ABSTRACT
In any nonresidential building, results of re are catastrophic. The potential for loss of life, property damage, and loss of revenue is tremendous. A classic example is the MGM Grand Hotel re in 1980. At the time, it was the second-largest loss of life in a hotel re in U.S. history, with 84 deaths and 785 injuries from smoke and toxic fume inhalation [1]. A small re spread rapidly through elevator shafts and stairwells. At the time, sprinkler systems were the only line of defense, but they were inadequate to stop the spread of re. Since that time, much effort in re prevention, both public and private, has gone into protecting nonresidential structures, and the results have been highly effective, especially when compared to residential res.
