Extensive reforms have been implemented regarding fire safety after the major fire on Bræðraborgarstígur five years ago. The fire chief of the capital area says, however, that it is difficult to deal with greedy landlords, who find loopholes.
It has been five years since the fire on Bræðraborgarstígur, where three people died. The fire chief of the capital area says that extensive improvements have been made in fire safety but that it is difficult to contend with the greed of landlords.
A working group delivered thirteen proposals for improvements to three ministries after the fire and twelve of them have already been implemented. The thirteenth concerns a complete review of the fire safety law and is on the table of the fjármálaráðuneytið (Ministry of Finance).
This was discussed at a meeting of Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun (Housing and Construction Authority).
Jón Viðar Matthíasson, fire chief of Slökkvilið höfuðborgarsvæðisins (Capital Area Fire Service), gave a lecture there, where he said that it is not always the system that is failing, but sometimes that landlords exploit loopholes for profit.
Sometimes people fail to do things that need to be done to ensure the safety of those who live or stay in the building. And as is obvious to us the greed to rent out is not always in line with responsibility and safety. People may be sacrificing fire compartments, people may be avoiding having a strong fire protection system. Some even try to avoid having a sprinkler system. These things cost money but they absolutely prove their worth when the moment comes.
This is something to be learned from.
Fire safety in the house [at Bræðraborgarstígur] – it was completely absent. The house was ablaze in seconds. In fact it was set alight but regardless of that if fire safety had been in place it might have been possible to rescue some people, but it was not possible.
He says the fire clearly affected society and no less the firefighters.
It is not easy to be at the scene and forbid firefighters from going into a burning house. Men want to go further, want to reach it, which is their very purpose to rescue people out but it was not possible to do it because the floor was literally collapsing beneath them. It is incredibly difficult for a smoke diver who wants to do exactly what he is trained for, not to be allowed to do so… The starting point is that everyone is doing their best but it has to be possible. We had no chance of doing anything.
Source: Ruv.is
