At about 2000hrs on Friday 28th February 2014 , a fire started in the ‘Wonderbra Shop’ at the Galleria Outlet Shopping Complex in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
The Galleria houses 80 designer outlet shops on 20,500 sq meters of retail space, in addition to a multiplex cinema and many well-known chain food oulets
The fire started in some electrical equipment within a small office , which was ‘back of house ‘ . It was caused by the overheating of a extension lead , igniting adjacent combustible materials . Heat from the fire caused the operation of a single sprinkler head, this suppressed the fire until the arrival of the Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire Service used a single hose reel jet to ensure the fire was fully extinguished . In line with the fire engineered solution for this premises ( which was built in 1991), the smoke extraction system directed products of combustion out of the shop to the rear of the complex. Therefore, the mall and concourse were unaffected by the incident . The centres many restaurants and entertainment complex did not need to be evacuated.
BAFSA comments that this is a very good example of a sprinkler system working in conjunction with a smoke venting system to minimise risks to life and property damage. The Galleria also houses a unique sprinkler protection system covering a former recreation area where sprinkler heads are fitted to freestanding uprights.
