Fire

This paper researches information related to why hazards develop into disasters, and investigates a detailed, risk-informed approach to better address these hazards particularly related to fire and more effectively and efficiently protecting our cultural heritage.

Fire management implications and the design of conservation strategies on fire prone landscapes within the UNESCO World Heritage Properties require the application of wildfire risk assessment at landscape level. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variation of wildfire risk on Holy Mount Athos in Greece.

CFPA EUROPE Guideline

Guide for recovery of libraries and archives affected by water or fire

Guide prepared by the group of World Heritage Cities to develop fire safety plans for archives, museums and libraries.

The identification and assessment of fire risk with advice on its management and appropriate technology consistent with accepted conservation principles, as well as an overview of legislation. This publication replaces TANs 11, 14, 22 and 28.

Loss of collections in museums can be significant during a fire. It is important that museums put control measures in place to prevent a fire, to detect a fire, and to respond quickly if a fire does occur. To evaluate potential collection losses due to fire over a certain period of time, substantial information is required and there is little quantitative data for fires in museums. It was decided to obtain this data by collecting fire museum records from Canadian fire authorities as well as from fire authorities in other countries and by consulting with experts. This project has resulted in establishing fire Control Levels for museums and in creating a set of reference materials to help risk assessors evaluate the potential collection losses due to a fire. According to experts consulted in this study, having an active fire safety committee composed of staff and management is one of the key elements in fire prevention. Such a committee helps promote awareness and identify problems, as well as propose solutions and ensure that these solutions are applied to minimize risk of fire in an institution.
For optimal protection, museums are encouraged to have a fire alarm system that is monitored continuously as well as an automatic fire suppression system.

Emergency action in the case of fire-damaged collections

The main objective of this document is the definition, at a European level, of the degree of loss to “Built Heritage” through the effects of fire and the proposal of remedial actions and recommendations to combat such loss, using minimal invasive techniques.