Bristol Tall Building Air Fryer Kitchen Fire Saved By Sprinkler System

Summary

Our thanks to Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AFRS) for reporting this positive news story reaffirming the importance of reporting sprinkler saves to Sprinkler Saves Uk following a kitchen fire involving an electric air fryer within a residential purpose-built block of flats extinguished by the operation of the premises residential sprinkler system with no injuries reported.

The air fryer is now a popular kitchen appliance with the number of dwelling fires in England with “air fryer “mentioned in the additional free text from statistics sourced from the ¹Home Office Incident recording system (IRS) increasing year on year between 2016-2024 with 146 fires reported for the year ending 2024. Due to the limitations of the Incident recording system, it is not possible to record ‘air fryer’ as an ignition source for fires.

This is the second reported sprinkler activation reported to sprinkler Saves Uk involving a electric air fryer where the fire was contained, controlled and extinguished by the sprinkler system containing the fire to the room of origin.

A sprinkler save is categorised as where one or more sprinkler heads have activated and contained, controlled or in some cases, extinguished a building fire. The story around the incident provides powerful evidence of the ability of sprinklers to protect life, firefighters, and property from fire as part of a package of fire safety measures.

Providing further weight to the reliability and effectiveness of sprinkler systems following the report conducted by ²Optimal 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

For this reported fire, the benefits of Installing a residential life safety system within the dwellings of a residential tall building.

• Reducing the spread of heat and smoke, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.
• Preventing a major protracted incident, which can compromise the operational resilience of Fire Rescue Services leading to challenges maintaining a business-as -usual service.
• Firefighters can operate without due risk to assist evacuation, effect rescue when necessary
• Preventing the fire from spreading from the compartment of origin compromising the common ways.
• Prevent Conflagration

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 crews were mobilised to a confirmed fire following an emergency call received from AFRS fire control from the resident of the dwelling.
• Upon entry to the apartment firefighters established that the fire within the open plan flat had been contained, controlled and extinguished by the activation of 3 concealed sprinkler heads.
• Minor fire/smoke damage was reported within the compartment of origin.
• Fire damage was confined to the electric air fryer, work top, kitchen wall units located directly above the seat of the fire.
• No further firefighting media was required by AFRS.
• No injuries were reported

It is interesting looking at how the fire plume has developed, firstly attaching itself to the wall, proceeding to make contact with the underside of the wall unit, spreading outwards to the front of wall units, until it reaches the celling spreading outwards forming a smoke layer. Despite the fire being shielded by the kitchen wall units the sprinkler system was successful extinguishing the fire

The effects of the sprinkler system using water as an extinguishing medium

 The physical properties of the water should not be underestimated

• It cools the fuel, reducing further generation of flammable gases
• Water is converted to steam in the plume and the hot gases at ceiling level, so cooling, reducing the radiated heat, heating the fuel
• Once converted into steam, it limits the amount of oxygen reaching the flames, smothering them
• Water cools the compartment, increasing the amount of heat it will absorb from the plume so cooling it further

Previous incident reported where sprinklers were present having an impact involving electric air fryer fire.

Nottinghamshire student accommodation tall building kitchen fire, February 2025

• Fire within an open plan communal kitchen extinguished by the activation of 2 sprinkler heads
• Contained to the room of origin
• Minor fire damage contained to the air fryer, kitchen worktop, wall units

Providing further evidence that residential sprinkler systems can contain, control and extinguish fires involving electric air fryers

Premises Emergency Plan

• There is now a high probability that firefighters will attend a variety of incidents in buildings where sprinklers systems are reported as present and having an impact.
• It is essential that the building manager, duty holder considers that the emergency planning for the building includes onsite response information allowing the emergency services to interact with the active fire protection measures.
• The benefit of which will allow the fire service to assist in the management of water following the activation of the sprinkler system following a fire or even following the unlikely likelihood of un-intentional release of water, due to the knock-on effect this can have on a business or occupancy.
• Debunking the myth that water damage following the actuation of the sprinkler system will be more expensive than the actual damage resulting from the fire.
• Further guidance can be found in the BAFSA Information file, A guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holder.

Reinstatement of the Fire Protection Measures

• It is paramount that fire protection measures in buildings can function effectively in the event of a fire, to achieve this the premises emergency plan should include that arrangements are in place allowing the immediate reinstatement of the sprinkler system.
• It is a requirement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order for the responsible person to implement the appropriate arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring of the preventive and protective measures.
• Any delay could compromise the safety of the occupants in the event of a further fire within the building due to the sprinkler system being offline.
• The emergency plan, provisions were in place allowing the sprinkler system to be reinstated at the conclusion of the incident.

Air Fryers

• Are a relatively new cooking appliance being used in our homes, Aviva insurance have published guidance urging people to exercise caution after a new survey revealed nearly one in five Uk adults (19%) have encountered potential or actual fire hazards in their homes due to air fryers.
• Reaffirmed following recent reports of a recent fire involving an air fryer in Bournemouth extinguished by the activation of the premises sprinkler system. The cause of the fire was caused by its owner who set it alight trying a cleaning hack they saw on TikTok.
• Further research of the incident primary fire data is required to identify a trend on the benefits of sprinklers involving air fryer fires attended by FRS in which sprinklers were present, having an impact. Due to the limitations of the Incident recording system, it is not possible to record ‘air fryer’ as an ignition source for fires.

Sources/further reading

• Sprinkler Saves Review 2023/2024
• ¹Number of dwelling fires in England with “air fryer” mentioned in the additional information free text (IRS primary fire data)
• ²Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems in the United Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire Service data 
• Aviva issues fire warning around air fryer habits
• BAFSA Information file, A guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holder

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.

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