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Fire doors: why they are so important
EI30 and EI60, smoke, evacuation, and where these doors are actually required in Latvia.
In this article you will learn:
- Why a fire rating is not the same as “a stronger metal door”.
- What EI30 and EI60 mean — flame, smoke, time to leave.
- Where these doors are actually required in Latvia, and where to open the {_a(L['fire'], 'fire doors section')}.
A fire door is not “a stronger metal door”. It is a tested assembly with a fire-resistance class (usually EI30 or EI60): how many minutes the leaf holds flame and smoke while people leave and firefighters work.
Why they are fitted
- to stop flame spreading between rooms and the stairwell;
- to hold smoke — it is often more dangerous than the fire itself;
- to buy time for evacuation and rescue.
Where this matters in Latvia
Apartment interior doors usually do not need a fire rating. It becomes mandatory on escape routes, in plant rooms, and between zones with different fire loads. The exact class comes from the project, not from an article.
See our fire doors section: models with EI classes, not a generic “safety” badge. If you are not sure the opening needs EI at all, ask before you order.