Two London Fires, Two Different Outcomes, Deptford Sprinkler Save

1. Two London Fires, Two Different Outcomes
2. Deptford, Electrical Consumer Unit High Rise Fire
3. Activation of the Residential Sprinkler System

• Fire Rescue Service; London Fire Brigade (LFB)
• LFB Resources; Five pumping appliances
• Date of incident; 16 March 2022
• Location; Deptford
• Purpose group: Purpose built flat, 10 or more storeys
• Use of property; Residential flat
• Time of call; 11:46
• Time of stop; 13:14
• Incident; Fire,
• Location of Incident; Hallway, storage cupboard
• Automatic Fire Suppression System (AFSS); Residential sprinkler system

LFB have reported the above-mentioned incident involving an electrical consumer unit that clearly identifies the benefits of installing a residential premises in a high-rise residential block., as the premises is over 30m in height, sprinklers were required to be installed to comply with ¹building regulations

The Incident

• On arrival operational crews identified a fire within a five-roomed flat storage cupboard con the fifth floor of a 12-storey block of flats
• One sprinkler head actuated located within the storage cupboard

Outcome

• Fire, controlled/contained prior to the arrival of operational crews by the actuation of one sprinkler head
• The electricity supply was isolated, crews checked for further fire spread behind the stud partition wall.
• No injuries reported
• Incident closed in less than 90mins

Cause of the fire

• Accidental caused by resistive heating in an electrical consumer unit

When you turn the clock back to the 7 May 2021, LFB attended a similar fire at NEW PROVIDENCE WHARF a fire WITHOUT FIRE SPRINKLERS involving an electrical consumer unit.

 The outcome however was far different

• Location; Tower Hamlets
• Purpose group: Purpose built flat, 10 or more storeys, circa 2005
• Use of property; Residential flat
• Time of call; 08:54
• Incident; Fire
• Location of Incident.

1. Flat on the Eighth floor.
2. storage cupboard which contained the electrical consumer unit

• Cause of fire; electrical fault potentially relating to a timer switch within the consumer unit 

Summary

• Fire spread to the exterior of the building affecting balconies directly above on the 9th, 10th and 11^th floor
• ACM cladding on 8th and 9th floors involved
• Flat of origin 80% damaged by fire
• 67 residents’ self-evacuated prior to arrival of the FRS
• Incident escalated toa 20 pump fire
• Major incident declared mass evacuation of the block implemented
• Fire fighters committed wearing Breathing Apparatus
• Firefighting resources; 6 jets, one aerial monitor, Drone team
• 22 smoke hoods used to rescue residents
• LFB rescues 34 residents

Sprinkler System

• The most obvious solution would have been the installation of a sprinkler system
• As the fire started within the flat and spread to the exterior of the building spreading vertically effecting balconies above.
• The fire would have been contained/controlled or even extinguished before the arrival of firefighters
• Delaying or preventing the fire to exit the building

Links

• British Automatic Fire Sprinkle Association, Incident data report number 1/2 focusing on sprinklers in high rise purpose built block of flats
• LFB, press release
• LFB, New Providence Wharf Fire Report

Source, article

• LFB Press release, information supplied by LFB

¹The installation of fire sprinklers has been a requirement on new residential buildings above 30 metres in height since 2007. This trigger height has now been reduced to 11 meters taking effect on 26 November 2020