"A risk assessment of the Piql Services" by FFI

B.4 Natural Disaster: Forest Fire

Scenario number 4

Forest fire

Scenario justification

Justification : Forest fires are a regular occurrence across the globe, and a piqlVault will most likely be placed in the path of one during the next 500 years. In fact, with the effects of climate change, there may be swings in weather from severe drought to severe rainfall. Such extreme droughts increase the chance of forest fires. Additionally, urbanisation and population growth will strain the current boundaries of cities around the world, and it is possible that more and more construction will take place near a forest line, in the urban/rural interface and also in wooded areas. These two factors combined mean that the Piql Preservation Services may be more exposed to the dangers of forest fires in the future, and that is not to say that it does not constitute a problem even today. The potential damages to the Piql Preservation Services are high, as it requires the swift extinction of a fire to avoid the information stored being lost. Purpose : The components of the Piql Preservation Services – the Film, the Box, the Bin and the Vault – are all vulnerable to extreme heat and direct contact with fire. Though plastic was chosen as the material for the PiqlFilm and –Box, among other things, for its better fire resistant properties than many other storage media, none of the components are immune to the prolonged exposure to flames; They will burn with sufficient exposure. The longer the fire is allowed to burn, the higher the risk of destruction of the piqlFilms, and a forest fire is much harder to control and put out than room fires. Benefit : All Piql partners are required to have various measures of fire protection in place. They must make sure that these are enough to hold off even a prolonged fire. The scenario is set in the geographical zone North (Europe). After a period of excessive heat and drought, the piqlVault, located in a building situated in the urban/rural interface, is caught in a fierce forest fire which is particularly hard to extinguish. The local fire department is unable to get control of the fire and it is allowed to rage in the vicinity for a fortnight. During this period, the forest fire consumes parts of the building. Even when the building is no longer on fire, the fire department will not allow reentry due to the dangers of the forest fire reaching the building again. Scenario outline

Cause

Type of risk (Hazard/Threat)

Hazard: Unmanageable forest fire engulfs the piqlVault.

Intentional (Yes/No/Both)

No.

122

FFI-RAPPORT 16/00707