Kitchens are the seat of more fires than any other location in purpose-built blocks of flats, according to statistics from BAFSA’s Incident Data Report No 3.
And this image, shared by Triangle Fire Systems, from an incident on June 25, at a residential block of flats in Birmingham shows the benefits of having sprinklers installed in these types of premises. Not only was the fire contained and controlled, smoke damage was limited to one area, reducing the impact on the resident’s ability to be back up and running.
In this case, Triangle Fire Systems were called to reinstate the residential sprinkler system the day after the fire on the 11thfloor of this block of flats. Following the activation of one sidewall sprinkler head (VK480), the system was back online within 45 minutes of their arrival.
Nick Coleshill, BAFSA’s sprinkler ambassador, says: “Birmingham Council should be applauded for their continued commitment to providing its residents with the highest level of fire safety by retrofitting sprinklers in all their high-rise residential block of flats.”
Sadly this is not the case elsewhere in the country. A recent report in Inside Housing magazine found that out of 37 large social housing providers in England and the 1,768 of high-rise residential buildings they manage, only 334 (18.9%) had been fitted with sprinklers, and over half of these were fitted in one local authority (Birmingham).
BAFSA chief executive, Ali Perry, recently commented in the fire industry press on how he found the lack of progress in regard to retrofitting sprinklers in high-risk buildings ‘hard to believe’.
To read the Inside Housing report visit: https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/six-years-on-from-grenfell-why-do-most-social-housing-blocks-still-not-have-sprinklers-or-fire-alarms-81879
More details on this and other examples of sprinkler saves can be found at available on www.sprinklersaves.co.uk
