BAFSA Shares Incidents On Sprinklers Saving Lives

7 Oct 2019

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Suffolk FRS was mobilized to a commercial Kitchen fire in a unit contained within a multi-occupied Shopping Centre. The BS EN 12845 sprinkler system operated via 1 quick response sprinkler head which not only suppressed but extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of operational crews.

Fire/smoke damage was contained to the room of origin, operational crews assisted with salvage and worked extremely hard/well with center staff. The unit of origin was planning to reopen in the afternoon with all other units continuing trading. The sprinkler system was isolated, the head replaced and recharged/fully operational within 2.5 hours.

August 16: Office Block, London

Sprinklers have saved an office in Paddington Central from being destroyed. A security guard at the block called the London Fire Brigade after the sprinkler system activated and controlled the fire spread and a smoke alarm sounded and five fire engines and around 35 firefighters from Paddington, Northolt, and North Kensington fire stations attended the scene and the incident was over seven minutes later.

Part of a kitchen on the seventh floor of the nine-story building was damaged by fire. Thirty people were evacuated from the building by onsite staff. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.

Watch Manager Phil Wigley was at the scene, he said, “This incident highlights the clear benefits of sprinklers to businesses and we would urge all companies and business owners to install them. In this case, the sprinklers controlled the fire spread, limiting damage to the building and preventing anyone from being put at risk from any fire.”

Wigley continued, “As well as limiting fire damage and being potentially lifesaving devices, sprinklers and other fire suppression systems help with business continuity by minimizing disruption and allowing businesses to get back to normal as soon as possible.”

August 23: Warehouse, London

Sprinkler system helped to suppress the fire Six months after a blaze destroyed its robot-controlled depot in Hampshire, four fire engines were called to Ocado’s robotic warehouse in Erith. It took 25 firefighters more than three hours to bring it under control.

A conveyor belt and external motor were damaged, the London Fire Brigade said. The cause is being investigated. A fire brigade spokesman added that a sprinkler system helped to suppress the fire.

August 28: Flat, Essex

The alarm from a smoke detector in the kitchen of a flat on the 14th floor of a block of 222 flats gave residents early warning on the fire floor and although the building had a stay-put policy, the number of residents choose to evacuate.

A sprinkler operated in the flat of origin and extinguished the fire, automatic ventilation allowed smoke to clear from the building.

And Essex FRS handed responsibility back to the housing association for salvage of water damage to surrounding flats. “Had it not been for the sprinklers this could have resulted very differently,” said Mike Sparrow, Essex FRS.

Warehouse, South Yorkshire

A fire in clothing in the warehouse area of an Asda supermarket activated the sprinkler system and by the time crews arrived the fire had been extinguished.

The damage was confined to around 2m2 and estimated to be at £400. There was some business interruption for a few hours. This is in stark contrast with other shops/warehouse fires that have resulted in substantial losses (especially the recent B&M fire).

Bradford Textile Engineering Works

Following a fire in a Bradford textile engineering works which originated in a refrigerator, the sprinkler system activated and all but fully extinguished the blaze.

Due to the amount of wood, acetylene cylinders, the works van, gas forklift, etc. inside the building they believed it was possible the building could well have been lost if not for the sprinkler system.

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Related companies
London Fire Brigade
British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd (BAFSA)
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service

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London Fire Brigade
British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd (BAFSA)
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service

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