Smoke & Fire Curtains in Fire Safety - The Importance of Isolating Risk
In modern buildings - from high-rise offices and airports to warehouses and shopping malls - fire safety isn’t just about extinguishing flames; it’s also about controlling smoke. Rapidly moving flames are deadly, but smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in fire-related incidents. Smoke and Fire Curtains both play critical roles in isolating risk, from controlling smoke movement to providing complete flame containment in specialized environments.
This article explores both systems: lighter smoke curtains for compartmentation and heavier Proscenium Fire Curtains designed for long-term flame stoppage, offered by Newtex Industries.
What Is a Fire & Smoke Curtain?
A smoke curtain is a deployable or fixed barrier made from fire-resistant fabrics engineered to withstand extreme heat and block smoke movement, or channel smoke to exhaust manifolds. Installed strategically within ceilings, open atriums, corridors, or above doors and elevators, these curtains help compartmentalize a building during a fire event.
They act as dynamic or static partitions that direct smoke toward exhaust vents or designated containment zones, buying valuable time for evacuation and fire control efforts. Typically, the fabric comprises woven glass or silica yarns coated with silicone or vermiculite for enhanced thermal stability and flame resistance. Further, these systems are designed to meet performance criteria such as UL 1784 for smoke leakage and ASTM E119 for fire endurance.
Key functions of smoke curtains include:
Preventing smoke from entering stairwells, lobbies, and escape routes.
Channeling smoke towards extraction or ventilation systems.
Delaying flashover by limiting oxygen flow to the fire zone.
Protecting high-value equipment and critical infrastructure.
These functions make fire-retardant curtains an integral part of modern fire safety engineering and building code compliance across industries.
How Do Fire & Smoke Curtains Work?
When a fire alarm is triggered, automated smoke curtains deploy from concealed housings within the ceiling or wall system. Depending on design and location, they can drop vertically, fold horizontally, or extend across large openings.
Here’s a simplified breakdown of how smoke curtains function during a fire emergency:
Detection & Activation: The building’s fire detection system sends a signal to automatically deploy the curtain.
Deployment: Curtains unroll or unfold from their concealed housing, sealing off openings like corridors, doorways, or atrium edges.
Ventilation Coordination: By channeling smoke into specific zones, the curtains support exhaust fans and ventilation systems to clear the air.
Reversal (Post-Emergency): After the fire event, automated systems retract the curtain back into its housing to resume normal operation.
Unlike rigid barriers or firewalls, smoke curtains offer flexibility, enabling open architectural designs while ensuring code-compliant fire safety.
Types of Smoke and Fire Curtains
Different environments require different curtain configurations based on architecture, fire load, and evacuation planning.
At Newtex Industries, our Z-Block™ Smoke Curtains and Proscenium Fire Containment Curtains are engineered to perform distinct but complementary roles - smoke curtains manage smoke movement and visibility, while proscenium fire curtains are heavier, long-duration barriers designed to stop flame spread between occupied zones.
