Preparing for the Day You Hope Never Comes
Fire safety is one of those subjects that never feels theoretical when you work in outdoor events. It’s not an abstract risk, not a line in a document, not something you skim past on page forty-seven of an event management plan.
It’s real. It’s physical. And if it ever becomes necessary, it happens fast.
We’ve all stood inside empty marquees early in the morning, the canvas still cool from the night air, and imagined what the space will look like in a few hours’ time. Full. Noisy. Alive. Power running. Catering units working flat out. People moving shoulder to shoulder.
And in moments like that, fire safety isn’t about fear. It’s about respect. Respect for the structure, the people inside it, and the responsibility that comes with creating temporary environments that feel permanent, safe, and secure.
Why Fire Safety in Marquees Is Different
A marquee isn’t a building in the traditional sense, but it behaves like one the moment people walk inside. Heat builds. Electrical load increases. Cooking, lighting, heating, staging and sound all coexist in close proximity.
The difference is that a marquee doesn’t have the luxury of being static. It’s built on fields, streets, courtyards, historic sites and uneven ground. Every event is unique. Every risk profile changes.
That’s why fire safety for temporary structures demands more than compliance. It demands understanding.
We work to UK fire safety standards, flame-retardant materials, clear exit widths, emergency lighting, signage, extinguishers, separation distances, and evacuation routes. But none of that matters if it’s treated as a tick-box exercise. The real value lies in how those elements come together as a system.
The Uncomfortable Question
Every experienced event professional has been asked some version of it in a Safety Advisory Group meeting or site briefing:
“What happens if there’s a fire when this space is full?”
It’s not an easy question. It’s also the most important one you’ll answer.
A good emergency plan doesn’t assume perfection. It assumes confusion, noise, low visibility, panic, and pressure. It assumes that not everyone will behave rationally, that some exits may be blocked, and that decisions may need to be made quickly by people under stress.
That’s why planning for fire safety starts long before the build, and continues right through to event day.
Designing for Escape, Not Just Entry
One of the most common mistakes in temporary event planning is focusing on how people get in, rather than how they get out.
Exit routes must be obvious, unobstructed, well lit and instinctive. They should make sense even to someone who’s never been in the space before. And they must stay that way, even as layouts evolve, furniture shifts, or production elements grow larger than originally planned.
We’ve seen beautifully designed spaces compromised by a last-minute bar move or a merch stand creeping into an exit route. These aren’t dramatic failures, they’re slow drifts. And fire safety doesn’t tolerate drift.
The Role of Crew and Culture
Fire safety isn’t owned by one person with a clipboard. It lives in the culture of the site.
- Crew need to understand why exits can’t be blocked.
- Why power loads are controlled.
- Why naked flames are restricted.
- Why heaters must be placed exactly where specified.
The best sites we’ve worked on are the ones where everyone feels confident raising a concern. Where a crew member will say, “That doesn’t feel right,” and be taken seriously.
That culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through briefings, repetition, leadership and example.
When Planning Becomes Protection
I’ve never been on a site where a fire emergency plan felt excessive once the audience arrived. If anything, it’s always felt reassuring.
- Clear signage.
- Visible extinguishers.
- Trained staff.
- Known muster points.
- Calm leadership.
These things don’t just protect people, they protect reputations, livelihoods, and futures.
And while we all hope we never need to activate those plans, the confidence comes from knowing they’re there, tested, understood, and shared.
A Shared Responsibility
Fire safety isn’t the responsibility of one supplier, one organiser, or one authority. It’s shared across everyone who contributes to the event environment.
When infrastructure providers, event managers, local authorities and crews work together openly, fire safety becomes part of the fabric of the event, not a bolt-on.
That’s how temporary structures become trusted spaces.
Your Experience Matters
If you’ve ever been involved in fire safety planning for a marquee or temporary venue, or if you’ve learned something the hard way that made your events safer going forward, share it.
Our industry is strongest when knowledge is passed on, not kept quiet.
Because the goal is simple, even if the work is complex: everyone goes home safely, every time.
