Fire Evacuation for People with Functional Disabilities in High-Rise Buildings: A Scoping Review

Fire emergencies pose significant risks to occupants in high-rise buildings, particularly individuals with functional limitations who struggle with conventional evacuation facilities like stairs. The objective of the study was to survey current literature to identify safe fire evacuation solutions for functionally limited groups. A systematic analysis of 156 journal articles (2000–2024) was conducted to identify factors affecting the evacuation, and their impact on evacuation efficiency. The findings were categorized into four main types: (1) human behavior during fire emergencies, (2) architectural and environmental factors, (3) fire and smoke risk calculation and control, and (4) evacuation models and tools. Additionally, our findings highlight the limitations of current research for individuals with disabilities, including evacuation methods, building design, fire risk calculation and control, evacuation models, and elevator operation strategies. The study concludes with recommendations for future research to address the identified gaps. This study underscores the need for further research on expanding solutions for different emergencies (e.g., earthquakes), addressing special building environments (e.g., hospitals), and leveraging digital technologies to improve evacuation processes for vulnerable populations. Future efforts will focus on incorporating rescuers and rescue methodologies into the evacuation framework to further enhance the safety and protection of vulnerable populations.

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