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Benefits of sprinklers demonstrated following waste recycling fire

March 12

Introduction

Major, expensive fires can often be avoided by using various fire prevention strategies. Automatic Water Suppression Systems (AWSS) are one effective approach, as they can help contain, control, or sometimes even extinguish a building fire before the Fire Rescue Service (FRS) arrives. This incident review illustrates that the integration of AWSS within a comprehensive fire safety strategy provides sustained protection for businesses by mitigating the impact of large-scale fires. Enhancing the resilience of buildings and business operations against fire damage is a critical component of effective risk management.

The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) report on an internal warehouse fire highlights that the implementation of an Automatic Water Suppression System (AWSS) can successfully control internal fires. This approach minimizes financial losses and curtails the wider consequences associated with uncontrolled fires, resulting in reduced costs for businesses and the broader economy.

The premises

  • Single storey steel framed sandwich panel warehouse
  • Use waste recycling
  • 120m x 115m

 The incident

  • On 12 March 2026 at 08:16, SFRS responded to a fire at a waste recycling centre in Forth.
  • On arrival the incident commander identified that the fire was in the ground floor loading bay containing waste recycling
  • Suppressed by the activation of the building sprinkler system.
  • 23 pumping appliances, 1 aerial ladder platform were required to contain, control and extinguish the fire.

Benefits of the building sprinkler system

Allowed the incident commander valuable time to complete an operational tactical action plan.

  • Allowing firefighters to establish a water supply allowing the fire to be extinguished using firefighting media including branch, ground monitors.
  • Preventing the fire from spreading within the building damaging further internal plant, machinery, compromising further waste material.

Conclusion

This incident provides further evidence of the benefits of AWSS as part of a package of fire safety measures.

  • Preventing major financial and equipment losses for businesses.
  • Protecting critical elements of its operation,
  • Providing valuable time for FRS to implement an operational tactical action plan to extinguish the fire.
  • Protecting firefighters

If it was not for the sprinkler system, we could be reporting on a further industrial fire where the premises was lost to fire with the business facing an uncertain future.

The Business Sprinkler Alliance report that in the year 2021/22 the FRS attended a total of 1,842 industrial fires, fires do not discriminate whether it is a factory, car park, warehouse of office fires happen on a regular basis and will continue to do so in the future.

Fires are indiscriminate, occurring in various settings such as railway stations, factories, car parks, warehouses, and offices. They are a recurring occurrence and will likely continue to do so in the future.

Regardless of the cause or the building, systems like sprinklers can contain and extinguish fires, safeguarding lives and businesses during critical times when they are most needed.

Sources/Further Reading. 

If you want to make a difference working in the fire sector, we need your assistance

  • To make sprinklers the norm and not the exception – we need the evidence.
  • Encouraging FRS and those in the sprinkler community to promote, collate, report sprinkler activations to Sprinkler Saves UK which will help to create a central and comprehensive record of fire incidents where sprinklers played their role in containing/controlling or extinguishing the fire.
  • The outcome of which will influence policy makers in government for change advocating the use of AWSS in all buildings, we are concerned about.

If you hear of a save report it using this link.

Details

Date:
March 12
Event Category:

Venue

Forth