Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Although fire statistics in Chile are not very complete, those available clearly show that fire losses have grown significantly in the last few years. Insurance reports indicate that fire related claims have grown almost three fold between 1989 and 1997 (from 6 to more than 17 million dollars [1]). This significant increase in losses can be attributed to many factors of which one of great importance is the dramatic change in construction practices in Chile. Among the changes are a significant increase in construction volume, industrial growth, development of local construction methods and technology and an increasing preference for taller and larger buildings. As an example it can be stated that 23 out of the 25 tallest buildings in Santiago were built within the last 10 years [2]. Despite this dramatic change, Chilean codes and standards have remained almost unaltered throughout the same period [3]. Furthermore, training and education in the area of fire safety is restricted to the fire service and a few occasional training courses. Fire safety authorities and practitioners generally fulfill their roles with simply an intuitive knowledge of current technology and practices. It is therefore clear that a dramatic influx of technology into fire safety practices is necessary in Chile. .