Abstract
The aim of this study is to illustrate the problem of fire accidents in the Sultanate of Oman and their causes in order to find out how the existing data could be used as a base to improve fire resistance, to detect the weak points (vulnerability to fire) in existing structures, and to minimize fire occurrences in places where it is high. This will also provide useful recommendations with regard to fire safety including causes, people’s awareness and education, etc. Fire data in Oman were collected from two sources: The Directorate General of Civil Defence (Public Relations Department) and Sultan Qaboos University library. The collected data represent the number of fires in Oman during the last decade. It also includes fire distribution by type and averages. The analysis shows that there is a linear increase in the number of fire accidents in the last decade with time. Many factors are included as potential sources, which are explained in the paper, and suggestions are made for possible control.