Doncaster tall building kitchen fire extinguished by sprinklers

Roger Brason, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s 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 of the incident

The decision by  St Ledger Homes of Doncaster working with both Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Fire Rescue (SYFR) to improve fire safety arrangements installing sprinklers within this residential block of flats should be applauded following an accidental chip pan fire which was extinguished by the activation of the retrofitted sprinkler system.

It is reported heat generated from the fire, activated 1 sidewall sprinkler head within the kitchen, raising the alarm by transmitting a fire signal to the remote alarm receiving centre allowing the appropriate emergency response.The operation of the sprinkler system restricted the growth of the fire, extinguishing the fire before the arrival of SYFR.  Minor fire damage was sustained to the adjacent kitchen cupboards, worktop, 1 person required to be assisted from the dwelling by firefighters with no injuries reported.

Debunking the myth that residential sprinklers as an extinguishing media should not be used on fires involving chip pans.

¹Optimal economics report

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

Legislation

At present there is no statutory legislation for the retrofitting of sprinklers with purpose-built block of flats, this incident demonstrates the benefits of installing sprinklers within 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 Annual Review 2024/25
• Sprinkler saves Spring Update No 8
• ¹Efficiency and Effectiveness of sprinkler systems in the Uk
• Fire Industry Association Article 2 January 2020
• BAFSA video chip pan demonstration, click here to open chip pan fire

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.