Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

As one of the main megacities in developing countries, São Paulo is characterized by serious urban problems found in undeveloped countries and some amenities from developed ones. One of the consequences of this situation is the unique firesafety problems found in large scale buildings such as shopping malls, multiple-use complexes and high-rise buildings, where the lack of adequate fire regulation can drive to the construction of “modern” but unsafe spaces. This paper presents the results of a study of high-rise building fires through the analysis of the São Paulo State Fire Department database as well as the results of a field survey in high-rise office buildings, focusing the matter of the occupant´s firesafety consciousness. Despite the concern of some public authorities about firesafety improvement, it is very clear that the general population and particularly those who live or work in high-rise buildings are neither aware of fire prevention measures nor prepared to face fire incidents. These matters are also discussed and analyzed in this paper.