Are Green Products A New Fire Hazard?

On today’s show we are talking about new dangers in apartment buildings that have not been fully handled in the design of buildings or the building code. 

Certain metals produce their own fuel once ignited. You probably have done the science experiment of lighting a piece of magnesium wire on fire. Once lit, you can put this piece of burning wire into a tub of water and it will keep burning. 

The conventional wisdom in fire fighting is that if you have a fire, then the fastest way to put it out is to remove its source of oxygen. But what happens when the fire produces its own oxygen and the chemical reaction continues no matter what you do? 

Have you ever wondered why fireworks don’t go out even if it’s raining? Once a firework is lit, it will continue to burn until all of the fuel is expended. 

Now imagine if the fire is in the underground garage in your apartment building, or perhaps in the bicycle storage room next to the lobby of your building. Those electric bicycles are now a new type of fire hazard that didn’t exist a few years ago. The electric vehicles are a new type of fire hazard that didn’t exist a few years ago. 

When I look at the risks in a building, I believe that the bicycle room represents an equal if not a greater fire risk than the garage. In many cases, charging is being retrofitted into buildings that were never designed to have electric vehicles. This is something that you as a building owner need to become educated about and take real steps to mitigate that risk. 

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