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Brighton Assisted Living Complex Sprinkler Save

Name: Brighton Assisted Living Complex Sprinkler Save
Start: 2024-08-10T00:00:00+01:00
End: 2024-08-10T23:59:59+01:00
Location: Brighton

August 10

Image Credit ESFR

Fire Rescue Service; East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS)
Date of Incident; August 2024
Time of call: 03:51
Premises; Assisted Living Complex
Location; Brighton
Type of fire; Electrical fire
Automatic Fire Sprinkler System; Wet Pipe (Sprinkler)

Station Manager Louisa Curtis, of East Sussex Fire Rescue Service, Brighton & Hove Fire Safety Team Manager, said:

“ESFRS have consistently promoted for the installation of sprinklers, it is a simple, cost-effective way to save more lives and reduce the risks to firefighters. Fire sprinklers are the only active fire system which detects a fire, suppresses a fire and raises the alarm. This incident demonstrates sprinklers provide protection from fire damage but most importantly provide time for people to safely self-evacuate if there is a fire.”

Summary

Our thanks to ESFRS for reporting this positive news story reaffirming the importance of reporting sprinkler activations to Sprinkler Saves Uk allowing trends, anomalies to be identified in the emerging UK sprinkler firefighting industry allowing the continued review of technical standards ensuring best practice within the sprinkler, fire industry.

In this case the benefits of

Installing a residential sprinkler system within an assisted living complex containing 45 flats.
Providing a further layer of safety from fire as part of a package of fire safety measures protecting our most vulnerable community members.
Identifying the fire safety risks of using emollient and skin creams in the home.

This is the third reported flat fire within the complex in the space of 29 months on each occasion the fire was contained, controlled or extinguished with limited fire damage, no injuries reported.

We could be discussing a totally different outcome for this incident if sprinklers had not been fitted following an electrical fire involving a heat pad which came into contact with bedding contaminated with emollient.

It is reported 1 concealed residential sprinkler head activated within the bedroom which contained/controlled the fire. Reinforcing that the operation of a correctly designed and installed residential sprinkler system installed to the appropriate codes, standards reduces the rate of production of heat and smoke, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.

Promoting further weight to the reliability and effectiveness of sprinkler systems following the two recent reports conducted ¹Optimal Economics, and commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council, National Fire Sprinkler Network into the performance, reliability, and effectiveness of sprinkler systems in controlling and extinguishing fires.

The reports found that:

Sprinklers are 99% efficient in extinguishing or controlling a fire.
Sprinklers are 94% efficient in their ability to operate.

The provision of a sprinkler system does not neglect the need for other fire practical precautions or provisions where the person is at higher-than-average risk from fire, unable to self-evacuate in the event of a fire.

The Incident

Fire appliances were mobilised to a flat fire within a six-storey assisted living complex.
Prior to the arrival of ESFRS the premises emergency plan was implemented.
The resident had been evacuated from their flat by a carer, prior to the arrival of ESFRS.
On arrival the OIC committed a breathing apparatus team with firefighting media to extinguish the fire within the flat, where it was established that the fire was within a bedroom.
It was established the fire had been contained/controlled by the activation of 1 sprinkler head.
The seat of the fire involved the bed mattress/linen which was still smouldering extinguished by firefighters using firefighting media.

The fire had been contained, controlled by the activation of one concealed sprinkler head containing the fire to the room of origin.

Seat of the fire contained to the bed mattress/linen with no fire damage visible to the surrounding area with minor smoke damage.

It was established the cause of the fire was due to an electrical fault involving an electric heat pad which caught fire Igniting the bedding /mattress.

Emollient creams

Fire Rescue Services are actively promoting the use, dangers of using emollient creams within their local communities which can result in serious or fatal injuries from fire.
This is the second reported fire sprinkler activation reported to Sprinkler Saves Uk where It was identified that the resident used emollients which are easily transferred from skin on to clothing and items such as towels, bedding.

The risk occurs when they are absorbed into fabrics and are then exposed to naked flames or heat source.
Scientific testing shows that fabric burns quicker and hotter when contaminated with emollients. These fabrics include clothing, towelling, bandages or bedding.
Cambridge Fire and Rescue Service, in conjunction with Anglia Ruskin University conducted an experiment to show the effects emollient creams on ignition rates. The following video experiment shows just how flammable materials with emollient residue on them are and how much hotter they cause fires to burn. (Link to video can be found in the links/sources section)

Benefit of the sprinkler system

Reduced the rate of production of heat and smoke, allowing more time for

The occupants to escape to safety or be rescued
The officer in charge crucial time to implement their operational tactical plan.
Allowing firefighters to complete search and rescue operations by limiting fire development, which significantly reduces the risk of flashover.

Fire contained within the compartment of origin.
Integrity of the means of escape, maintained.

This incident demonstrates that a correctly designed and installed sprinkler system can detect, raise the alarm and control or in this case extinguish a fire at an early stage of development and activate an alarm.

Impairment of active fire protection system

Where buildings and equipment are provided with active fire protection measures such as a sprinkler system protecting life and in some cases property protection.
It is essential that the fire protection measures in a building can function effectively in the event of a fire.
Arrangements are in place to ensure the responsible person, building manager for the premises is aware that following the activation of an active system such as a sprinkler system provisions are in place allowing for the immediate reinstatement of the sprinkler system following a fire.

Sources/further reading.