Understanding how humans react during building fires is critical for occupants, designers, and leaders responsible for safety. A fire’s unpredictability requires a deep understanding of physical and psychological responses to ensure better planning and decision-making.

Human response during a fire can be divided into phases, including recognition, validation, pre-movement, and movement. Psychological factors like decision-making and action reassessment drive these physical actions, influencing how quickly and effectively people evacuate a building.

The remainder of this article dives deeper into the details of human behavior during fires.

Physical Human Response During a Building Fire

According to the Handbook of Smoke Control Engineering, an occupant’s physical response to a building fire can be divided into four distinct phases:

1. Recognition Phase: The time it takes for occupants to detect the fire, either by sensing it themselves or being alerted by the fire alarm system.
2. Validation Phase: The time it takes for occupants to confirm that the fire is real and severe enough to require evacuation.
3. Pre-Movement Phase: The time occupants spend preparing to evacuate. This may involve activities such as getting dressed, notifying loved ones, assisting disabled individuals, or waking up if asleep.
4. Movement Phase: The time it takes for occupants to physically move through the building toward an exit or safe refuge area.

For building designers, the “timed egress analysis” used in life safety design primarily focuses on the Movement Phase. However, the first three phases rely heavily on engineering judgment, as they can vary based on the building and its occupants.

Psychological Human Response During a Building Fire

Looking deeper, an occupant’s physical actions during a fire are driven by their psychological response. The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering outlines the general thought process during a fire in six steps:

1. Recognition: The individual detects something unusual (such as odors, haze, or strange noises).
2. Validation: The individual investigates further and confirms that a fire is present in the building.
3. Definition: The individual assesses the severity of the fire.
4. Evaluation: The individual weighs possible actions they can take.
5. Commitment: The individual decides on and carries out an initial action.
6. Reassessment: After the initial action, the individual evaluates its success and plans their next steps accordingly.

These psychological steps influence how quickly and effectively individuals respond to a fire.

Citations

1. Klote, J. H., Milke, J. A., Turnbull, P. G., Kashef, A., & Ferreira, M. J. (2012). Handbook of Smoke Control Engineering. ASHRAE.
2. Bryan, J.L. 2008. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, Behavioural Response to Fire and Smoke. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association.