In the early morning hours of January 21, while most guests were asleep, a devastating fire ripped through the Grand Kartal Hotel at a ski resort in Turkey. The fire killed at least 78 people and injured at least 50 others. Many of the victims included adults and children staying at the hotel for a ski vacation.
“On behalf of NFPA, I extend our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and the Turkish community impacted by this disaster,” said Jim Pauley, NFPA president & CEO. “As Turkey and its people recover from this tragedy, NFPA stands ready to support them by sharing our expertise and resources to strengthen fire safety in their country and communities.”
An investigation into the cause of the blaze that destroyed the 12-story, wood-clad hotel has just begun. However, reports by survivors point to a stunning number of safety lapses. In reporting by the New York Times and the BBC, hotel guests describe terrifying escapes, made worse by a seeming absence of an adequate fire alarm system, clearly marked fire exits, and a lack of other fire protection systems such as sprinklers.
The Need for Fire Alarms and Early Detection
According to survivors, the lack of a functioning or effective fire alarm system delayed their awareness of the fire, costing critical time necessary for evacuation. Several relevant NFPA codes and standards are used widely throughout the United States and by other jurisdictions throughout the world. These standards set minimum requirements that provide a framework to prevent these types of tragedies from happening. In fact, many safety codes and standards were updated after the U.S. suffered its own catastrophic hotel fire at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, which killed 85 people in 1980.
Early fire detection and occupant notification through a properly installed, maintained, and functioning fire alarm system is essential for saving lives. NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code®, establishes minimum fire detection and alarm systems requirements in homes and commercial buildings. NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® emphasizes that fire alarm systems need to be operational and tested regularly to ensure that building occupants are alerted promptly to a fire threat so that they can evacuate.
“In residential buildings like hotels, which are characterized by occupants who are asleep for a portion of the time they occupy the building, a functioning fire alarm system is not just a recommendation; it's a lifeline," said Jonathan Hart, an NFPA fire protection engineer. "Early detection and notification give occupants critical time to evacuate, which can mean the difference between life and death."
Confusion About Fire Exits
In media reports, survivors make it clear that it was not easy to identify exits during the chaos. Many were under the impression that they only had one way out of the building, with some forced to jump from windows to escape the flames. This confusion underscores the critical importance of clear, identifiable, and accessible fire exits to facilitate safe evacuation.
“The Grand Kartal Hotel fire is a brutal and urgent reminder that fire knows no boundaries. Whether in a hotel surrounded by snow-capped peaks or a high-rise in a bustling metropolitan city, fire safety is a shared responsibility that demands vigilance, compliance, and continuous commitment.”
NFPA 101 outlines clear guidelines for means of egress, including:
Accessible, clearly marked exits.
Two or more escape routes to ensure no single point of failure.
Regular maintenance to keep exits unobstructed and functional.
"When it comes to egress, especially in taller buildings, having at least two separate exists accessible from every part of every story is key," said Hart. "Multiple clearly marked means of egress can prevent the bottlenecks and confusion that can cost lives during a fire emergency."
In addition to problems with fire exits, reports indicate that, due to the remote location of the hotel and weather conditions, responding emergency crews took more than an hour to arrive on the scene to fight the fire. The response may have been expedited by a functioning alarm system, as these systems also provide automated emergency notifications that facilitate a prompt response by fire departments.
Fire Safety Inspections, Sprinklers, and Accountability
There are conflicting reports of when, how often, and by whom the Grand Kartal Hotel was inspected. However, the tragic outcome raises questions about the quality of any inspections and whether fire protection systems were adequately implemented. According to a statement from the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects cited by the BBC, "In the photos on the hotel's website, it is seen that the automatic sprinkler system, which was supposed to be installed in 2008, was not installed." NFPA 101 requires all new hotels to have an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. The code also requires fire sprinklers in all existing hotels in high rise buildings, which are buildings where the floor of an occupiable story is greater than 75 ft (23 m) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
A review of data on catastrophic fires, defined as 10 or more deaths, reveals that these types of high-fatality fires have become rare in buildings such as hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools in the U.S. “These types of buildings typically have stricter code requirements, especially related to the installation of sprinklers,” said Birgitte Messerschmidt, director of research at NFPA. “This indicates that, where sprinklers are required by code, we see a positive impact on life safety.”
Eleven individuals have reportedly been detained as part of the ongoing probe into the fire.
Resources for The Public
“Many people assume that when they stay at a hotel, the needed safety systems are in place, but unfortunately, and tragically at times, that’s not always the case,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “People need to confirm that the hotel has working fire alarms and fire sprinkler systems, as well as carbon monoxide detection, which is a safety feature not all hotels provide.” NFPA offers a safety tip sheet to help travelers in hotels and motels make their stays safer.
Building a Culture of Safety
This tragedy and previous disasters in Turkey highlight the need for a culture of safety that prioritizes prevention, education, and preparedness. NFPA is currently working with Turkish fire and safety organizations to advance safety based on the framework of the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™. NFPA created the safety ecosystem in 2018 as a model for how to reduce loss collectively and collaboratively. Every one of the eight interconnected cogs of the ecosystem is essential; if any component is missing or broken, the system of safety can collapse, and ragedies can occur. Like every large loss fire, the investigation of this one will identify significant gaps that must be addressed. If this tragedy is met with complacency or indifference, it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes again.
The Grand Kartal Hotel fire is a brutal and urgent reminder that fire knows no boundaries. Whether in a hotel surrounded by snow-capped peaks or a high-rise in a bustling metropolitan city, fire safety is a shared responsibility that demands vigilance, compliance, and continuous commitment.
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