How Does Smoke Spread?

Knowing how smoke spreads can help you to reduce the risk to life, and damage caused by a fire. According to the fire and rescue service in England, it has been proven that smoke or gas inhalation is the most common cause of deaths and injuries in the event of fire. Therefore, it is very important that you don’t underestimate just how dangerous smoke can be.

As a fire begins to spread, the amount of smoke that is produced increases rapidly by the minute. This can cause impairments such as clouded vision and disorientation, which can be detrimental as you look to make your escape.

Smoke spreads very quickly in all directions, which means that you only have a limited amount of time to get to safety. Otherwise, you risk smoke inhalation, which can be compared to the feeling of drowning. You will also find it more difficult to breathe, as the amount of oxygen inside a building decreases heavily as a fire continues to burn.

The following will answer the question – how does smoke spread? While highlighting the importance of having a working smoke alarm installed in your property.

How Does Smoke Spread?

As a fire burns, smoke and deadly gases such as carbon monoxide begin to fill the air rapidly. The smoke is full of burnt particles from the combusted material – often containing harmful chemicals.

Smoke moves vertically and horizontally through the air, while trapping any air in the corners and crevices of rooms. For that reason, you should never consider installing a smoke alarm close to the edges of ceilings or roof pitches.

In order to stop the flow of air and prevent smoke spreading, you will need to use combined fire and smoke seals with brushes.

Why Smoke Alarms Are Essential

There are in excess of over 600,000 fires reported every year within the UK. In over 17,000 of these cases, injuries have been caused, while over 800 of them have resulted in death. Many of these incidents could have been prevented if a working smoke alarm was installed, as this would have meant that those inside the building would have had an early warning.

In the private rented sector, it is a legal requirement to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of the property when it is used for living accommodation. So, if you are a landlord and fail to comply with fire safety regulations, you will not only be putting the safety of your tenants at risk, you will also be breaking the law too.

It is of paramount importance to have at least one working smoke alarm installed in your property. But, once installed, you will need to ensure that it is maintained and checked regularly. It is much better to be safe than sorry, and providing an early warning might just be the difference between life and death. While there are many things you can do to ensure optimal fire safety, having a smoke alarm installed should most definitely be of high priority.

If your home or business is in need of updating its alarms, get in touch for advice or browse our range of smoke alarms today.