Introduction
Our gratitude to London Fire Brigade (LFB) for their ongoing support, playing a key leadership role in promoting the benefits of sprinklers, reporting real life tangible incidents extracted from the Incident Recording System (IRS) for the period July-August 2024 where sprinklers were reported as present and having an impact in Greater London.
Rising to the call from the National Fire Chiefs Council who actively encourage fire rescue services to collate, provide fire data and case studies to Sprinkler Saves UK. Raising awareness of how the destructive effects of fire can be mitigated, and in most cases, be prevented through the enhanced use of sprinklers, and other forms of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems (AFSS) which save lives, protects homes and businesses from fire and significantly reduces the risks to firefighters.
London Fire Brigade
LFB Is one of the largest, firefighting, community safety rescue services in the world protecting residents and property in Greater London as well as those who work or visit the capital. LFB vision is to see a greater inclusion of AFSS in the capital, nationally supported by LFB AFSS position statement.
London
As the capital of the United Kingdom, London is also the largest city with a population of just over nine million and is projected to reach 10 million by 2035. It is home to one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world. There are 32 boroughs in Greater London, except for the City of London which is a county and government district. The risk from fire in the capital is diverse, ranging from large industrial premises, complex retail shopping centres, major transport hubs, and large high-rise residential developments. The latter is a key area as half of the population of London live in flats compared to less than 20% in the rest of the country.
The Review
The incidents contained within this review are collated from the Incident Recording System (IRS) for the period July-August 2024 where AFSS were reported as present and having an impact in Greater London.
Incident Recording System (IRS)
When a household or business has made an emergency fire call, key information around the incident is captured, inputted daily into the IRS by the officer in charge of the incident using software forms structured into logical groups which is shared with the Home Office for research and statistical purposes. For the most severe fire incidents the senior fire investigation officer compiles a report that details the findings of the investigation and the most likely origin and cause. Once completed, this officer reviews and where necessary updates the IRS record to reflect the findings of the investigation.
The importance of monitoring AFSS incident data has been acknowledged by the inclusion of the active safety system field focusing on the following performance characteristics of AFSS fire data.
The IRS data captured is dependent on the fire officer who inputs the data and their training and experience of AFSS and commitment to complete reporting. Not all fire officers might be able to identify the difference between a sprinkler or water mist system or take the time to count the number of sprinkler head activations before leaving the scene of the incident.
The use of IRS data plays an important role in promoting the benefits of AFSS as part of a combination of fire safety measures to reduce the impact of fire on our communities, property and the environment, while assisting fire firefighters in carrying out search and rescue operations by limiting fire development.
Water as an extinguishing media for sprinkler systems, the ³physical effects of water from a sprinkler system can have a detrimental effect on containing, controlling or in some cases extinguishing the fire as identified within the reported sprinkler activations contained within this review.
The operating effectiveness of a Residential and Domestic sprinkler systems rely for their effectiveness on the wall-wetting effect for the sprinkler discharge as a method of inhibiting fire spread.
It should be remembered the installation of a life safety sprinkler system is to reduce the rate of heat and smoke, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued. 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.
Incidents reported where sprinklers were reported as present and having an impact for the period July 2024 – August 2024
Of the 9 Incidents reported, purpose-built flats/maisonettes dominated the figures in which sprinklers were reported with 6 incidents which should be of no surprise due to.
What is interesting is that for 2 of the reported incidents for involving purpose-built flats/maisonettes, the seat of the fire was recorded outside of the flats on the external private balcony, sprinkler protection was provided within the flats only. 13 sprinkler heads activated for one of the incidents with fire spread reported to 1 additional floor for both incidents. Disappointingly no reference was made within the press, social media regarding the positive role the residential sprinkler system played in allowing a successful conclusion to the incidents despite the seat of the fire not in the immediate area protected by the sprinkler system within the building.
Effective fire protection requires both passive and active elements working in unison and complementing the roles of one another, details for these incidents are contained in this review reinforcing the benefits of sprinklers.
BS9251:2021, The British standard for Domestic & Residential Fire Sprinklers is recognised as a life safety standard which allows fire sprinkler protection to be omitted from certain areas including external balconies permanently open to the outside unless it is required by a fire strategy or risk assessment.
Reported incidents included.
Background
Opened in 2019 this development included a new public plaza, nine-screen multiplex cinema, café and restaurants and a 130-bed hotel. The focal point of the development included a 19-storey purpose-built block of flats consisting of 200 apartments with external private balconies split into 3 cores. A residential sprinkler system was installed within the flats in accordance with the statutory guidance at the time for a residential building over 30m in height.
This is the second reported external private balcony fire reported to Sprinkler Saves within 25 months for this building on that occasion fire spread from an external balcony fire was contained/controlled within two apartments by the activation of the sprinkler system preventing further fire spread into the common ways compromising the integrity of the means of the escape. Details of this incident can be found in the resources/links section of this review.
Summary of Incident
Background, This was the second reported external private balcony fire reported by LFB highlighting the dangers of external private balcony fires within 11 days.
Summary of Incident
Conclusion
The outcome from these two incidents reinforces the benefits of installing residential sprinklers for tall residential buildings providing further evidence that sprinklers can contain, control or in some case extinguish a fire even when the parameters of the system have been challenged.
Without the presence of the sprinkler system the outcome of this incident may well have been more serious with the potential of fully developed compartment fires within the flats. The fires did not compromise the integrity of the common ways due to both the passive and active elements working in unison, complementing the roles of one another providing effective fire protection.
Parameters of the sprinkler system, BS9251, references that the number of sprinkler heads that are designed to operate simultaneously is 4 and only if the 4 heads reside in one compartment. However, when a sprinkler system is fed from a cold-water booster supply, more heads can operate as the cold-water booster supply is far more powerful than required under the standard.
External Residential Balconies
Are now seen as an important amenity in modern living now used as a convenient location for storage, outdoor living area increasing the presence of combustible materials which adds to the potential of a fire starting on a balcony and the possible severity of the fire spreading to the balcony above, or to the flat above via windows.
These two incidents clearly demonstrate the potential problem(s)/risks associated with private balcony fires where.
This will not be the last fire involving balconies, is there a case for external private balconies to be sprinkler protected which of course raises questions within the AFSS sector once again, alternatively the risk from balcony fires will not diminish until combustible material used in their construction is removed. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, balconies are now categorised as ‘Specified attachments’ mandating the use of class A fire-rated non-combustible materials in residential buildings over 11m.
At the time of construction for the two buildings, the threshold height for sprinklers in residential block of flats was 30m which has now been reduced to 11m following amendments to Approved Document B in 2020
LFB have acknowledged the danger of balcony fires issuing a safety warning contained in a press release with more than 550 balcony fires across London in the last three years.
LFB West Hampstead Square AFSS activation case study report
One of the most high-profile sprinkler activations in London occurred in the Balcony Fire at West Hampstead on 3 July 2018 involving a purpose-built block of flats of 12 floors.
In the space of 19 minutes from the actuation of the first fire sprinkler head, 5 apartments were exposed to fire and heat activating 12 fire sprinkler heads which is unprecedented in a residential fire. The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental caused by the unsafe disposal of smoking materials.
LFB commenced investigations to the incident commissioning the case study report to raise awareness in the residential sector of the beneficial/effectiveness impact that incorporating Automatic Fire Suppression Systems can have in a multipoint residential high-rise fire.
Images of the incident can be viewed in the LFB report
Comments/observations
A small fire within an open flat involving a microwave oven was successfully contained within the appliance. Operational crews professionally dealt with the incident with no injuries reported. The sprinkler system did not operate, due to limited fire growth within the room of origin. Resulting in the predetermined temperature failing to be reached at the sprinkler head allowing its operation.
Comments/observations
A fire involving an industrial dryer located on the roof of a warehouse was extinguished by operational crews using main jets. The premises sprinkler system did not activate as the fire was in a part of the premises not provided with sprinkler protection.
Comments/observations
A fire broke out in the airing/drying cupboard of a 3 roomed flat involving a white goods tumble dryer appliance. Activating the residential sprinkler head which contained/controlled the fire to the floor of origin. The fire was extinguished by firefighters using firefighting media, enquires are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.
The inverter of a solar array panel on the roof of a residential building caught light, the fire was extinguished using firefighting media consisting of one main jet. Whilst sprinklers were installed within the building they did not actuate as they were not located in the vicinity of the fire.
Fire crews were mobilised to a kitchen fire in a low-rise residential block of flats, on arrival it was identified that the fire involving cooking fat on an electric cooker had been extinguished by the activation of the residential sprinkler system. No further firefighting was required. The benefits of sprinklers were clearly demonstrated.
Cooking fires in England are the most common type of accidental fires reported for the period 2013/2014 to 2022/2023 with over 1100 fires.
Fire crews were mobilised to a fire within a retirement complex following the activation of a telecare system was activated by a vulnerable community member. On arrival it was identified that a fire had been extinguished by the activation of the premises residential sprinkler system.
The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental, caused by careless disposal of smoking materials with fire spread contained to item 1st ignited.
It was noted that the IRS, recorded the firefighting system type as drencher which must have been entered in error by the fire officer. For a building of this type the sprinkler system would be a residential sprinkler system. (Wet pipe)
It is reported that fire crews were mobilised to a small fire within a kitchen, on arrival it was established that an electrical fire had been isolated by a member of staff who isolated the electricity supply prior to the arrival of the FRS. Resulting in the predetermined temperature failing to be reached at the sprinkler head allowing its operation.
Comments/observations
The following advice is intended for building managers, individuals who have responsibility for fire safety within a building
Emergency Plan
Reinstatement of the Fire Protection Measures
Further detailed guidance on Sprinkler protected buildings can be found in the BAFSA Information file, A guide for Responsible Persons and Duty Holder.
Sources/further reading.
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.