What is the primary purpose of a smoke control system?

The primary purpose of a smoke control system is to manage smoke movement during a fire. This system is crucial for maintaining tenable conditions for occupants to evacuate and for emergency responders to operate effectively. By controlling where smoke goes, the system can help prevent it from spreading to areas where people may be trapped or where it might hinder visibility and breathing. Smoke control can include strategies like pressurizing stairwells or using exhaust fans to pull smoke out of a building, thereby creating a safer environment during a fire event.

The other options focus on different functions that are not the primary intent of smoke control systems. For instance, extinguishing flames directly, preventing sprinkler activation, or improving visibility are not core aspects of managing smoke, which is fundamentally what smoke control systems are designed to achieve.