Pembrokeshire Specialised Housing Sprinkler Activation

• Fire Rescue Service; Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service
• Incident; Fire
• When; 26^th March 2023
• Time of call; 22:42
• Where, Pembrokeshire
• Occupancy; Specialised Housing
• Automatic fire suppression System; Residential sprinkler system

Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service have reported the fire involving a Specialised Housing scheme resulting in the activation of the premises residential sprinkler system.

Background

• Specialised housing contains some of are most vulnerable residents of society, suffering with physical/cognitive, and mental health issues affecting their ability to react to fire and/or an alarm compromising their ability to escape a fire.
• The benefits of installing fire sprinklers for this type of occupancy are clearly demonstrated following the outcome of this incident.

Incident

• Internal fire involving the communal laundry room.
• 2 sprinkler heads actuated.
• Containing/controlling the fire prior to the arrival of the fire service
• On arrival operational crews identified that the fire had been contained/controlled
• Fire contained to the compartment of origin
• Requiring limited offensive firefighting action to fully extinguish the fire.
• No injuries were reported.
• Enquires are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.

Legislation

• Unlike Scotland and Wales, it is not mandatory to install fire sprinklers in new build specialised housing schemes in England.
• BAFSA, welcome’s the government’s recent proposal for sprinklers to be fitted in new care homes in England a change we have all been calling for in the fire sector for many years, we would also encourage government to look at fitting sprinklers in new specialised housing schemes following the lead of Scotland and Wales.

Newgrange Care Home Fire

• When you compare this to the Newgrange care home fire, housing are most vulnerable residents of society, the outcome was so much different.
• The scene of a major fire in 2017 which broke out in the early hours of the morning. The home was occupied by 35 residents, sprinklers were not fitted. The fire resulted in 33 elderly and immobile residents being rescued by firefighters, sadly two residents died because of the fire.

If sprinklers had been fitted the outcome could have been so much different, following the fire the coroner raised concerns that sprinkler systems are not mandatory in care homes. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) recommended sprinklers be installed. The home was rebuilt – without fire sprinklers.

Credit HFRS

Further guidance

• BAFSA, Sprinkler Saves Annual Review
• Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue Service