Greater Manchester Tall Building Kitchen Sprinkler Activation

Image credit Richmond Fire Engineers Ltd

• Date of incident; March 2024.
• Tine of call; 15:47.
• Location; Greater Manchester
• Use of building; Purpose built block of flats 10 floors and above.
• Incident; 6 pump tall building residential fire.
• Location of fire; Kitchen
• Automatic Fire Suppression System; Sprinklers.
• Fire Rescue Service; Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. (GMFRS)

Credit to both GMFRS, Richmond Fire Engineers Ltd for reporting the above-mentioned incident demonstrating the benefits of installing residential sprinklers for residential tall buildings.

Pictures speaks a thousand words………….

A high-rise/tall building may be defined as a building containing floors at such a height or position that external firefighting and rescue operations may not be feasible. The term high rise building includes a variety of structures from conventional residential block of flats to large complex commercial buildings of which some will be multiple use. (Mixture of commercial/residential accommodation)The installation of sprinklers plays a pivotal role in fire suppression for these types of buildings as part of a package of fire safety measures allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.

The Incident

• Fire crews were mobilised to reports of a fire within a 17-storey residential block of flats comprised of studio, 2–3 bedroom apartments and duplexes with amenities.
• Following the completion of a dynamic risk assessment by the officer in charge on arrival, it was established that the building was fitted with a residential sprinkler system with the fire located within a studio flat on the14th storey.
• The benefit of the sprinkler system allowed time for the OIC to implement a robust operational tactical plan for the incident.
• 4-team Breathing Apparatus (BA) team were committed from the bridgehead to complete a primary, secondary search of the dwelling and extinguish the fire.
• Positive pressure ventilation, premises smoke extraction system was identified to be operating well within the common ways playing a vital role preventing a build-up of smoke, heat and toxic gases allowing tenability of the escape routes.
• Upon entry by BA crews into the flat, a smoke curtain was deployed to the entrance of the dwelling to prevent the spread of smoke into the common ways.
• The BA team established that the location of the fire was within the kitchen, involving a fridge freezer.
• The fire had been contained, controlled by the activation of one concealed sprinkler head, no rapid-fire growth was reported.
• The fire was extinguished using 1 jet via the dry rising main.
• Enquires are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire, the most likely cause of the fire was due to an electrical defect within the fridge freezer.

Image credit Richmond Fire Engineers Ltd

Sprinkler System Specification  

• BS9251:2014
• Category 3 system
• Sprinkler coverage, apartments only, bathrooms & cupboards permitted exceptions
• Water supply, Shared connection from boosted cold water
• Sprinkler head, concealed

Premises Emergency Plan

It was reported following the incident that flats were affected by water, it should be remembered that a robust emergency plan will allow the provision of vital information for the Fire Rescue Service to be shared by onsite representatives. Clarifying the location and provision of key elements of the active fire safety systems where present such as sprinklers and other forms of AFSS. The outcome of which will allow a robust onsite emergency response to be immediately actioned to assist the control of the sprinkler system during the fire incident and following a fire so that they can be reinstated.

This incident provides further evidence that the operation of a correctly designed and installed residential sprinkler system reduces the rate of production of heat and smoke working in unison with passive elements as part of a package of fire safety measures, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.

 Key facts

• The fire was contained, controlled within the compartment of origin.
• The activation of the sprinkler system reduced the heat output from the fire by reducing its growth, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.
• The sprinkler system provided vital protection for the residents, firefighters

BAFSA Incident Data Report Focus on Sprinklers

• BAFSA realises that fire incident data provides powerful evidence of the benefits of fire sprinklers and has published a series of reports analysing Incident Recording System data on fires in sprinklered buildings from 2018-2021.
• The aim of the analyses is to identify trends and gain insight on the use of sprinklers within Great Britain to help effect a change so that sprinklers are the norm, not the exception. One such report focused on where sprinklers were reported and having an impact inside the flat, Kitchen incidents accounted for the highest number of incidents with 40 (76%) from the 56 incidents reported.
• From the 40 kitchen sprinkler activations reported fires sprinklers extinguished 31 (76%) incidents with a further 7 (18%) incidents being contained or controlled. Further interrogation of the data would have to be completed to identify why 2 (6%) of the incidents  were reported as not   containing/controlled.

• Links/sources
• Sprinkler Saves Review 2023/2024
• Sprinkler Saves Spring Update No 4
• BAFSA Data Reports
• Westhampsted Square AFSS Activation Case Study

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.