An automated fire or smoke curtain/blinds system (2) includes a pelmet or a hood (4) adapted to be mounted on a wall or top of a windowpane, at least one motor (6) connected to at least one curtain/blinds holding device (10) such that the curtain/blinds 5 holding device (10) rolls when the motor (6) is operated, at least two curtain/blinds holding device wherein each curtain/blinds holding device are connected by a shaft or ball bearing, a movable curtain or blind with width of at least 8 meters attached to at least two curtain/blinds holding device, a movable curtain or blind (14A) of a predefined width and at the end of which is a bottom rail (14B), wherein the movable 10 curtain (14A) includes an self-closing escape door (14C) embedded within coverage area of the movable curtain (14A), and a control panel (16) to control up/down movement of the movable curtains.

An assembly for covering an opening in a structure. The assembly has a roller to be mounted to a portion of the structure defining a portion of the structure opening and a member disposed on the roller assembly. The member is operable between a retracted position where it is wound onto the roller assembly and an extended position where it is unwound from the roller assembly. The member includes first and second portions with mutually opposing edges in a closed position. A fastener releasably attaches the first and second panel portions to each other. The first and second panel portions are separable in response to an egress force to form an egress through the member.