Over 70% are Concerned about Disasters, but Fire Safety Measures for Windows are Often Overlooked

Ahead of Disaster Prevention Day on September 1, Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Otsu, Shiga, Japan; President: Akira Kishimoto) conducted an online survey on disaster preparedness awareness among 600 men and women nationwide, aged in their 20s to 60s.

The results revealed that although over 70% of respondents feel anxious about disaster risks, preparedness for fires—particularly those that occur following major disasters—remains insufficient. Notably, more than 80% of respondents were unaware of the government’s estimate that approximately 70% of deaths in a major Tokyo Metropolitan Earthquake could be due to fire.
Disaster preparedness is often associated with “getting ready to evacuate.” But is that enough to ensure safety? This survey sheds light on current public awareness and reveals blind spots in disaster prevention—particularly related to fire and windows.

When asked how concerned they were about experiencing a disaster, 70.2% responded “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned.” This shows that disaster risks are widely recognized in daily life.
In terms of specific disasters, the most feared was “earthquake” (90.3%), followed by “typhoon” (48.9%) and “floods or heavy rain” (39.9%). These results reflect both the frequency and severity of natural disasters in Japan.

The most common home-based disaster preparations were:
Preparing an emergency bag and stockpiles (39.7%)
Securing furniture (28.3%)
Enrolling in fire or earthquake insurance (26.8%)
However, despite 34.2% of respondents expressing anxiety about fire, only 5.8% had implemented specific fire safety measures. Moreover, 35.0% stated they had not taken any disaster countermeasures at all, indicating a clear gap between concern and actual preparedness for fire risks.

According to the Cabinet Office, "In an earthquake directly beneath the Tokyo Metropolitan area, approximately 70% of the estimated death toll is expected to be caused by fires" (*1).
When asked about this, 84.8% responded that they either did not know or were only vaguely aware of this projection—despite the seriousness of post-earthquake fire risks.

In addition, over 70% (75.5%) answered that they "did not know" or "had heard of but did not know in detail" the fact that "there is a risk of damage spreading due to broken windows in case of fire." It became clear that many people do not fully understand how cracked windows can cause the spread of fire.

_{*1 Source: Cabinet Office “Damage estimates of a Tokyo Inland Earthquake”
https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001007208.pdf}

47.7% of respondents answered “No” to the question, “When purchasing or renting a house, did you check the fire performance of the windows?”
Among the reasons:
“I had never considered the fire-resistance performance of a home” (46.5%)
“It’s a rental property, so I thought it was outside my control” (21.3%)
“I assumed there would be no problem if it was built in accordance with the Building Standards Act” (21.3%)
“I thought the likelihood of a fire was low” (16.8%)
These results highlight that window fire-resistance is rarely considered in housing decisions.

The survey also revealed that 61.0% of respondents did not know about fire-resistant glass—glass that is specially engineered to resist high temperatures and flames.
Additionally, 47.7% believed that wired glass is heat-resistant, indicating a widespread misunderstanding.
In fact, wired glass offers some fire resistance, but due to the embedded wire mesh, it is prone to thermal cracking. This misconception may hinder safe decision-making in the event of a fire.

This survey reveals that while people are increasingly aware of disaster risks, they are overlooking the fire risks following earthquakes—and the critical role that windows can play in preventing them.
Traditionally, disaster preparedness focuses on “evacuation readiness” like preparing emergency bags or securing furniture. We must also prepare to prevent fires from passing through or spreading.

One such solution is FireLite^®, heat-resistant glass-ceramic developed by Nippon Electric Glass.
Unlike regular glass, it has a virtually zero coefficient of thermal expansion and can withstand thermal shock, such as being sprayed with water at 800°C, without cracking.
It is the only glass product in Japan that meets the standards for fire-resistant and fire-protection applications without cracking under extreme heat or sudden cooling during fire extinguishing.
FireLite^® has been adopted in fire experiments by the Tokyo Fire Department, has been tested to conform with U.S. UL standards, and has proven its performance both domestically and internationally.

With Disaster Prevention Day approaching, we encourage everyone to reassess their disaster preparedness — not only for escape, but also to reduce fire risks.
Why not start by looking at your windows and asking whether your home is really fire-safe?

The FireLite^® series has been used in Hotel Rakuragu (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) (left photo) and JR Kawasaki Station (center and right photos). Its use is expanding across residential buildings, hotels, and public facilities.

Survey subjects: Men and women aged 20–69
Method: Online survey
Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Valid responses: 600

Please credit with: “Survey by Nippon Electric Glass”
If using this document online, please include the following source URL:
https://www.neg.co.jp/products/firelite/index.html

FireLite^® is a fire-rated glass made of low-expansion glass-ceramic that withstands even under high temperatures up to 800°C.
It has high durability, making it resistant to breaking even during fire or extreme heat.