Appeals Board Upholds Residential Sprinkler Requirement by Unanimous Vote
from AFSA - Dec. 11, 2008
Public safety advocates cleared a significant hurdle on the path towards having new homes protected with fire sprinkler systems when a special committee of the International Code Council (ICC) voted unanimously to reject an appeal of recently approved residential sprinkler requirements, which had been filed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The requirements, slated for inclusion in the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC), follow historic votes last September in Minneapolis, Minn., where ICC's Voting Governmental Members overwhelmingly supported Proposals RB64 and RB66 to require fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. The IRC is a model code that regulates new home construction in 48 states plus the District of Columbia. More

Sprinklers Receive Praise in Las Cruces, N.M.
from Las Cruces Sun-News – Dec. 11, 2008
A fire sprinkler system limited damages to an apartment in Las Cruces, N.M, during a fire that could have caused greater damage, according to Las Cruces police. The apartment was equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system, which was activated in the blaze and extinguished the flames within minutes. No injuries were reported in the incident, and minimal fire and smoke damage resulted due to the sprinkler system. "Automatic fire protection systems are the way to go," Las Cruces fire investigator Eric Enriquez stated in the news release. "(This) incident proved that in order to truly protect our homes, and our lives, fire sprinkler systems are well worth the cost of installing them." More

Hanna Paper Fire Doused by Sprinklers
from Meriden Record-Journal – Dec. 15, 2008
Firefighters responded to the recycling center in Wallingford, Conn., to reports that something had set off the fire alarms in the area and arrived to find that the sprinkler system had put out the flames. No one was hurt during the fire or response, fire officials said. "We are running as usual," said James Kiernan, general manager of the center. "Fire inspectors are still looking into the cause, but the sprinkler system worked the way it was supposed to and it prevented the fire from spreading or causing any serious damage." More

Sprinkler System Douses Scottsdale, Ariz., Kitchen Fire
from East Valley Tribune – Dec. 11, 2008
A kitchen fire in a Scottsdale, Ariz., apartment was quickly extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system, Scottsdale fire officials said in a statement. No injuries were reported. The cause and loss estimate were not available, but the activation of the sprinkler system kept fire and smoke damage to a minimum. More

Sprinklers Extinguish Shopping Center Fire
from Lake County News-Sun – Dec. 14, 2008
A decorated holiday tree is the suspected culprit in a fire that caused an undetermined amount of smoke damage at Westfield Hawthorn Shopping Center in Vernon Hills, Ill., where businesses were slated to be closed pending an investigation by the village’s building department. Countryside Fire Protection District officials report that crews responded to an activated fire alarm at the mall, and arriving crews found that sprinkler heads had extinguished a small fire that started on the second floor in a display of trees and lights. More

Popular Bingo Halls Closed Down Due to Lack of Sprinklers
from AP via WAAYTV – Dec. 15, 2008 2008
Alabama fire inspectors closed four Walker County bingo halls that attract hundreds of patrons for failing to comply with an order to install sprinkler systems. The order came after fire marshal and law enforcement officials conducted weekend inspections of seven bingo operations. More

New Zealand: Firefighters Want 20,000 More Sprinkler Systems
from The New Zealand Herald – Dec. 15, 2008
Firefighters have raised concerns that more than 20,000 commercial buildings have no sprinkler systems. This revelation comes after a big fire at a Mitre 10 store in Onehunga last week. The fire, which is thought to have been arson, destroyed the store and happened so quickly that customers and staff fled for their lives. Manukau District Chief Fire Officer Larry Cocker said he had "huge concerns" about similar buildings around the country which could burn down just as quickly. Fire Service records show that of about 24,000 commercial buildings nationally just 2,400 have sprinkler systems. More