A fire damper’s main purpose is to stop or delay the spread of fire through ventilation ductwork. It does this by creating a sealed compartment. This effectively contains a fire within a room (compartment) so it doesn’t spread throughout the building. Fire dampers allow normal airflow when not in use. They instantly close on detection of a fire. Smoke dampers work in effectively the same way. The most significant risk for people in a fire-based emergency is smoke inhalation. A smoke damper automatically closes on detection of smoke in a compartment, stopping the passage of smoke and toxic gases through a fire barrier. Smoke extract paths need installing in areas where people evacuate a building – so stairwells, corridors etc. The main types of dampers are; Spring Catch Curtain Damper Fusible Link Curtain Damper Spring Catch Single Pivot Smoke Damper Actuated Curtain Damper Actuated Single Pivot