This book introduces students and others to the passive aspects of fire precautions - the measures taken and protection provided in a building, for example, to minimize the risk to occupants, contents and structure from an outbreak of fire. It describes the nature of fire, structural fire protection techniques and means of escape. Over the centuries fire has continually caused injury, loss of life and destruction of property - particularly in urban areas. The more notable fires have destroyed large areas, such as the Great Fire of London (1666); or caused many deaths in one building, such as the fires at Summerland in the Isle of Man (1973), the Manchester Woolworth's store (1979), the Stardust Disco in Dublin (1981), Bradford City football ground (1985) and King's Cross (1987). In the United Kingdom there are over 12,000 casualties (including about 900 fatal) a year in fires - mainly in buildings; with the majority of casualties occurring in dwellings. Each year the Home Office publishes annual fire statistics compiled from reports submitted by local authority fire brigades.

Tables are provided based on the date, location, source of ignition, material or item first ignited, room or place of origin, spread, and method of extinction of fires. A commentary on the statistics and a review of the last decade or so is also given. Tables 1 - 4 provide examples of the information contained in the published UK fire statistics for 1986. The estimated fire losses in Great Britain for 1987 were over #450 million. Each month fire losses are reported in the "Fire" and "Fire Prevention" journals, with a regular analysis given in "Fire Prevention" of #250,000-plus fires. Figure 1 shows the annual totals for fire losses estimated for England, Scotland and Wales for 1975-1987. Direct damage by fire can occur not only in buildings but to equipment, work-in-progress, stores, records and other contents. Damage also arises from flame, heat, smoke and the water used in fire-fighting. Consequential or indirect losses such as interruption to business, costs of temporary reorganization, lost orders, etc may often be far higher than the direct fire damage. Many firms go out of business following quite small fires.

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