Fire demonstration offers information on residential fire sprinklers
The Arkansas Fire Marshals Association demonstrated the effect of residential fire sprinklers on in-home fires Thursday during a fire simulation at Station No. 1.
Numerous area fire stations attended as well as several city directors and members of the public.
The demonstration showed a trailer built with two rooms, similar to living rooms; one with an installed residential sprinkler system and a room without one. But that wasn’t the only difference; three and a half minutes, substantial damage and 220 gallons of water also separated the demonstrations.
In the room simulating an unsprinkled home, a fire was lit and the smoke detector began responding after 14 seconds. Siloam Springs firemen waited approximately five minutes before fighting the fire to simulate a response time for a fire within the city, which is about four and a half minutes, according to Fire Marshal Dustin Kindell.
By the time firefighters had “responded” to the fire, an event called flashover, where unburnt fumes within the air ignite, occurred. Just prior to that, bystanders were encouraged to imagine smoke was rolling down a proverbial hallway and
conditions are no longer livable because the heat was so intense. To fight the fire, crews used a fire hose capable of expelling approximately 250 gallons of water per minute, according to EMS Director Brent Ford.
In the room simulating a home with a residential sprinkler system, the smoke detector began responding after 14 seconds. The sprinkler head, equipped with a glass bulb that breaks and creates an opening for water to escape when heated to between 135 to 165 degrees, responded at 59 seconds. The sprinkler system released approximately 30 gallons of water and considerably decreased damage from water, fire and smoke, Kindell said. Firefighters did not have to use their equipment to address the fire.
The demonstration comes amid discussion about amendments to the city’s Master Street Plan. The city’s board of directors tabled amendments during its May 7 meeting in hopes of getting a better understanding of what is required by the fire department and detailed in potential variances.
According to an April 14 report in the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader, the amendments would require developers building on any no-outlet street extending greater than 1,250 feet be approved by a variance and abide by mandatory conditions, such as including residential sprinkler systems in all homes on the street. Developers are also responsible for any additional fire hydrants, to be compliant with Arkansas Fire Code, and “other features as directed by the city fire department or fire code official.” However, both residential sprinkler systems and additional hydrants aren’t necessary for streets that don’t exceed 1,250 feet.
The city estimated hydrants cost $3,280.75, not including labor. Hydrants have been preselected and are non-negotiable, Kindell said. The city and the Siloam Springs Fire Department have mutually agreed on a fire hydrant that meets the city’s needs without adding to costs associated with fire equipment or maintenance, Kindell said.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates a residential system made from the same material used in current residential plumbing can cost anywhere from $1.30 to $1.60 a square foot, Kindell said. These particular residential sprinkler heads, or a 13D system as specified by the NFPA, only react when heated to 135 to 165 degrees, meaning an entire system will not react in unison like some in-home smoke detectors do, Kindell said. In fact, Kindell sited a study that showed in residential sprinkler systems, 79 percent of fires only had one head activate. Residential systems are also built to release an estimated 10 to 20 gallons of water per minute, which considerably reduces a homeowner’s likelihood for water-related damages from a house fire, Kindell said.
“You only have to put residential sprinklers in bedrooms, where you and your kids are sleeping,” Kindell said. “The living room, the kitchen, because that’s where most fires in residential houses happen. You’re not having to sprinkle your attic, bathrooms and closets.”
Kindell explained in an April board meeting a residential sprinkler system for a 2,400-square-foot home was estimated to cost $7,500. However, there are ways for developers to cut down on costs, such as building systems with particular materials and working with the city to fine-tune their building plans, Kindell said.
Developers aren’t the only subgroup able to seek monetary aid when installing residential fire sprinkler systems. State Farm, a national insurance carrier that offers a variety of policies, including home and auto, offers homeowners a 1 percent discount on partially sprinkled homes and a 7 percent discount on fully sprinkled homes, or homes with a fire sprinkler in every room.
According to city Director Bob Coleman, cost isn’t his concern; it’s the length of the street.
“I’m totally in favor of sprinkler systems. I think they’re wonderful,” Coleman said. “I’m not totally willing to back off of the 1,250 feet. Seven hundred and fifty feet is a quarter of a mile. I’m having a hard time thinking we need to have a dead end street that goes that far.”
In 2016, the U.S. Fire Administration released the number of fire losses via the National Fire Incident Reporting System. For Arkansas, 723 departments reported data. For residential structure fires, there was an estimated 7.2 deaths and 19.1 injures per 1,000 fires. The national average in 2016 was six deaths and 24.4 injuries per 1,000 fires. In 2018, there were an estimated 32 civilian home fire fatalities reported by news media within 24-48 hours of the fire, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The criteria reported included all causes for all types of residential homes.
So far in 2019, the U.S. Fire Administration reports there have been a reported 19 home fire fatalities reported by news media. The criteria reported included all causes for all types of residential homes. This figure doesn’t include the sole on-duty fire death; Michael Watkins, a driver/ engineer for the Northeast Lakeside Fire Department in Mountain Home.
“These residential systems are designed by professionals for life safety to buy the family enough time to get out,” Kindell said.