Luton Shopping Center Sprinkler Save

Basement Shopping Center, Sprinkler Save

• Date of incident :- 16 September 2021
• Location :-Luton Mall shopping centre
• Occupancy:- Commercial /retail unit,
• Location of fire :-Basement
• Cause of fire:- Electrical intake box
• Injuries/fatalities:- None reported

The benefits of installing commercial sprinkler systems in shopping centers clearly demonstrated once again following the recently reported Shepherd’s Bush Mall sprinkler save dated 9 September 2021

It has been reported in Luton Today/ Bedfordshire Live that a fire was suppressed by the shopping Centre sprinkler system before the arrival of the fire and rescue service.

A Bedfordshire Fire spokesman said: “Firefighters from Luton, Dunstable, Stopsley, Leighton Buzzard and Toddington attended a small electrical fire in Poundland. “The area was heavily smoke-logged and firefighters in breathing apparatus used a hose reel and mains jets to extinguish it. They also used fans to help ventilation.”

Mall Luton general manager Roy Greening said: “The sprinkler system activated immediately and extinguished the fire. There were no injuries.”Luton fire brigade was called and helped ventilate the unit before declaring it was safe at around 1am.”

Did you know

• A sprinkler system will control the size of the fire, reducing the amount of smoke generated.
• In shopping centres it is common practice to protect shop units only with sprinklers to control the fire size.
• Over 4,000 fires occur in retail outlets every year.
• On average, large fires cause over 5 million pounds of damage every year in shops. (This excludes fires under £250,000).
• Sprinklers are not widely used in the UK because the guidance rarely prescribes their use.
• It has been proven sprinklers prevent large fires because they activate automatically over a fire, controlling or even extinguishing the blaze before the Fire and Rescue Service arrives.
• They therefore save lives and protect firefighters who attend incidents.
• Prevent significant damage or destruction of a building by fire.
• A sprinkler system can prevent major financial and equipment losses.

Links

• Shepherd’s Bush Mall Sprinkler Save
• BAFSA, information file 4 Retail
• Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service
• Luton today
• Bedfordshire Live

Image :-Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service