The whole publication in PDF - Culture in Development

In addition to charring of paper materials, the high temperatures will affect the cellulose structures causing
brittleness even if they are not burnt. Soot will embed itself into the surface of paper and may carry with it residues
from burnt plastic materials which are imp ossible to rem ove. Any burnt material is mo re fragile, especially if it is
wet. Paper will burn at low tem peratures and has a po rous surface into which soo t particles will embed themselves.
At raised temperature and humidity, mould growth proceeds rapidly causing irreversible damage. Planning ahead
will reduce these types of damage and limit the cost of recovery, as the Bishop Museum states on its website.
Fire fighting efforts may do considerable damage to records, from both the pressure and quantity of water used
to extinguish a blaze, and at least part of the collection will be water damaged. Residues of certain chemical
extinguishers can affect the materials too (Fröjd et al., 1997; R ead, 199 4; Trinkley, 2 001). B ooks burn fairly slowly.
Paper chars and crumbles when handled. Smoke and soot discolour books not otherwise affected. Microforms and
audio-visual materials can be completely destroyed or damaged beyond repair (Brandt-Grau, 2000). For forest fires
see section on Natural Disasters – F orest Fires.
Trinkley, who published more on disaster preparedness, wrote a practical introduction to all the major
components of fire safety. It includes detailed explanations of all the fire detection mechanisms (alarms and smoke
detectors) and suppression devices (sp rinklers, portable extinguishers) typically used in repositories, with analysis
of their features and benefits. Trinkley stresses the importance of conducting fire safety inspections and outlines the
necessary elements of a fire safety programme (Trinkley, 1993a). For the devastating effects of a fire in a library
see Anonymous, 1988b ; Fröjd et al., 1997 and Sung, 1990. For further reading see GSA, 1977; Kraem er Koelier,
1960; Maxwell et al., 1999; Morris, 1979; National Archives of India, 1993; National Fire Protection Association,
1980; Thomas, 1987.
6.2.1.2.1 Fire fighting methods
There are many ways of fighting a fire, one of them being the use of a fire extinguisher. Extinguishers are usually
available in developing countries, yet maintenance is a serious problem. After several years their effectiveness is
probab ly nil. To improve the fire safety regular fire fighting training and upgrading of simpler methods is necessary;
a fire blanket alone is not enough (Rhys-Lewis, 1999 and 2000b). If there is no fire hydrant in close proximity of
the building the creation of an alternative water source, like a pond or a well, including a pump could be a cheap
solution (Trinkley, 2001). Sand may be an option too.
Over the years new fire fighting techniques and methods have been continuously deve loped. T hat is the main
reason why fire safety of existing buildings often lags behind. Part of the problem might be solved by impregnating
wooden structures with fire protective substances (Sepilova et al., 1992). Fire retardants should not be used
indiscriminately as they can cause environm ental problems. Care should be taken in their application, particularly
because some substances are forbidden in several countries (Groshart, 2000).
It is common to divide the fire extinguishers into three groups
• automatic fire suppression systems;
• hand held portable fire extinguishers;
• water hose reels.
The automatic fire suppression system can be either water based, like the water-mist system and the sprinkler
system, or gaseous based, like the carbon dioxide system and the now forbidden halon-gas system. Water-mist
systems use a great deal less water by volume than e.g. sprinklers. They are probably the future of fire suppression
for cultural institutions. The water-mist system has been tested on a stack arrangement similar to the rare bo ok vaults
in the Library of Congress. According to Nick Artim the test was very encouraging, demonstrating substantial fire
suppression with a maximum of 10% of the water discharge which would occur in a normal sprinkler controlled fire
(Atrim, 1995; Dorge, 1999). Sprinkler systems have been a subject of discussion among conservators for several
years. Some are afraid of accidental discharge, others riposte that in the past thirty years there has been no sign of
such an incident whatsoever. Damage to objects after fire brigade action with traditional hoses can be far worse, as
sprinklers release only seventy litres of water a minute com pared to several thousand litres from a fire hose. In
general, water damage on wet records is easier to repair than fire-related damage (Ling, 1998; Fröjd et al., 1997).
If the storage rooms cannot be compartmentalised, as a precautionary measure, the installation of a sprinkler system
is advised. If sprinklers are not used the fire rating for walls and doors should be four hours, otherwise a two-hour
period is suggested (Ling, 1998).
Amongst the gaseous-based systems halon-gas was widely use d until recently. T oday the gas is forbidden in
many countries due to its damaging effect on the environment. Carbon dioxide is still in use in a few archives but
only under very strict regulations. It is a very effective substitute for oxygen without which no fire can exist, but
when people are trapped in the area where the gas has been released, they are bound to die from lack of oxygen. It
is also difficult to deploy the gas efficiently in large areas (Fröjd et al., 1997).
Amongst the available hand held portable fire extinguishers not all are suitable for the use in archives. The ICA
advises having both a carbon dioxide and a water extinguisher at each fire point. Carbon dioxide should, preferably,
be used for fires caused by electrical malfunction. Experiments at the Dutch National Archives showed that carbon
dioxide is ineffective on paper based fires. The ICA recommends one water extinguisher, holding twenty litres, for
each two hundred meters of floor area with a minimum of two extinguishers on each floor. Foam and powder
extinguishers are not recommended as the residue could affect archival materials (Fröjd et al., 1997).
The traditional water hose reels are employed to fight fires too large to handle with hand held extinguishers. The
reels should be situated outside the storage room to reduce dam age in case the water pipes burst. Acco rding to the
ICA, all parts of the building should be no further than six meters away from a fully extended ho se (Fröjd et al.,
1997).
6.2.1.3 Water