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Sprinkler Balcony Save Brighton
19 March 2022 @ 6:03 pm - 7:03 pm
- Fire Rescue Service; East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS)
- Date of Incident; 19 March 2022
- Time of call: 18:03
- Premises; Extra Care Housing Scheme
- Location; Brighton
- Type of fire; Balcony fire
- Automatic Fire Sprinkler System; Wet Pipe (Sprinkler)
- Actuation, 1 sprinkler head
The Incident
ESFRS have reported the above-mentioned fire that occurred on the second-floor external balcony of a 5-storey extra housing scheme. The fire did not spread within the whole apartment due to the prompt activation of the sprinkler system within the flat which activated and raised the alarm.
The cause of the fire has been contributed to careless disposal of smoking materials identifying once again the benefits of residential sprinkler systems including.
- Protecting the most vulnerable residents from fir
- Protecting firefighters
- Protecting the environment
- Preventing flashover
Without the installation of the residential sprinkler system, the outcome of this incident may have been more serious.
Balcony Fires, are becoming more frequent, supported by the Building Research Establishment Report, Fire Safety Issues with Balconies, which highlighted case studies, dangers of balcony fires.
Causes of Balcony Fires
Ali deck published the publication “UK Balcony Fires Report 2017-20” focusing on data collated from UK Fire and Rescue Services on the cause of balcony fires. The results identified that 873 fires on balconies were recorded with almost half caused by smoking materials such as carelessly discarded cigarettes. Which clearly identifies the need to remove combustible materials from balconies.
London Fire Brigade, West Hampstead Square, Automatic Fire Suppression System (AFSS)Activation Case Study Report, published the above-mentioned report to raise awareness in the residential sector of the beneficial/effectiveness impact that incorporating AFSS can have in a multi-point residential high-rise fire. In this case an external balcony fire where in the space of 19 minutes from the actuation of the first head, 5 apartments were exposed to fire and heat activating 12 nozzle heads which is unprecedented in a residential fire.
Links
- BAFSA, BIF06A General Sprinkler Questions
- ESFRS
- London Fire Brigade, West Hampstead Square AFSS Activation Case Study.
- Building Research Establishment; Fire Safety Issues with Balconies
- ALI deck, publication “UK Balcony Fires Report 2017-20”
Sprinkler Save Brighton