Fire curtains are essential safety devices designed to contain and control fire in buildings.
They provide protection and enable safe evacuation during a fire. Fire curtains are primarily used to divide areas. We divide areas to prevent the spread of fire, smoke and toxic gases throughout the building. Here’s a detailed guide to understanding fire curtains, their uses, and the technology behind them.
What Is A Fire Curtain?
A fire curtain is a specially designed barrier that is deployed in the event of a fire to prevent the spread of flames and smoke. Typically made from highly fire-resistant materials, fire curtains can be automatically or manually activated. They are integrated into a building’s fire protection system and are usually installed in spaces where traditional fire doors or walls are impractical. Fire curtains are widely used in open-plan areas like shopping centres, cinemas, theatres and airports.
Fire Curtain Heat Resistance Levels
Heat resistance is one of the most essential attributes of a fire curtain. These materials can endure extreme temperatures, often exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius.
Fire resistance levels for fire curtains in the UK are typically expressed in time durations, indicating how long the curtain can withstand fire before failing. Common classifications include:
- 30 Minutes (E30)
- 60 Minutes (E60)
- 120 Minutes (E120)
- 180 Minutes (E180)
In addition to integrity (E), some fire curtains also have insulation (I) ratings, such as EI60 or EI120, meaning they can maintain both their integrity and insulation for the specified time.
Automatic Deployment of Fire Curtains
These fire curtains are housed in a slim box casing. Often they are discreetly installed above doors or openings, and will automatically deploy when triggered by a fire alarm. Take a look at our fire alarm systems page.
Fire curtains can, in some cases, serve as a modern alternative to traditional fire doors, allowing for more open corridors and doorways. This unobtrusive design makes fire curtains an ideal solution for areas where maintaining an open and spacious environment is essential.
Why Use A Fire Curtain?
Fire curtains provide an innovative, space-efficient solution. They offer greater fire protection in UK buildings. Using fire curtains can help prevent the spread of fire and smoke, comply with British fire safety regulations, and are ideal for modern, open-plan designs.
Key reasons to use a fire curtain:
- Compliance with fire safety regulations.
- Containment.
- Egress.
- Space efficiency
- Enhanced fire protection.
- Smoke control.
Unlike traditional fire doors, fire curtains remain hidden until needed, offering both enhanced safety and aesthetic flexibility in a wide range of commercial and public spaces.
Using Fire Curtains to Contain Fires
Containment is one of the most important benefits of fire curtains. When a fire breaks out, it can spread rapidly. Quite quickly large areas of a building can be engulfed in flames making it difficult to control.
Fire curtains are designed to effectively contain the fire. Utilising these products, we can restrict a fire to a specific area, limiting its spread. Containment not only helps in managing the fire more effectively but also reduces the risk of it becoming unmanageable. This containment buys valuable time for the fire brigade to arrive and tackle the blaze, ultimately aiding in quicker and safer fire suppression efforts.
Egress For Building Occupants
Egress, or the safe evacuation of building occupants, is significantly improved by the use of fire curtains.
During a fire, smoke and flames can quickly obscure visibility and make escape routes hazardous. Fire curtains help to manage and direct the flow of smoke, keeping it confined to specific areas and preventing it from spreading throughout the building.
This creates clearer, safer escape routes, allowing occupants to evacuate the premises more quickly and safely. In emergency situations, every second counts, and the improved egress provided by fire curtains can make the difference between life and death. By maintaining breathable air and visibility along evacuation paths, fire curtains ensure that occupants can reach safety with minimal risk of smoke inhalation or other injuries.
Fire Curtain Testing and Compliance
Ensuring the effectiveness of fire curtains is a matter of rigorous testing. In the UK we must adhere to specific standards.
BS 8524 – Performance for Active Fire Curtain Barriers
BS 8524 is a British Standard that specifies the performance requirements for active fire curtain barriers.
This standard covers several critical aspects of fire curtain performance, including:
- Fire resistance.
- Operational reliability
- Smoke containment.
Fire curtains tested under BS 8524 must demonstrate their ability to withstand high temperatures for a specified duration. This ensures they can contain the fire and prevent its spread effectively.
The standard also assesses the operational reliability of fire curtains, ensuring they can deploy automatically and correctly when a fire is detected.
BS 8524 includes requirements for the curtain’s ability to restrict the movement of smoke. This is vital for maintaining clear escape routes and protecting building occupants from the harmful effects of smoke inhalation.
BS EN 16034 – Performance Requirements for Fire Doors, Shutters and Fire Resistant Windows
BS EN 16034 is a European standard that specifies the performance requirements for fire doors, fire curtains, shutters, and fire-resistant windows. It incorporates their ability to resist fire and smoke.
Key aspects of BS EN 16034 include:
- Fire resistance (E): Ensures that the product prevents flames from passing through.
- Smoke control (S): Verifies the product’s ability to limit the spread of smoke.
- Insulation (I): Measures how well the product prevents the transmission of heat.
It applies to products used for fire compartmentation and escape routes. They must meet essential safety criteria for controlling the spread of fire and smoke in buildings.
Click here for a complete guide on fire safety legislation
How Often Should A Fire Curtain Be Serviced?
It is generally recommended to service fire curtains at least once a year.
Regular maintenance is important to ensure the functionality and reliability of fire curtains. However, the exact frequency can depend on the manufacturer’s guidelines, usage, and specific building regulations.
Regular servicing includes:
- Checking the curtain’s condition.
- Testing its deployment mechanism.
- Verifying compliance with current fire safety standards.
To maintain the effectiveness of your fire safety systems, regular servicing by professionals is essential.
OHEAP offers comprehensive servicing for fire curtains and smoke curtains, ensuring they remain in optimal working condition. Our services include routine inspections, testing, and maintenance, providing peace of mind that your fire protection measures are reliable and compliant with all relevant standards.
We also offer fire extinguisher servicing, here’s our extinguisher servicing guide!
Fire Curtains vs Smoke Curtains
Smoke curtains and fire curtains serve different but complementary roles in fire safety systems.
Fire curtains are designed to contain both flames and heat, preventing the spread of fire between compartments in a building. They provide a high level of fire resistance, typically rated to withstand fire for 30 to 180 minutes.
Smoke curtains, on the other hand, focus primarily on controlling the movement of smoke, a major cause of injury and death in fires. Smoke curtains are essential for maintaining clear escape routes by channelling or containing smoke, helping to ensure safer evacuation.
Who Needs A Fire Curtain?
Fire curtains are essential in various types of buildings and public spaces where large, open areas present unique fire safety challenges. These environments often have high occupancy rates and require robust fire protection measures to ensure the safety of everyone present.
At OHEAP we have a wide range of accreditations in fire safety and security. That’s how you know you can trust us!
Open Shops
Open ended shops, particularly those located in shopping centres, are prime candidates for the installation of fire curtains. Shopping centres typically feature expansive open spaces with multiple stores interconnected by common areas. In the event of a fire, the absence of physical barriers can allow flames and smoke to spread rapidly across these large open spaces, endangering shoppers and staff alike. Fire curtains in these environments act as invisible barriers that can be deployed swiftly to section off the affected area, preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent stores and common areas.
Cinemas and Theatres
Cinemas and theatres are another category of venues where fire curtains are critical. These entertainment venues often have large, open auditoriums filled with numerous occupants, creating a high-risk scenario in the event of a fire. The presence of highly flammable materials, such as upholstery and stage curtains, further exacerbates this risk. Fire curtains in cinemas and theatres can be strategically placed to create fire compartments within the building. By containing the fire in specific areas, such as the stage or a particular section of the auditorium, fire curtains prevent the rapid spread of flames and smoke.
Airports and Public Transport Hubs
Airports and public transport hubs are characterised by high traffic and extensive open spaces, making robust fire protection measures like fire curtains indispensable. In particular, airports have vast terminals with numerous passengers, shops, and restaurants. In such a dynamic environment, the rapid spread of fire and smoke can have catastrophic consequences. Fire curtains in airports can be deployed to isolate the fire, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the terminal. This isolation helps to protect passengers, staff, and critical infrastructure, such as control rooms and baggage handling areas.
