ATF Apartment Fire Investigation, 30 Dowling Circle

[LGreene]

I ran across a series of videos on Youtube this morning regarding an apartment fire in Maryland that resulted in a firefighter fatality. One of the main focus areas of the ATF investigation and fire models was the impact of the apartment entrance doors. I found the videos extremely informative. http://idighardware.com/2012/05/effects-of-fire-doors-on-an-apartment-fire/

The city of Albany, California adopted an ordinance requiring all apartment entrance doors leading to an exit access to be self-closing, after a fatal fire in 2011. It's ordinance 2011-05 on this link: http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=968

This seems to be a fairly common scenario...fire in apartment, apartment door left open, exit routes compromised, fire spreads, etc. Current codes require 20 minute fire doors between the apartment and the corridor, and those fire doors have to be self-closing. Often because of carpet, soundseal, spring hinges, or deficient closers, the doors do not close.

A fire door inspection would identify the problem before it causes tragic circumstances. What's it going to take for this to become standard operating procedure for apartments? Yes, I know that sprinklers would have also prevented the tragedy, but wouldn't it be easier to maintain what is already required while waiting for sprinklers to be retrofitted?

:-(

 

[Builder Bob]

The only problem with that concept is that the building and fire code does not care about exterior doors being rated.....in a comical sense of the code, I could use cardboard for a door as long as the exterior wall does not require to be rated......The energy code actually requires a door to cut down on air transference and insulation.

707.6 Exterior walls. Where exterior walls serve as a part of a required shaft enclosure, such walls shall comply with the

requirements of Section 704 for exterior walls and the fire-resistance-rated enclosure requirements shall not apply.

And in section 714.5, I do not see any requirement for a rated door (closure and latching action) for unrated walls.

 

[LGreene]

The only problem with that concept is that the building and fire code does not care about exterior doors being rated.....in a comical sense of the code, I could use cardboard for a door as long as the exterior wall does not require to be rated......The energy code actually requires a door to cut down on air transference and insulation.707.6 Exterior walls. Where exterior walls serve as a part of a required shaft enclosure, such walls shall comply with the

requirements of Section 704 for exterior walls and the fire-resistance-rated enclosure requirements shall not apply.

And in section 714.5, I do not see any requirement for a rated door (closure and latching action) for unrated walls.

Are you referring to the use the of the word "exterior" in the Albany CA ordinance? It was a poor choice of words because the ordinance and the letter that was sent to all of the multi-family building owners refers to the door between the apartment and the exit access corridor - not a door opening to the exterior.

The apartment entrance doors at 30 Dowling Circle opened to a common interior stairway, and according to the report they were fire-rated.