| dc.description.abstract | One of the significant forces on Earth is fire. Humans' use of fire has long been regarded
as a distinguishing trait of intelligence that sets us apart from other animals (Scott, 2018).
For a fire, there are three essential elements. Fuel must first be available to burn. Because
combustion is fundamentally an oxidation process that releases heat, light, and oxygen must
be accessible. Third, a heat or ignition source is necessary for the fire to start (Furer, 2021).
However, there have been a number of fires globally, many of which led to the death of
people and the destruction of property. Both natural and human causes have contributed to
these fires. In the context of Uganda, a number of fires have been reported, with the Salama
School for the blind fire in Mukono, which claimed the lives of 11 pupils, being the most
recent.
Although it looks like human beings are confident in their capacity to manage fire with the
present fire-resistant materials, rules, and regulations in place, we must avoid being
overconfident given the Uganda Police 2021 Annual Crime Report that stated that, a total
of 1,258 fire emergencies were handled in 2021 compared to 1,015 in 2020, marking a
23.9% increase. These events have made the nation insecure, destroyed trust in the
institutions that fight fires and save lives, resulted in the loss of property and lives, and
induced worry in the minds of government officials, and the public.
Building designers can directly affect the structure of the building to provide an appropriate
level of fire safety, and reduce the hazards from heat and smoke saving lives and property.
Designers should constantly have fire safety in mind while developing designs as a risk
reduction and elimination hierarchy. | en_US |
