School fire in Iran: simple actions save lives

On December 5, 2012 a fire broke out in a primary school in Iran, causing injuries to 26 children and two deaths. The fire came from an oil stove. Rather than evacuate the classroom and use the fire extinguisher, the teacher attempted to remove the stove itself from the classroom. During this process an explosion occurred resulting in a haphazard attempt at evacuation. This tragedy highlights gaps in both the policy and practice of fire safety. From 2005 to 2012, Iran experienced six large school fires that led to 67 injuries and five deaths. Five events were related to oil stoves. About 30% of Iran's classrooms use oil stoves for heating during the winter with 3.4 million students and 150,000 teachers at risk. Iran's Ministry of Education has mandated that regular training of school personnel in fire safety measures should be organized but no safety officer is tasked to prepare and conduct this training. Instead, the task is delegated to the Fire Departments, which fall under municipal administrations; however, such departments do not exist in 93% of the rural areas of Iran. School fires are not unique to Iran. Similar tragic events have occurred in several middle-income countries (India, Kenya, Russia) over the last decade. This article presents an overview of school fires in Iran and proposes preventive strategies through a reform in policy making and practice, including education of students and school personnel along with regular drills, designation of a fire safety officer, and development of a countrywide school fire registry.