The 6-Porous Layers Fire Accident Loss Mitigation Model: A Dynamic Framework Beyond Swiss Cheese

Fire accidents remain a persistent threat to life, property, and the environment despite decades of advancements in fire safety engineering and management. Traditional models, such as Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model have long conceptualized accident causation as the alignment of holes in multiple defensive layers. However, real-world fire incidents reveal the limitations of static metaphors in addressing dynamic, emergent, and multi-path risks inherent in complex systems. This paper proposes the 6-Porous Layers Fire Accident Loss Mitigation Model as a distinct, adaptive framework rooted in practical fire safety management. Unlike the Swiss Cheese Model, the Porous Layers approach conceptualizes each safety layer as inherently permeable with innumerable potential failure paths. Each layer functions interdependently, not merely as an isolated barrier with discrete holes. Moreover, the model is built on a dynamic feedback loop that learns from real fire case studies, enabling continuous evolution and risk reduction. This paper presents the definition of fire accidents and losses, articulates the conceptual framework of the Porous Layers Model, explains its six operational layers, compares it with the Swiss Cheese and 2-4 Models, and concludes with a discussion of its practical significance and strengths for modern fire safety management.