Evaluating the fire that started at Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Center, which quickly engulfed a large part of the hotel, causing the death of 10 people and injury to 32 people, OHS Expert Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, “In such buildings, the fire load must be calculated correctly, appropriate measures taken, and necessary permits issued accordingly. Unfortunately, it appears that these criteria are not sufficiently met in the current situation.”
Stating that in places where large groups of people gather, such as hotels, hospitals, universities, and schools, external facades should be made of materials that can withstand fire for a long time, Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, “The building’s project and escape routes should be checked in advance. It should not be left after being checked once by the fire department. These checks should be done at least once a year. If necessary, buildings that cannot ensure safety should be prevented from accommodating 300 or 500 people.”
Head of the Occupational Health and Safety Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan evaluated the fire that caused the death of 10 people and injury to 32 people at Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Center.
Fire load must be calculated correctly in such buildings!
Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan pointed out that as a society, there is not enough experience with fire, saying, “During a fire, quick and thoughtless decisions can be made due to human psychology. Situations like jumping can occur. However, this can lead to dangerous consequences. If the room is far from the fire area, covering the bottom of the door with a wet towel and signaling from the window to wait for evacuation teams might be a safer option. However, if the fire has spread to the room, unfortunately, options become quite limited. In such buildings, the fire load must be calculated correctly, appropriate measures taken, and necessary permits issued accordingly. Unfortunately, it appears that these criteria are not sufficiently met in the current situation.”
Safety measures are of great importance!
“Buildings where large groups of people gather, such as hotels, schools, and hospitals, must be designed by the fire department in accordance with evacuation plans, and these projects must be approved. Many people can be together in such places, and in such situations, safety measures are of great importance,” said Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan, adding that the fire grew rapidly, reaching the roof in a very short time from its starting point.
Inability to reach the back of the building is a major problem…
Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan also noted that the non-combustible nature of external materials used in such places plays a critical role in preventing the spread of fire, and continued as follows:
“The reason for the rapid spread of fire is this: in the chemistry of a normal fire, air heats up during combustion, and the heated air moves upwards. This hot air rises with its energy, igniting everything flammable within minutes. The material used here is also wood. Although it’s not possible to completely prevent combustion for wooden materials, various methods can be applied to delay it. However, it seems these precautions were not taken here. The buildings are also quite old structures. How were the escapes made? What kind of precautions were taken for fire survival? We don’t know that either. The inability to reach the back of the building is a major problem. What was the project based on? Precautions for this should have been included in that project.”
What should be done until the fire department arrives?
Drawing attention to how to act until the fire department arrives, Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan said, “If the fire has not started in your room, first remove the curtains and push back the carpets to prevent the fire from progressing. Block smoke entry by covering the bottom of your room door with a wet cloth or towel. Then go to the window, signal for help, and wait for evacuation. Remember, the risk of death can increase if falling from a height greater than 3 meters; therefore, be careful before jumping from a height and consider it a last resort. Additionally, in these and similar areas, at least a two-vehicle fire brigade team should be stationed, and hotels should take the necessary precautions in this regard. The hotel or hotels should support a 2-vehicle fire brigade team in the region.”
Work should have been done beforehand to reach the back of the building…
Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan emphasized that in new buildings, sometimes entrances lower than the fire department’s entry height are made in order to create a decorative entrance, and said, “This should absolutely not happen. When fire teams arrive, such low entrances make intervention difficult. If they cannot enter from there, breaking through that area can take a significant amount of time and effort. In case of fire, work should have been done beforehand to reach the back of the building, and suitable paths should have been created. However, currently there might be snow, no road, or access might not be possible due to the slope. Such situations should be planned for in advance and solutions produced.”
It is very important to raise awareness among people about what to do in case of fire and disaster
Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan noted that in such fires, because fire spreads very quickly, one should not get into thoughts like “Should I get my bag, my wallet?”, and should evacuate immediately when “Evacuate!” is said, adding, “People can sometimes make a wrong decision in this regard. They might go to ‘get my wallet’ that they left behind and, in doing so, suffocate and lose their lives. Attention needs to be paid to this as well. It is very important to raise awareness among people about what to do in case of fire and disaster. Unfortunately, we are not yet sufficiently aware of this.”
External facades should be made of materials that can withstand fire for a long time
Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan pointed out that automatic extinguishing systems should be installed, and stated, “Furthermore, in places where large groups of people gather, such as hotels, hospitals, universities, and schools, external facades should be made of materials that can withstand fire for a long time.”
Buildings that cannot ensure safety should be prevented from accommodating 300 or 500 people
Dr. Assistant Professor Rüştü Uçan stated that fire extinguishing systems exist, and concluded his words by saying, “These technological systems can extinguish a fire before the fire department arrives. Such systems can be used because there can be a high risk of death here. Additionally, the building’s project and escape routes should be checked in advance. It should not be left after being checked once by the fire department. These checks should be done at least once a year. If necessary, buildings that cannot ensure safety should be prevented from accommodating 300 or 500 people.”