Doncaster Residential Tall Building Bedroom Activation

Credit image SYFRS

Roger Brason, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) sprinkler advocate, “We’ve championed the use of sprinklers, particularly in high-rise buildings, for quite some time, so we’re delighted that all of the blocks in Doncaster now have them.”

“These devices not only help protect life, but help protect property too. In most cases, they will extinguish a fire completely and prevent it from spreading any further. The fact that people living in high-rise buildings across Doncaster now have such a high level of fire protection really is excellent news.

Overview

The benefits of retrofitting a life safety residential sprinkler system were clearly identified following a bedroom fire within a general needs residential block of flats housing a diverse range of tenants. Reducing the impact of fire as part of an appropriate package of fire safety measures on people, firefighters, property and the environment. The fire was extinguished before the arrival of SYFR by the activation of 1 residential sprinkler head within the flat with no further firefighting media required from SYFS, no injuries were reported.

Providing further evidence that the operation of a correctly designed and installed residential sprinkler system installed, maintained in accordance with the appropriate codes and standards.

• Reduces the rate of production of heat and smoke, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.
• Assist firefighters in carrying out search and rescue operations by limiting fire development, which significantly reduces the risk to firefighters.
• Contain/control or in some cases extinguish the fire.
• Are reliable and effective, providing adding further weight to the recent report conducted by ¹Optimal Economics, 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 report found that:

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

The premises

• 14 storey tower development containing 83 flats.

Background

Following the tragic events of the Grenfell Fire tragedy, St Ledger homes of Doncaster working with Doncaster Council took the decision to retrofit residential sprinkler systems into its 9 tall building residential blocks as part of a package of fire safety measures to improve fire safety across its housing stock at a cost of £6m, with the sprinkler installation accounting for over half of the total spend. As part of this project SYFRS match funded this initiative by contributing £200,000 for the retrofitting of sprinklers within one of the blocks from their safer stronger communities’ reserve fund which should be applauded.

The Incident

• Date of incident; November 2024.
• Incident; Fire.
• Address; Doncaster
• Occupancy: Purpose-Built Flats/Maisonettes – 10 or more storeys
• Location of fire; bedroom flat.
• Impact of AFSS; Extinguished.
• Number of sprinkler heads operated; 1.

Summary of Incident 

• Fire crews were mobilised to reports of a confirmed fire within a tall residential building.
• On arrival the incident commander established that the seat of the fire was within a 3^rd floor flat.
• Fire survival guidance was provided by SYFR control who advised the occupants to take refuge on the external balcony as their means of escape was compromised by the fire.
• Upon entry to the flat, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus established that

1. 1 sprinkler head had activated extinguishing the fire within the bedroom.
2. The fire was contained to the room of origin involving bedding/mattress

• Minor superficial fire, heat damage was sustained to the bedding/mattress with light smoke damage.
• No further firefighting media was required,
• The occupants were led to a final place of safety by fire crews with no injuries reported.
• Passive fire safety measures working in unison with the sprinkler system maintained tenable conditions.
• The cause of the fire was established to involve an electric heater which was located to close to the bed/bedding.
• The sprinkler isolation valve was located outside the flat within the common ways allowing isolation at the conclusion of the incident preventing unnecessary water egress.
• Major protracted incident everted allowing FRS resources to be released, redeployed to attend emergency incidents.

Benefits of the sprinkler system

The outcome of this incident could have been so much different if the decision to retrofit sprinklers had not been taken providing further evidence that the main functional objectives of a life safety sprinkler system were achieved

1. The occupants were able to leave the building in reasonable safety maintaining tenable conditions.
2. Firefighters can operate without due risk to assist evacuation/effect rescue when necessary

• Prevent conflagration.

The following advice is intended for building managers, individuals who have responsibility for fire safety within a building.

Premises Emergency Plan

The problem, post fire sprinkler activations 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 fire rescue service 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.

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.

Further detailed guidance on Sprinkler protected buildings can be found in the BAFSA Information file, A guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holder.

Conclusion

This incident provides further evidence that the main functional objectives of a life safety sprinkler system were achieved

• The occupants were able to leave the building in reasonable safety
• Firefighters can operate without due risk to

1. Assist evacuation when necessary
2. Effect rescue when necessary
3. Prevent conflagration

Credit to SYFRS for reporting this incident allowing the benefits of sprinklers to be reported to a wider audience raising awareness of the good work that sprinklers do and help in our continued campaign to lobby government to introduce tougher sprinkler rules making the installation and retrofitting of sprinklers mandatory in all buildings we are particularly concerned about:

• Buildings housing vulnerable residents
• Residential buildings
• Schools
• Carparks
• Storage and warehouses
• Hospitals

Sources/further reading. 

• Sprinkler Saves Review 2023/2024
• Sprinkler Saves Summer Update No 6
• ¹Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems in the United Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire Service data 
• BAFSA Information file, A guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holder.
• SYFRS, Fire service to launch sprinkler safety fund
• Fire Industry Association, Housing provider installs sprinklers into nine high buildings to improve fire safety

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.