A fire often starts unnoticed and can quickly develop into a serious danger. Smoke and smoke particles, which are not necessarily immediately visible, are already produced in the initial phase of a fire, the so-called smoldering phase. This phase is critical, as the smoke particles and resulting gases can be harmful to health even in low concentrations and restrict the visibility in the event of an evacuation. The earliest possible detection of these smoke particles is therefore crucial in order to identify fires in their early stages and initiate countermeasures as quickly as possible.
NUMBERS – DATA – FACTS
Electricity is the number one cause of fire (31%), followed by human error and overheating.
In 2021, there were 197,934 fires/explosions in Germany, or around 540 fires/explosions per day*.
In addition to the destruction caused by the fire itself, soot and smoke contamination as well as the influence of destructive extinguishing agents are also decisive for the damage caused.
Smoke is particularly harmful: smoke inhalation is the most common cause of death in fires.
*Source: Dt. Feuerwehrverband
When a fire develops, there is initially a smoldering phase in which a material burns without an open flame, but with the addition of heat, and gases are released. The subsequent development of a fire can be divided into four stages: Incipient stage, growth stage, fully developed stage and decay stage.
In the incipient stage, the material begins to burn openly. In the growth stage, the fire spreads and gains in intensity. The fully developed stage marks the climax, in which the fire reaches its maximum energy output and expansion. Finally, the decay stage takes place, in which the fire subsides due to a lack of fuel or due to extinguishing measures, before finally dying out.
Early fire detection plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of people and the protection of the environment, goods, assets and processes. Modern aspirating smoke detection systems, such as the TITANUS® early fire detection system from WAGNER, are designed to detect smoke particles in the air before they are even visible to the naked eye. These systems continuously take air samples from the environment and analyze them for the finest smoke particles. This technology enables fires to be detected as soon as they start and appropriate alarms and countermeasures to be initiated.
The effectiveness of aspirating smoke detection systems makes them an indispensable component of modern fire protection concepts. Not only do they provide a decisive time advantage for effective fire extinguishing, they also help to minimize the spread of fire and smoke, thus saving lives and limiting damage to property. Investing in such early detection systems is an investment in safety and can be decisive in an emergency.
The aspirating smoke detectors of the TITANUS® product family for highly sensitive, false alarm-proof early fire detection form the basis of every integrated fire protection solution and can be ideally combined with our systems for fire prevention or fire extinguishing, depending on the requirements and application.
“We understand and exist to control fire. Worldwide our customers trust this motivation and competence in fire protection for decades.”
