We have probably all been raised on a concoction of Hollywood movies where fires conveniently burn in very small sections of buildings without ever impairing the visibility too much. However, in real life, fire is a much bigger threat than many people are aware of, and an entire room can be completely ablaze within a matter of seconds and visibility be lost entirely. Keep also in mind that the inhalation of smoke will render you unconscious within a very short timespan.
Therefore, in the event of a fire, individuals are likely to have a matter of mere seconds to respond, not the vast minutes and hours we have come to expect from the films. As such, fire safety training is extremely important, as is access to high quality fire safety equipment. It is easy to assume that one fire extinguisher in a building is enough and that one fire alarm will give you plenty of time for everyone in the building to respond. However, where possible, it can be extremely beneficial, and at very little extra cost, to have an alarm in each and every room and fire extinguishers at least on every level of a building.
The good news is that very few fires are unavoidable. However, this does mean that you need to be totally prepared in terms of both the fire safety equipment you have as well as in terms of the safety training you offer, especially in businesses. In this case, each business will have their own unique fire safety requirements and their own unique potential dangers and ensuring that these are flagged up and that each and every member of staff is made aware of these will be extremely important.
Serious fires are easy to avoid. Be sure that all staff know how quickly fire can spread, that you get professionals to show you the dangers presented to your own unique business, and that you have the right equipment to deal with any fire effectively.