[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Fire Sprinkler Extinguishes Unattended Cooking Fire

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Battalion Chief Steven Sapp
(573)-874-7557

Battalion Chief James Weaver
(573)-874-7503
(573)-499-7035 Media Pager (No voice mail on media pager please)


Fire Sprinkler Extinguishes Unattended Cooking Fire

COLUMBIA, MO (July 12, 2011) - The Columbia Fire Department responded to a fire alarm, a fire sprinkler activation, at 700 North Garth, Apt 401, on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 8:51am.

Fire fighters arrived to find that a single fire sprinkler head in the kitchen area of the apartment had activated when the occupant left a pan of grease on the stove and inadvertently left the burner on then left the kitchen area.

A small amount of water was mopped up by fire fighters and the occupant is able to return to her apartment with no damage to any of her belongings.

Fire sprinklers were installed in both Oak and Paquin Towers several years ago after previous  fires had caused significant damage to apartments in both towers.

Todays incident shows how valuable fire sprinklers combined with fire alarm systems can be in protecting lives and property. When the single fire sprinkler head activated, it triggered a signal to the fire alarm indicating that water was flowing in the fire sprinkler. While the sprinkler extinguished the fire with no fire or smoke damage to the apartment, the alarm summoned fire fighters who quickly evaluated the apartment, then shut the water off to the fire sprinkler while a new fire sprinkler head was installed.

Past fires without fire sprinklers in these buildings caused ten of thousands of dollars worth of damage, placed lives in danger, and often required multiple apartment occupants to be relocated until repairs were made and smoke and water damage was cleaned up.

 

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