21 dead, 37 rescued after fire breaks out at South Delhi's restaurant: NFPA's restaurant fire protection basics

In an unfortunate incident, at least 21 people have died after a fire broke out at a restaurant in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said it received a call about the blaze at 9.45 am and dispatched multiple fire tenders to the scene. According to news agency PTI, many of those killed are foreigner and a total of 37 people were rescued from the building during the operations. They all were taken to hospital in Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulances. The exact cause of the fire is still not known, but it is most likely that the blaze originated from the restaurant, states report.According to experts, fire safety is a critical aspect of restaurant operations, as commercial kitchens contain multiple fire hazards, including open flames, hot cooking equipment, electrical appliances, and flammable cooking oils. Before the operations begin, implementing proper fire safety measures helps protect employees, customers, and property while minimizing the risk of accidents and business disruptions. Also, regular maintenance of kitchen equipment, installation of fire extinguishers and suppression systems, staff training, and adherence to safety regulations can significantly reduce the likelihood of fire incidents.The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show that for eating and drinking establishments, the majority of fires occur in the kitchen and specifically involve cooking equipment. With that in mind, NFPA has listed fire protection basics that every restaurant should follow.Egress: NFPA's blog states that the restaurant should have the ability for patrons to evacuate the place in the event of a fire. r restaurants with an occupant load of 50 or more, which would classify them as an assembly occupancy, the main entrance must be sized to be able to accommodate at least one half of the total occupant load. Other exits must be provided to handle the additional capacity with the total number being based on layout and maintaining acceptable travel distances.Some common areas of concern regarding safe egress include the arrangement of chairs and tables cutting down on the available aisle accessways as well secondary exits being locked, blocked, or obstructed by storage.Fire Alarm: It also states that places with an overload of 300 and more, there must be a fire alarm system. Also, if it is a standalone building, then there must be a fire alarm. Where required, the system will need to be initiated by one of or a combination of manual operation (pull stations), automatic detection, or sprinkler system waterflow. Notification of the occupants is required to be a voice announcement and include visible signals.Sprinkler Protection: NFPA states that sprinklers have not traditionally been required for all restaurants.Beginning with the 2021 edition of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, restaurants that are assembly occupancies of new construction will require sprinkler protection. Like fire alarms, a lot of variables can play into the need for sprinkler protection, including construction type, height, other uses of the building, and more. Where considering a standalone building used only as a restaurant its classification as an assembly occupancy does not require sprinkler protection for any existing construction unless it can also be considered a nightclub, dance hall, or discotheque in which case they are required for occupant loads over 100.Wet-chemical extinguishing system: The majority of fires in restaurants are caused by cooking equipment. For this reason, any cooking equipment used in processes that produce grease-laden vapors must be provided with ventilation and a fire extinguishing system. The fire extinguishing systems must be listed to UL 300 or equivalent standards which is currently only achieved by wet chemical extinguishing systems.Class-K Fire Extinguisher: While the fixed extinguishing system is intended to be the primary means of extinguishment, at least one portable fire extinguisher is also required to be provided in the kitchen area. Extinguishers in kitchens need to be Class K to be appropriate for use on the cooking medium. Signage is required at the extinguisher in the form of a placard that is conspicuously placed near each Class K extinguisher that states that the fire protection system must be activated prior to using the fire extinguisher.Inspection and Maintenance: Routine inspection and maintenance of cooking equipment, the hood and exhaust systems, and fire extinguishing equipment (including fire extinguishers) are vital to ensuring that protection is maintained consistently for the restaurant. In addition, instructions need to be provided to new employees on hiring and to all employees annually on the use of portable fire extinguishers and the manual actuation of the fire-extinguishing system. Hoods need to be inspected for grease buildup at a frequency that is typically semi-annually for most restaurants but can be more or less frequent, depending on the type and volume of cooking. When that inspection finds grease buildup the hood and exhaust system must be cleaned.