A study from Berlin and Moscow suggests that the number of fires has increased over the last century and that fire deaths have increased, with nearly all the casualties occurring in residential fires. New fire causes such as electricity, negligence dealing with open flames, smoking and arson are important. Major fires are considered to have become “more violent” than in the past.
This situation, despite efforts in building safety and fire protection, are compared to the considerable changes in materials and contents in buildings, with new fire hazards in building materials, and considerable presence of plastics, electrical equipment, etc. in residential buildings. Considerable data gaps are underlined.
“Fire risks in German cities from 1900 to 2009” in German (Brandrisiken deuscher Städdte im Zeitraum 1900 bis 2009), J. Herweg, P. Wagner, S. Sokolov, Y. Kolomiets, Berlin Fire Service and Moscow State Academy for Fire Safety. VFDB magazine 2/2015, 16 pages www.vfdb.de