What is the purpose of a fire door?

• A. To provide a quick route for evacuation
• B. To keep occupants inside
• C. To maintain fire separation between spaces and provide a rated barrier
• D. To vent smoke to the exterior

Answer: (C)

Fire doors are part of passive fire protection, designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke by maintaining a rated barrier between adjacent spaces. The door-and-frame assembly is tested to resist heat and flame for a specified period, helping to contain the fire and protect occupants and other parts of the building. Because of this, their primary purpose is to maintain fire separation between spaces and provide a rated barrier, not to serve as a quick evacuation route or to keep people inside, and not to vent smoke. In practice, doors in egress paths are kept closed to preserve the barrier, sometimes with automatic closers.