The National Building Codes demand fire vents for most industrial buildings. Fire officials know that smoke…

…is the deadliest part of a fire. That’s why Section 910 of the International Fire Code mandates the use of…

…automatic smoke control systems in high-piled storage facilities and in most one-story buildings greater…

…than 50,000 square feet. Smoke vents eliminate the need to cut holes in the roof.

One of the first things firefighters do when they arrive at a fire is cut holes in the roof.

Smoke vents automatically open to vent toxic smoke and gases, reduce flashback and lower the building’s internal…

…temperature. Firemen can get into buildings faster to attack the firebase directly.

Apparently, someone at some point in time built these custom brackets (on the right) that subverted the fusible-link system on the original smoke hatches.

These are what the fusible-link devices look like on the new smoke hatches. When the link is broken from intense heat, it releases the spring loaded roller arm to open the hatch automatically.