SUCCESS STORIES: FIRE SPRINKLER IN ACTION

Fire Sprinklers are effective against every type of fire-as the citizens of Scottsdale found out.  Below are just a few examples of fire sprinklers saving the day?
 

• A homeowner put smoldering fireplace coals inside a flammable container inside the garage before leaving home.  The container ignited and was contained almost immediately by the fire sprinklers installed in the home.  That was a great deal of flammable material in the garage, and other homes close by would have been in danger of catching fire if the blaze had been allowed to spread.  As it was, the garage suffered almost no damage and fire was controlled immediately.

• A malfunctioning electric fan started a fire in a ground floor apartment building.  A single sprinkler head controlled the fire within minutes of its start.

• A fire started within the walls of a home under construction.  It burned within the unprotected space between walls and ceilings for some time before breaking into the living space... The fire was especially dangerous because it was undetected for some time, even with electricians and construction crew working on the premises.  In addition, fire sprinklers are not positioned to protect against fires in the narrow space between walls and ceilings.  However, the fire eventually broke into the living space of the home, which was protected by fire sprinklers.  The fire sprinklers helped control the fire, making it possible for workers at the site to extinguish it completely.

• An arsonist broke into a home and poured gasoline all over the bedroom of one of the occupants and on the sleeping occupant himself - before setting the room on fire.  The fire sprinklers activated immediately, and the occupant experienced only minor burns despite being covered with gasoline.  The fire sprinklers were directly responsible for saving this man's life.

• In the early morning, EMT personnel responded to a minor medical incident at a Scottsdale resort.  While parked in the basement parking lot of the resort, a fuel leak caused the ambulance engine to explode, starting a potentially serious fire made worse by the oxygen tanks carried in the ambulance.  Luckily, the resort had had fire sprinklers installed.  Five fire sprinklers were activated and controlled the fire in 20 minutes.

• An arsonist used a large amount of flammable liquid to start a fire in a single family home.  Witnesses called the fire department and reported that a huge uncontrolled blaze was engulfing the house.  However, when the fire department arrived, they found a lot of smoke but hardly any fire.  The fire sprinklers had activated and almost completely controlled the fire before the fire department arrived despite the large amount of flammable liquid used to start the fire, the fast spread rate, and the abundance of flammable material inside the house.  Fire sprinklers are not designed to control fires of this magnitude but in this case, the fire sprinkler system was able to contain the fire effectively.

 
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