Devon Residential Tall Building Kitchen Saved By Sprinkler System

Our thanks to Devon & Somerset Fire Rescue Service (DSFRS) and Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) for reporting this positive news story reaffirming the importance of reporting sprinkler saves to Sprinkler Saves UK following a small kitchen fire within a residential purpose-built block of flats extinguished by the operation of the premises residential sprinkler system.

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. Each of these real-life individual tangible stories provides powerful evidence of the ability of sprinklers as part of an appropriate package of fire safety measures.

• Reducing the impact of fire on people, property and the environment, reducing the risks to firefighters.
• Addressing the myths, misconceptions regarding their safety and efficiency, providing evidence of the ability of sprinklers to protect our communities from fire.

For this reported fire, the benefits of

• Retrofitting a residential sprinkler system within the dwellings, common ways of a single staircase purpose-built block of flats of 16 storeys.
• Preventing a potential major protracted incident, which can lead to a significant strain on the operational resilience of Fire Rescue Service (FRS) resources, leading to challenges maintaining a business-as-usual service.

The heat generated from the fire, activated 1 sidewall sprinkler head within the kitchen which immediately allowed a fire signal to be transmitted to the remote alarm receiving centre allowing the appropriate emergency response from DSFRS.The operation of the sprinkler system restricted the growth of the fire, extinguishing the fire before the arrival of DSFRS.

Providing further weight to the reliability and effectiveness of sprinkler systems following the report conducted by 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 crews were mobilised to a confirmed fire following an emergency call received from PCH remote alarm receiving centre, resulting in a high rise pre-determined attendance mobilised by DSFRS fire control.
• Following the completion of a dynamic risk assessment by the incident commander (IC) on arrival, it was established that the building fire alarm indicator panel located on the ground floor foyer had activated, confirming the operation of the premises sprinkler system on the 15 floor of the 16-storey building.
• The provision of the sprinkler system provided extra time for the IC to implement a robust operational high rise tactical plan for the incident.
• Upon entry to the flat, fire crews established that a fire within a kitchen had been contained, controlled and extinguished by the activation of 1 sidewall sprinkler head located within the room of origin.
• Minimal fire/smoke damage was reported within the compartment of origin.
• Fire damage was confined to the household items located on the hob at the time of the fire.
• No further firefighting media was required by DSFRS.
• The sprinkler system for the individual flat was isolated by DSFRS following confirmation to the IC that the fire was all out.
• No injuries were reported.

Image of the activated sidewall kitchen sprinkler head

The danger of fires within the kitchen was demonstrated following a recent fire in Weymouth involving an electric air fryer, the kitchen was severely damaged by the fire as the premises was not protected by a sprinklers system

Image credit Dorset and Wiltshire FRS

Residential Sprinkler Specification

• Installed to BS9251:2014
• Category 3 system enhanced to provide a 60-minute minimum duration of supply
• Water supplies designated tank
• Coverage, flats and communal areas
• Isolation valves installed for each dwelling/floor
• Resilience: Back up pump, UPS back up power supply

Observations

DFRS maintaining a business-as-usual service

Austerity, cuts in public funding across the country have significantly impacted FRS resulting in a significant reduction to front line cover and prevention and protection activities putting a strain on resources impacting on public safety and service delivery.

Major protracted fire incidents therefore have a knock-on effect on local FRS resources, leading to challenges maintaining a business-as-usual service allowing an effective response to attend other emergencies. The benefits of installing sprinkler systems in the built environment for FRS should not be underestimated.

• Reduces the rate of production of heat and smoke, limiting fire development preventing flash over.

Providing the FRS.

1. With a further layer pf protection for firefighters allowing search, rescue operations to be completed
2. Crucial time for the operational tactical plan to be implemented by the IC
3. The facility to release resources earlier from the incident, to attend other emergency incidents allowing a business-as-usual service to be maintained.

For FRS such as DSFRS, the early release of resources is paramount as it only has two wholetime stations and 10 stations with both wholetime and on call crews with 69 on call stations. For this incident DSFRS, required 18 resources which included 40 firefighters/officers to be mobilised as part of the predetermined attendance for a high-rise fire.

Due to the positive impact following the operation of the sprinkler system, the incident was scaled down by the IC, allowing the early release of multiple resources to be available for other emergencies.

Premises Emergency Plan

The problem, post fire sprinkler saves reported where buildings have been identified as affected by water egress following the successful activation of the sprinkler system containing, controlling or in some cases extinguishing the fire, predominately due to.

• Poor business continuity management, inadequate onsite emergency planning by the building manager or responsible person for the fire safety arrangements within a building.
• Allowing onsite information to be available for firefighters to interact with the building active fire safety measures namely automatic water fire suppression systems.

There is now a high probability that firefighters will attend a variety of incidents where sprinklers systems are reported as present and having an impact within these types of buildings.

The provision of a robust emergency plan will allow an immediate emergency response to be actioned by the FRS to assist in the management of water from 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.

Benefits of Joint Working

PCH should be acknowledged for having the forefront to focus on business continuity management. Joint familiarisation visits completed with DSFRS allowing the appropriate information for the IC to plan and respond to an incident within a high-rise building. The outcome of which allowed the location and provision of the sprinkler system to be identified allowing a robust onsite emergency response to be actioned on arrival.

Retrofitting Sprinkler systems within tall residential buildings

At present there is no statutory legislation for the retrofitting of sprinklers within residential tall buildings. This incident demonstrates the benefits of installing, retrofitting sprinklers within residential tall buildings, demonstrating that a correctly designed and installed sprinkler system can detect, raise the alarm and control or for this incident extinguish the fire at an early stage of development. In addition to providing attending crews with confidence when attending tall building fires which are sprinkler protected compared to other buildings which are not sprinkler protected.

Sources/further reading. 

• Sprinkler Saves Review 2023/2024
• Sprinkler saves Spring Update No 7
• BAFSA Information file, A guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holder
• ¹Efficiency and Effectiveness of sprinkler systems in the Uk
• DSFRS Sprinklers

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.