Birmingham student cluster flat kitchen fire

Mark Serdetschniy, West Midlands Fire Service, said:

“The sprinkler system played a crucial role in preventing the fire from becoming far more serious. By slowing the spread of flames, it gave firefighters enough time to put out the blaze swiftly, resulting in no injuries.”

Summary

At 20:00 on Wednesday, 4 July 2025, West Midlands Fire Service responded to a kitchen fire within a communal cluster flat located on the 12^th floor of a 15-storey student accommodation building. The building’s sprinkler system was activated, effectively containing and controlling the fire, which originated from unattended cooking. Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using CO₂ extinguishers. Fire damage was minimal; however, water egress affected floors below the scene of the fire. No injuries were reported.

A sprinkler activation is categorised as an event where one or more sprinkler heads have activated and contained, controlled, or, in some cases, extinguished a building fire. This incident provides further evidence of the effectiveness, benefits of sprinklers as part of a comprehensive fire safety strategy.

Raising awareness of how the destructive effects of fire can be mitigated, and in most cases, be prevented through the enhanced use of sprinklers, and other forms of Automatic Water Suppresion (AWSS) Which save lives, protect firefighters, homes and businesses as part of an appropriate package of fire safety measures.

Embracing the call from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) who actively encourage fire services to collate, promote case studies to Sprinkler Saves UK to promote the effectiveness of sprinklers in operating and controlling and in some cases extinguishing the fire.

The outcome of which will continue to promote a better understanding of the benefits of AFSS in the wider community, fire safety sector in general as an effective and reliable fire protection measure as part of a package of fire safety measures protecting life and property from fire.

Providing further evidence as part of our campaign driving change so AWSS are understood and accepted as the norm and not the exception, the outcome of which will.

• Influence policy makers to strengthen AWSS requirements, England’s sprinkler fire safety regulations trail behind its neighbours in other jurisdictions where governments have set lower mandatory thresholds for the installation of sprinklers.
• Entice housing provider stakeholders and, others to install sprinklers as part of a package of fire safety measures providing a further layer of protection from fire for our communities.

Student accommodation

Student accommodation Is undoubtedly a challenging environment from a fire safety perspective with their own individual challenges. The student’s lifestyle is typically associated with a reduced level of caution when it comes to appreciating risk.

The dangers of student accommodation were demonstrated following the fire in Bolton involving the premises known as the ‘Cube’ on 15 November 2019. The Cube incident report completed by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service identifies, the speed of which the fire took hold and the devastating impact it had on the building was shocking, two residents were trapped by heat and smoke and required to be rescued by firefighters, sprinklers were not fitted.

Legislation

Regulatory guidance for England includes a specific requirement to install sprinklers in purpose group 1a (residential block of flats) with a top floor height of 11 metres above ground level this guidance does not apply to student halls of residence regardless of height.

England’s national building and fire safety regulations trail behind its neighbours, governments in other UK jurisdictions who have set lower mandatory thresholds for the installation of sprinklers in new purpose-built student accommodation.

Following the introduction of new fire regulations within Northern Ireland, fire sprinklers are now required in within student accommodation with a storey more than 11m above ground level which will came into effect on 6 May 2025

It is the view of the BAFSA and the ¹NFCC that sprinklers should be installed in all new student accommodation regardless of height, as well as existing buildings undergoing refurbishment. The Government should be looking to emulate the policies in the devolved governments to support unitary policy across nations by lowering or removing the acceptable height, floor area, or occupancy threshold dependent on building type.

Conclusion

This incident highlights the value of residential sprinkler systems in student accommodation. In this case, the system:

• Provided support to firefighters reducing fire growth.
• Controlling the fire in its early stages, reducing contribution to fire spread made by combustible construction materials.
• Provided valuable time for the occupiers to self-evacuate from the dwelling to a place of safety.
• Prevented conflagration.
• Allowed prompt incident resolution and earlier release of resources, supporting continued emergency response

This incident illustrates that sprinklers are integral to a thorough fire safety strategy, protecting lives, firefighters, property, and the environment. It also strengthens ongoing advocacy efforts by the NFCC and stakeholders within the fire sector for more rigorous government regulations regarding the installation of AWSS in the built environment.

Sources/further reading

• Sprinkler Saves Review 2024/2025
• Sprinkler Saves winter update
• ¹National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) sprinkler position statement
• The Cube Incident report and key observations
• National Fire Sprinkler Network newsletter

Effective advocacy and policy lobbying require the collection of robust supporting evidence. If you have knowledge of a sprinkler incident that may contribute to this initiative, please provide the pertinent details using the sprinkler activation reporting form available at www.sprinklersaves.co.uk.