rating.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[SwinnyGG]

Seems like it could be another layer of protection to install at the entry doors of all units in a highrise. Are these commonly used or more for specialty applications?

Intumescent seals are extremely common. The most common usage is in place of standard smoke seal on a wood fire door. Wood doors don't expand appreciably when they got hot, so they won't seal to the jamb the way a steel door will. You will still see intumescent seals on steel doors depending on jurisdiction. Typically the presence of an intumescent seal is an indication that a door opening is a rated fire/smoke assembly, although sometimes they are on fire assemblies too.