For any fire to burn it has to have at least 3 basic elements, namely fuel, heat and oxygen. To fight a fire one has to try and eliminate at least one of these elements. Water being sprayed on the outside of the building cooled the building down and prevented the fire from spreading through convection and conduction to other parts of the building. The flames inside the have to be smothered to remove the oxygen which can be done by water or foam.To remove the actual fuel was difficult due to the smoke and yes, TOXIC fumes, not just from the fabric, but plastic pipes and any other material that heats up.Certain metals also produce toxic fumes when heated. They had the initial fire under control at one stage but more than likely when damping down/mop up started where they take out and break up the pile of burnt fabric and other materials it got exposed to oxygen again and flared up. The new buildings being constructed are supposed to abide by strict building and safety regulations and have more reliable fire alarms,smoke detectors and fire fighting extinguishers and equipment available. Older sub standard buildings on the other hand are fire hazards just waiting to happen. If you consider how packed they are with flammable materials such as in the Souq, it is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Luckily, and contrary to some reports, no one was hurt or killed by the fire directly and 20 or more firemen were treated for smoke inhalation. Only 1 person was transported to hospital due to being struck by a car at the onset of the fire. The driver was most likely looking at the fire and not on the road. Please, don't knock the firemen. More often than not, they put their lives in danger to save others irrespective of their educational qualifications.We cannot compare 3rd world or developing countries to have the same level of expertise as those portrayed in "Ladder 49" 'Towering inferno" or "Backdraft".
For any fire to burn it has to have at least 3 basic elements, namely fuel, heat and oxygen. To fight a fire one has to try and eliminate at least one of these elements. Water being sprayed on the outside of the building cooled the building down and prevented the fire from spreading through convection and conduction to other parts of the building. The flames inside the have to be smothered to remove the oxygen which can be done by water or foam.To remove the actual fuel was difficult due to the smoke and yes, TOXIC fumes, not just from the fabric, but plastic pipes and any other material that heats up.Certain metals also produce toxic fumes when heated. They had the initial fire under control at one stage but more than likely when damping down/mop up started where they take out and break up the pile of burnt fabric and other materials it got exposed to oxygen again and flared up. The new buildings being constructed are supposed to abide by strict building and safety regulations and have more reliable fire alarms,smoke detectors and fire fighting extinguishers and equipment available. Older sub standard buildings on the other hand are fire hazards just waiting to happen. If you consider how packed they are with flammable materials such as in the Souq, it is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Luckily, and contrary to some reports, no one was hurt or killed by the fire directly and 20 or more firemen were treated for smoke inhalation. Only 1 person was transported to hospital due to being struck by a car at the onset of the fire. The driver was most likely looking at the fire and not on the road. Please, don't knock the firemen. More often than not, they put their lives in danger to save others irrespective of their educational qualifications.We cannot compare 3rd world or developing countries to have the same level of expertise as those portrayed in "Ladder 49" 'Towering inferno" or "Backdraft".