The fire situation and progress in fire safety science and technology in China

Since the 1950s, the direct property damage due to fire has increased with the development of industrialization and urbanization in China. The number of fire casualties has come down significantly since the 1980s while fire incidents with high casualties has occurred occasionally. Research on fire safety science and technology and its application have advanced, encouraged by Government at all levels, the Fire Service Department of the Ministry of Public Security and all of society. In recent years, the fire situation in China has become relatively stable and an effective strength in fire research has been established, comprising the four Fire Research Institutes of the Ministry of Public Security, the State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, fire enterprises and other fire research institutes. Since the 1990s, research has been carried out on fire detection and alarm, fire suppression techniques, structural fire-resistance, fire prevention techniques, fire modeling, performance-based fire protection design, urban fire protection planning, fire-fighting and rescue, fire protection standardization, fire dynamics and the fundamentals of fire protection. In the next 5 years, research will be focused on the theory of fire dynamics; evaluation techniques for fire risk and fire and rescue services of urban areas; new techniques of fire suppression systems and equipment and their engineering application; modernization of fire department apparatus and equipment; techniques for evaluation and design of structural fire resistance; human behavior in fire; development of a fire database; fire protection engineering economics; and performance-based fire protection design.