Construction type is often referred to as “curtain wall” where exterior is composed mainly of glass, aluminum and plastic composites...
When fire ventilates horizontally, products of combustion (aka super-heated gases) move vertically and “auto-expose” floor above, moving vertically as each higher floor is heated to its ignition temperature by the smoke and flames below...
Modern high rise fires can quickly outstrip automatic fire control systems, and the ability of firefighters to get a handle on a fire involving one or two floors, let alone 10-20...
Paraphrasing...From Retired FDNY Chief Vincent Dunn’s class on high rise firefighting...I’ve had his class...Got the t-shirt, too...
Just a couple of floors involved can occupy the efforts of every firefighter available for the task, and often including the available “mutual aid” departments...The tasks involved are monumental and can quickly overcome the endurance of even the fittest firefighting force...Try hand stretching “dry” 5” hose up a stairwell 20 floors to supplement a standpipe system sometime just for grins and you’ll quickly see what’s involved...Firefighters’ must choose between locating and sheltering occupants in place and letting the fire burn itself out...
High rise buildings are lovely to look at, and offer bragging rights and a gee-whiz appeal as they climb ever higher, but many if not all are death traps for workers and residents...
Great post. Educated insights into a terrifying scenario, and its got to be worse where fire/building codes are loosely enforced.