Fire Wall Against the Flames

Izmir University of Economics (IUE) faculty members Prof. Dr. Celalettin Kozanoğlu and Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar have been granted a patent for the “fire wall” project they developed to extinguish forest fires quickly and prevent them from spreading over large areas. Designed for use especially around transformers, thermal power plants, hospitals, public buildings or residential areas located near forests, the fire wall will be capable of spraying water up to 150 meters. Thanks to its prefabricated structure, the fire walls can be easily transported and quickly assembled, and will be able to remain active 24 hours a day.

Developed by Prof. Dr. Celalettin Kozanoğlu, faculty member at the Department of Civil Engineering at Izmir University of Economics, and Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar, faculty member at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, the project will provide major support in the fight against fires. The fire walls, registered and granted a patent by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, will be equipped with pumps capable of rapidly spraying water.

WATER WILL BE STORED IN POOLS

In the event of a possible fire, the water pumps inside the wall will be activated immediately with the help of temperature-measuring sensors and will intervene in the area where the flames are located. The walls will prevent the fire from spreading over large areas and will serve as a barrier against the flames. The fire walls will be capable of discharging approximately 800 tons of water per minute into their surroundings, while also reducing the cost of extinguishing the fire. The water needed by the pumps will be supplied from large pools to be built around the walls or underground.

“THE RISK OF FIRE IS INCREASING”

Providing information about the project, Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar, faculty member at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at IUE, stated that the fire wall functions as a technological security mechanism.

“Forest fires have become a multidimensional risk that threatens not only natural areas, but also energy facilities, residential areas and critical infrastructure. In response to this risk, we focused on designing a system that can detect fire at the earliest stage and intervene immediately. The fire wall we developed is not merely a physical barrier in the classical sense. With its sensors, pump systems and electronic control infrastructure, it is a technological security mechanism that detects, evaluates and responds rapidly to fire. Thanks to temperature-measuring sensors, the system is automatically activated in the event of a possible fire and aims to prevent flames from spreading through its water-spraying capability,” Aşkar said.

“A VERY IMPORTANT STEP”

Emphasizing that the system could provide significant protection especially around critical points such as transformers, thermal power plants, hospitals, public buildings and residential areas located near forests, Prof. Dr. Aşkar said:

“We know that fires can be caused by short circuits, sparks or technical faults in electrical infrastructure. Therefore, electronic monitoring, rapid detection and automatic intervention capacity are among the most valuable aspects of our project. This project is an important step toward public safety, environmental protection and the use of new technologies in firefighting.”

“IT WILL CREATE A LINE OF DEFENSE”

Prof. Dr. Celalettin Kozanoğlu, faculty member at the Department of Civil Engineering at IUE, said that the prefabricated structure of the fire walls would provide a major advantage in terms of implementation.

“One of the issues we attached the greatest importance to while developing the fire wall project was ensuring that the system could be applied in the field quickly, safely and practically. Prefabricated fire walls offer a system that is portable, quickly assembled and easily positioned according to the conditions of the area where they are needed. The fact that the system can be adapted to different locations without being fixed to a single point also strengthens pre-disaster preparedness capacity. In addition, the fire wall’s ability to operate actively 24 hours a day makes it possible to create the first line of defense against fire, even in situations where human intervention may be delayed,” Kozanoğlu said.

“IT CAN BE APPLIED ON DIFFERENT TERRAINS”

Prof. Dr. Celalettin Kozanoğlu continued: “From the perspective of civil engineering, the main value of this project lies in bringing structural safety and functionality together. The modular structure of the system also allows planning according to different terrain conditions and varying scales of need. It is possible to position fire walls around a facility, along the boundary of a residential area or at critical infrastructure points based on risk analysis. The fact that this project has received a patent is very valuable, as it shows that we have developed a solution that is applicable from an engineering perspective, innovative and responsive to a real need in the field. I believe that fire walls will make a significant contribution to increasing structural safety, especially in high-risk regions, while reducing loss of life, economic damage and environmental destruction.”