Causes of Fires in Mountainous Villages and Design Methods for Its Prevention and Control

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jcte.202406303

Author(s)

Mingming Gao1,2, Zhu Wang1,*, Yi Hua1

Affiliation(s)

1College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China 2School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China *Corresponding Author.

Abstract

Fires in mountainous villages are characterized by "frequent ignition, rapid spread, and difficult extinguishment," posing significant threats to the lives and property, physical space, and cultural heritage of these communities. This paper investigates the causes of fires in mountainous villages through field surveys and semi-structured interviews, based on the theory of fire triangle. The study finds that the primary causes include villagers' improper use of fire and electricity, high fire loads, low fire resistance of buildings, dense village construction, inadequate fire protection facilities, and poor maintenance, along with challenging firefighting conditions. In response, the paper proposes specific design methods such as strengthening the separation between villages and forests, dividing fire protection clusters, and implementing multi-level isolation measures to control fire spread. These methods aim to provide a reference for fire protection planning and design in mountainous villages.

Keywords

Mountainous Villages; Causes of Fires; Design of Fire Prevention and Control; Fire Protection Cluster; Fire Separation

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