Non-Sprinklered Residential Apartment Unit Fire

Firefighters agree that residential fire sprinklers could have saved a pregnant woman who died in a Nebraska fire in late 2006. The woman, whose due date fell on the same day she died, passed out from smoke inhalation soon after a faulty electrical cord set her mattress on fire. Her two-year-old daughter was trapped within the apartment unit, and suffered critical injuries.

The smell of smoke woke a neighboring couple late that night. They checked their own apartment unit thoroughly, and found no fire. Then they went into the hallway and followed the smell to the woman's apartment. They managed to get the door open. Smoke and flames poured into the hallway, and the couple could hear the two-year-old crying inside. While the woman rushed to call 911, the man tried to enter the apartment and save the little girl. But the smoke was too thick--even with a damp cloth over his mouth and nose, he couldn't see well enough to find her.

Residential fire sprinklers handle fires like this every day. If residential fire sprinklers had been installed in this building, a sprinkler head would have activated the moment the fire started, extinguishing it before it could do serious harm. In cases where bedding catches fire, and even when people's clothing ignites, residential fire sprinklers have been able to suppress the fire quickly enough to save victims' lives.

Lessons Learned From Unsatisfactory Sprinkler Performance: An update on trends and a root cause discussion from the investigating engineer's perspective

This article is from the FPE Magazine archives.

Automatic sprinkler systems are often considered the most significant component of a building fire protection strategy. When properly designed, installed and maintained, an automatic sprinkler system can control a fire and significantly reduce deaths, injuries and property damage. However, sprinkler systems have their limitations, and their performance can be affected by factors not linked to the initial design or installation of the sprinkler system. This article explores automatic sprinkler system failure data to identify and discuss causes of unsatisfactory sprinkler performance.

Historical fire losses provide experiences that shape current fire protection design methodologies, design criteria and defense strategies. Significant lessons learned have been extracted from post-fire investigations of major losses of life and/or property despite protection by an automatic sprinkler system. These post-fire loss investigations revealed not only the cause of the fires, but causes associated with unsatisfactory sprinkler system performance. Unsatisfactory performance includes failure to operate, as well as ineffectiveness to control a fire and limit damages to life and property.

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Residential Fire Sprinklers Saved the Lives of a Father and Daughter

A kitchen fire that started late one February evening could have claimed the lives of a father and daughter--if not for residential fire sprinklers.

The fire started when a burner left unattended ignited in the kitchen that evening. Firefighters discovered smoke, but no fire--the residential fire sprinklers had extinguished it before it could spread to other areas of the house.

Over 70% of fire fatalities happen in the home. Of those, around half start in the kitchen. Leaving a pan of food unattended, even for a minute, is enough to start a serious fire. Burners take a while to cool, even when turned off. It's not safe to leave a pan or anything else flammable near a burner, even when it's not turned on. Fires also start in microwaves when food is left inside too long, or when people use non-microwave-safe utensils and containers.

While many kitchen fires are a result of carelessness or inattention, they can happen even when owners take all reasonable precautions. Modern kitchens contain lots of electrical appliances, any of which could have faulty wiring that causes a spark. Gas leaks are another hazard.

There has never been a fire fatality reported in a home with residential sprinkler systems installed. With a sprinkler head in the kitchen, residents can feel safe--even in the most fire-prone area of the home.