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Bedrooms or sleeping areas also benefit from this as often fires occur while we are sleeping and it is the smoke that kills us not the flames.
Some fabrics are coated with a class of chemicals that are used as a flame retardant on fabrics. These are called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.
It isn't a "green" product as it doesn't bind to the fabric and is released as dust and enhaled. Studies are inconclusive to the damage it does to us, but it does do a good job of reducing the spread of fire in our homes, and commercial buildings like hotels, offices and educational institutions.
There are people's lives to think about when designing large public spaces, do your homework and provide them with as much time as possible to get out of the building by using flame retardant fabrics in the drapery, curtains and upholstery fabrics.
Wool is naturally flame retardant, and becoming a popular option for fabric selection, especially in bedrooms, and furniture upholstery. Other natural fibers burn quickly and most man made fibers like nylon, acrylic or polyester melt and let off nasty fumes.
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