Review of Fire Risk Factors for Fire Risk Assessment in Urban Areas: The Case of Ahmedabad, India

Fire incidents have increased drastically due to rapid urbanization. More than 9000 fire incidents causing large casualties were recorded in 2020, as documented by the India risk survey 2021. Thus, it becomes of utmost necessary to assess the risk associated with urban areas, especially metro cities. The present work critically reviews fire risk assessment studies of urban areas. It involves the review of critical factors affecting the urban fire, Indian standards and code used in practice, factor integration techniques for preparation of risk maps, and optimization of the fire station. The factors affecting fire hazards are bifurcated into satellite data, metrological data, bio-physical data, planning and regulation data, and other ancillary data. Based on the review, the eleven parameters significantly influence the city under consideration are derived. Further, as a case study, the land utilization of Ahmedabad City is studied. The isochrones map is developed for the city, and fire stations are marked. The generated map shows the coverage area by a particular fire station. The map also highlights the area at higher risk where the timely response to calls for service is difficult from the nearest fire stations. This study provides an essential contribution for new researchers, assessing the fire risk of buildings and old structures in urban cities. The study can help administrators, city planners, and civil society organizations plan to provide facilities, minimize fire hazards, and solve related issues to decrease fire risk.