Live burns demonstrate home fire sprinkler effectiveness versus quick growth of today’s home fires.
This fall, as part of national Fire Prevention Week education efforts, the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) will be working with greater Chicago area fire departments to present live burn demonstrations at their open house events.
Fire Prevention Week is October 6 – 12, and this year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!” Smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers together make a great team by providing early warning and giving occupants time to safely escape a home fire. According to a March “U.S. Experience with Sprinklers” report from the National Fire Protection Association, home fire deaths are reduced by 92 percent when fire sprinklers and hardwired smoke alarms are present compared to when neither are present.
Nothing is more powerful evidence of that NFPA statistic than a live side-by-side demonstration of home fires. These dramatic burns are remarkably effective at showing people how fast fires can become deadly and the crucial, life-saving benefits of home fire sprinklers.
In the side-by-side burn demonstrations, two similar rooms with smoke alarms are set on fire. However, one room contains a single fire sprinkler, while the adjoining room does not. Attendees can witness the rapid spread of fire in the unsprinklered room in stark contrast with how quickly the fire sprinkler responds and controls or extinguishes the fire in the other room.
In addition to these demonstrations, Chicago area fire departments will discuss the importance of early warning with working 10-year-sealed-battery smoke alarms, typical 9-1-1 dispatch and fire department response times, and well-practiced escape plans for families.
“With today’s home furnishings, a fire can turn deadly in just two minutes,” said NIFSAB Executive Director Erik Hoffer. “Home fires are more deadly because our furniture and belongings are made of plastics and synthetic materials that make fires burn faster and produce more toxic smoke, while open-space design concepts cause fires to spread more quickly from room-to-room. Evolving technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries also are adding new fire challenges, driving quicker growth of fires.”
“With these riveting demonstrations, audiences can see fire sprinklers in action. They do not all activate at once as the movies incorrectly portray, but instead are individually activated by the extreme heat of a fire, providing life safety by stopping a fire in its track and limiting the spread of smoke.”
More than 110 Illinois communities have adopted national model codes requiring fire sprinklers in all new construction homes. Leaders in those communities recognize fire sprinklers not only help safeguard residents and property, they also protect the lives of first responders from fire and cancer-causing carcinogens associated with the smoke.
Locally, fire and sprinkler burn demonstrations will be held on Friday, October 11, during the Beecher Fire Protection District’s open house, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., and also at the Richton Park Fire Department (Fire Sprinkler Demo Triailer). Please contact NIFSAB or the fire departments for more details. Fire and sprinkler demonstration updates may be found on NIFSAB’s website at: https://firesprinklerassoc.org/2024/09/live-burns-during-fire-prevention-week-to- demonstrate-effectiveness-of-home-fire-sprinklers-versus-quick-growth-of-todays-home- fires/.