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Smoke is the greatest threat to life
safety in a fire situation Grpahics 1 and 2 indicate one of the many
problems smoke can cause in large buildings. Graphic 1 shows a typical
mall with a central atrium. In the event of fire at a lower level,
smoke will rise and enter the upper floors. This smoke will reduce
visibility and cause occupants to be disorientated and could result in
deaths.
By using smoke curtains and smoke ventilators and fresh air intake it
is possible to ensure that the unaffected floors are protected.
In graphic 2 the result of installing an automatic smoke control system can be seen.
The smoke detection system would activate and the smoke curtains would
be activated on all floors other than the floor on which the fire has
been detected. In turn the smoke extraction system would operate
leaving the remainder of the building free from smoke thus allowing
safe egress for the occupants.