NCJ Number
145789
Journal
Fire and Arson Investigator Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 15-19
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Over the past several years, the fire protection community has witnessed several severe high-rise office building fires, including the highly publicized One Meridian Plaza fire in Philadelphia, the First Interstate Bank Building fire in Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Health Building fire.
Abstract
The most recent fire at the Los Angeles County Health Building occurred in 1992. The building's construction consisted of a metal frame structural support with concrete floor slabs on metal decking and a concrete and glass exterior facade. All structural members and metal components of floor assemblies were encased with materials that provided the building with a fire resistance rating. Fire protection equipment for the building included a 1.5-inch wet standpipe system and hoselines for occupant use, a 2.5- inch wet standpipe system and hoselines in stairways for fire department use, a fire pump, and an emergency electric generator. The building was also equipped with a fire alarm system consisting of manual pull stations and smoke detectors in elevator lobby areas. Los Angeles firefighters were able to control the blaze within 60 minutes but not before the fire consumed most combustible materials in building areas affected by the fire. The fire's cause is still under investigation, but investigators believe the rapidly growing fire was fueled primarily by a concentration of computer hardware and ordinary office furnishings and contents. In 1991, an early evening fire broke out in Philadelphia's One Meridian Plaza Building. This fire caused extensive structural damage and resulted in the death of three firefighters, even though the building was fire- resistant. Structural steel framing, protected with spray-on material and poured concrete flooring on a metal deck, provided the building's structural integrity; the exterior was comprised of granite and glass. Investigators concluded that the fire originated on the 22nd floor in a private office and that the cause involved spontaneous ignition of improperly stored linseed-soaked rags used for restoring and cleaning wood paneling within the floor area. In 1988, a fire in the First Interstate Bank Building in Los Angeles destroyed four floors. This fire was technically significant because of the interior and exterior fire spread, internal smoke migration, and the role of office materials and their arrangement in relation to fire growth and development. Each of the three fires occurred after business hours and lacked state-of-the-art fire protection systems to limit severe fire growth. The fires were undetected for significant periods of time until they reached such severe magnitude that they could not be easily controlled. Effective fire protection design alternatives are discussed, as well as the importance of adequate fire codes and standards that reflect the latest technology in fire protection.