Canary Wharf Tall Building Residential Bin/Refuse Store Sprinkler Activation

• Date of incident; 16 December 2023
• Tine of call;23;38
• Time of stop;01:24
• Location; Park Drive, Isle of dogs
• Use of building; Residential block of flats
• Number of floors; 58
• Location of fire; Second floor sub basement bin/refuse store
• Automatic Fire Suppression System; Sprinklers
• Fire Rescue Service; London Fire Brigade(LFB)

LFB have reported the above-mentioned incident highlighting the benefits of sprinklers within a residential blocks of flats involving a second floor sub basement bin store fire.

 The Incident

• 4 pump fire requiring 25 firefighters from Popular, Shadwell and Plaistow fire stations.
• On arrival operational crews established that there was a small fire within the second floor sub basement bin/refuse store.
• Which had been contained, controlled by the activation of one sprinkler head which also raised the alarm following its activation.
• The fire was extinguished by crew using firefighting media.
• There were no reports of any injuries.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Automatic Fire Suppression Systems, like sprinklers, alongside other fire safety measures can greatly reduce the impact of fires on people, property, homes and communities. 

“Sprinklers are not a luxury – they save lives and also reduce risk to the firefighters who have to tackle the fires.”

Conclusion

• This incident clearly identifies the benefits of sprinklers involving sub basement fires for operational firefighters which can be a high risk activity and physically demanding caused by extreme temperatures.
• Sprinkler activation reduces heat transfer, toxic gases, smoke and reduces the chances of flashover allowing tenable conditions within the room of origin, increasing escape time and keeps the fire contained, controlled or in some cases extinguished before the arrival of the Fire Rescue Service.

Incident Data Reports where sprinklers were recorded as having been present/operated.

• This incident reinforces the findings contained within the BAFSA, Incident Data Reports which provided a detailed analysis of compound data of fire incidents in Great Britain Where sprinklers were reported over the period 2018/19 to 2020/2021 within purpose built block of flats.
• The fire data around the incidents provides powerful evidence as to the ability of fire sprinklers and other forms of AFSS in protecting our communities from fire.

• Refuse stores accounted for the highest number of incidents where sprinklers were reported in fire incidents in purpose- built blocks of flats with 145 incidents followed by kitchen fires with 89.
• Sprinkler Impact from the 141 sprinkler activations outside the flats, refuse fires accounted for the highest number of incidents with 123.
• In refuse store fires sprinklers extinguished 53(43%) incidents with a further 63(51%) incidents being contained or controlled.

Supporting the evidence collated that sprinklers do work, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Fire Sprinkler Network have worked together to investigate the effectiveness and reliability of sprinkler systems, in an independent report completed by Optimal Economics interrogating thousands of incidents providing detailed and  comprehensive analysis of the activation and performance of sprinkler systems used to control fires in buildings.

• The evidence indicates that sprinklers have an operational reliability of 94% and when they do operate, they extinguish the fire on 99% of occasions on a wide range of buildings.
• This was further evidenced by the Sprinklers Saves UK Annual Review 2022/2023 which reinforces the above- mentioned findings that fire sprinklers have been proven to have a good track record in reducing the impact of fire.

Links

• Sprinkler Saves Review 2022/2023
• Sprinkler Saves Update No 2
• LFB Press Release Sprinklers
• BAFSA Incident Data Report Focus On Sprinklers
• If you want to make a difference working in the fire sector, we need your assistance……
• If you hear of a save report it using this link