FIRE SAFETY IN HERITAGE BUILDINGS

By: Einar Karlsen architect, Riksantikvaren (Directorate for Cultural Heritage) Norway 1. ABSTRACT The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage has been working systematically with fire protection since the 1980s. Maximum safety with minimum damage has been a main objective in fire protection of historic buildings in Norway. A fire strategy and an extended cost-benefit analysis should always be carried out to prevent damage to the fabric of the building and unnecessary aesthetic intrusion. Sprinklers were installed in the 1960s in some of the stave churches. During the 1980s sprinklers and fire detection systems were installed in a large proportion of the stave churches. The work was intensified at the beginning of the 1990s because of the threat of arson. During a period of less than five years´ extensive measures were carried out in the 28 surviving stave churches. In addition to the stave churches a program has been carried out to protect a selection of the other 400 most valuabl...

By: Chris Wattie , Canwest News Service Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 TORONTO - Flames consumed a block of heritage buildings on Toronto's Queen Street West on Wednesday, collapsing one historic structure and leaving several others empty blackened shells in a huge fire that one community leader said "left a hole in the heart of the city." More than 150 firefighters and 40 pumper and ladder trucks fought the stubborn fire for hours in windy, freezing weather that covered firefighters, rubble, power lines and store fronts in a coat of ice that froze almost as soon as it left firefighters' hoses. It took more than three hours to contain the blaze within the six-building bloc where it broke out at about 5 a.m. and the fire continued to smoulder for the rest of the afternoon. One building collapsed completely just as fire crews were scrambling out of the structure and another had to be pulled down to allow access to...

The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today voiced concern about damage caused to the Castello di Moncalieri, in the Italian Province of Turin, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997. A fire broke out on 5 April causing severe damage to the royal apartments and to several floors in one of the watchtowers of the building, a former residence of the House of Savoy. "I am deeply saddened by the loss of an important part of this royal residence," said the Director-General. "It is, however, a relief that the fire brigades were able to prevent even greater destruction," he added, calling for an urgent assessment of the damage with a view to restoring the castle. Built in 1100 and extended over several centuries, the Castello di Moncalieri was the main family residence of the House of Savoy from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List, along with several other royal residences, as bearing testimony to monumen...

Author: Paul Arnold According to English Heritage, the body responsible for the protection of a large number of historic buildings in England , on average two historic buildings burn down each week. While loss of life is not normally associated with these incidents, there is clearly a perception that old buildings represent significant hazards and accordingly the authorities here in Ireland have been reluctant to accord any special consideration to historic buildings when formulating regulations. Historic buildings open to the public are frequently the subject of arson attacks, while buildings are at significantly greater risk during the course of any construction works. Spectacular examples of fires during repair include the fires at York Minster and Windsor Castle . The regulatory environment All buildings open to the public are subject to the workings of the Fire Services Act, which, among other things, sets out standards for egress and stability in the event of fire. These st...

Centuries-old gate in Seoul was considered country's top national treasure Built in 1398, destroyed by fire in 11 Feb.2008 SEOUL, South Korea - An overnight fire destroyed one of Seoul's great landmarks, the centuries-old wooden structure that topped the Namdaemun gate and was deemed South Korea's No. 1 national treasure, a police official said Monday. Police did not yet determine the cause of the fire, said Sohn Young-jin, a police official handling the case. He did not give further details. The fire broke out Sunday night and burnt down the wooden structure at the top of the 610-year-old Namdaemun gate that once formed part of a wall that encircled the capital. The two-tiered wooden structure was renovated in the 1960s, when it was declared South Korea 's top national treasure, and again in 2005. The government opened the gate, officially known as Sungnyemun, to the public in 2006 for the first time in nearly a century. The gate had been off-limits to th...