Evaluating the hotel fire in Bolu Kartalkaya that caused the death of 78 people, 36 of whom were children, and the issue of fire safety, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl said, “Detectors provide the opportunity for rapid intervention in a fire. Thanks to these systems, a warning is usually given within 15 seconds at the very initial stage. Everyone is notified with a sound exceeding 90 decibels, thus providing a significant time advantage for evacuation.”
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, also addressing the issue of inspections, said, “If there were inspections, there would be no deficiencies. Warning systems must be operational. Sprinkler systems must be operational. When a fire breaks out and we realize that system is not working, its license may need to be revoked. We don't have such inspections.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences Deputy Dean, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, evaluated the hotel fire in Bolu Kartalkaya that caused the death of 78 people, 36 of whom were children, and the issue of fire safety.
When "fireproof" is mentioned, reinforced concrete structures come to mind first…
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl noted that fire consists of a flammable substance, oxygen, and an ignition source, referred to as the "fire triangle." He stated that when non-combustible material is mentioned, reinforced concrete frame structures are the first to come to mind, and non-combustible methods such as plaster and gypsum can be applied to such structures. He also mentioned that glass is among the non-combustible conditions and can be preferred for use in such buildings.
Incorrect applications on building facades cause serious danger
Addressing exterior facades, wooden materials, and carpet usage in terms of fire safety, Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl said, “The type of carpets is important here. Flammable carpets can ignite even with a simple cigarette ash. Difficult-to-ignite carpets should be used. On the exterior facade, however, incorrect applications cause serious danger. According to the Fire Protection Regulation for Buildings in Turkey, fire-safe, resistant materials are classified as A1 class non-combustible and A2 class difficult-to-ignite. Aluminum exterior facade claddings are difficult to burn, but once ignited, they are very difficult to extinguish because it turns into metal combustion. In some applications, they are supported with non-combustible materials like rock wool to prevent penetration. Aluminum exterior facade cladding or wooden cladding we saw in Kartalkaya are also involved. It's a material that burns with difficulty but burns once ignited. They also burned on the side where the slopes were. Even if it burned with difficulty, it burned.”
Detectors provide the opportunity for rapid intervention in a fire
Referring to the Fire Protection Regulation for Buildings, Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl stated, “There are legislative provisions related to the building's height and occupancy capacity. One of these provisions is early warning and detection systems. Detectors, in particular, provide the opportunity for rapid intervention in a fire. Thanks to these systems, a warning is usually given within 15 seconds at the very initial stage. Everyone is notified with a sound exceeding 90 decibels, thus providing a significant time advantage for evacuation. A fire progresses horizontally for about one and a half to two minutes. It then suddenly accelerates and grows abnormally. There may be about one and a half to two minutes for escape from a fire. Of course, this period can vary, lengthen, or shorten depending on the nature of the flammable material.”
Air needs to be blown from above into escape stairwells with fans
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, emphasizing the importance of escape systems, stated, “Depending on the building's usage arrangement, a structure for 500 people requires at least 3 escape exits, and 4 for a larger number of people. Corridor widths should generally be planned for 2 to 2.5 meters, ensuring comfortable movement during evacuation. Escape stairwells should be designed with positive pressurization. This is necessary to prevent high-temperature smoke from filling the stairwells. Air needs to be blown from above with fans so that people can escape safely from there. When these are not in place, we encounter such disasters.”
Extinguishing systems can successfully suppress fires by 96.7 percent
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, pointing out that some fires grow rapidly, said, “Automatic extinguishing systems are an important safety measure that is mandatory, especially in buildings like hotels. However, the absence or malfunction of these systems creates a significant disadvantage. Extinguishing systems can successfully suppress fires by 96.7 percent. If they cannot extinguish the fire, they suppress its spread, gaining critical time for the fire department to arrive at the scene.”
Rapid evacuation could not be carried out
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl stated that some of those who died in the Kartalkaya fire were found to have been trying to get dressed in their rooms, saying, “It seems they lost time there as well. Therefore, rapid evacuation could not be carried out. No escape route was found. When smoke takes over, with high temperatures, it becomes impossible to see anything, making it difficult to exit the room. Therefore, escape stairwells are very important.”
The hotel is reinforced concrete, but the interior materials are problematic
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl reminded that the hotel is a reinforced concrete building, but its exterior facade is made of wood with insulation material, saying, “They soak the wood cladding in chemicals. They keep it in chemicals for 5-6 hours. This is generally a practice done in Bolu. It reduces its flammability by reducing its conductivity to heat, making it more difficult to burn. There are problems with the interior materials. There are wall panelings there. Those are easily flammable materials. They increased the fire load.”
A legislative change is needed…
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, also addressing the issue of inspections, continued as follows:
“If there were inspections, there would be no deficiencies. Warning systems must be operational. Sprinkler systems must be operational. When a fire breaks out and we realize that system is not working, its license may need to be revoked. We don't have such inspections. After the licensing stage, no one visits again. Neither the fire department nor the security forces can come and inspect a place under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's supervision. When the Ministry of Culture and Tourism conducts inspections, it checks whether there is a fire department report. They then present the reports they obtained beforehand. But if they made renovations or changes inside, or if the system didn't work, or they didn't perform periodic maintenance, no one knows. A statement was made that there are fire compliance reports for 2021 and 2024. But the Ministry of Culture and Tourism does not inspect whether the system is working or not. Since it is under the jurisdiction of the fire department, the paper report given by the fire department is trusted. That report sometimes concerns the cafeteria. Sometimes it concerns something else. Therefore, we do our paperwork well. Therefore, a legislative change is also needed here. Just as we subject our vehicles to periodic inspection at TÜVTÜRK stations every two years, such an inspection by the fire department should be added to the legislation.”
A mechanism for inspections needs to be established
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl stated that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism may need to establish a mechanism to inspect fire safety, saying, “Currently, these inspections are carried out under the supervision of fire departments working under municipalities until occupancy or licensing is obtained. Inspections should be conducted periodically. A mechanism for inspections needs to be established.”