Where should smoke indicator cuts be placed?

• A. On the exterior wall
• B. On the ceiling
• C. On the non-fire side of the member
• D. On the fire side of the member

Answer: (D)

Smoke indicator cuts are meant to reveal the flow of smoke from a fire behind a wall or ceiling. Placing the cut on the fire side of the member places the opening in the path of the hot gases produced by the fire, so smoke and heat reach the indicator early. That early signal helps you confirm that the fire is involved in the concealed space and guides where to ventilate. If the cut were on the non-fire side, smoke may not reach it promptly or at all, delaying detection and potentially giving a misleading sense of where the fire is. Exterior walls or ceilings don’t reliably reflect internal fire involvement, so the most dependable placement is on the fire side of the member.