Sprinkler system saves residents in Doncaster high-rise fire

Four fire engines attended Silverwood House at Balby Bridge in Doncaster on 1 July after the alarm was raised at 10.05 pm in relation to a chip pan fire that had started inside a flat on the eleventh floor.

The heat generated from the fire activated the sprinkler system, automatically raised the alarm with the Fire and Rescue Service and extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived at the scene.

The end result was that only minor damage was sustained to the kitchen area, while one individual was able to be led to safety by the attending firefighters.

Decision to be applauded

Roger Brason, sprinkler advocate at the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, stated: “We’ve championed the use of sprinklers, particularly in high-rise buildings, for quite some time now, so we’re delighted that all of the blocks in Doncaster have them.”

Brason continued: “The decision by St Ledger Homes of Doncaster, in collaboration with Doncaster Council and ourselves, to install sprinklers within this residential block of flats should be applauded. These devices not only help to protect life, but also help to protect property. In most cases, they will extinguish a fire completely and prevent it from spreading any further.”

The incident comes after a recent report – underpinned by a survey conducted by Optimal Economics and commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Fire Sprinkler Network – showed that sprinkler systems are 99% efficient in extinguishing or controlling a fire and 94% efficient in their ability to operate.

Despite such a compelling narrative, there’s no statutory legislation for the retrofitting of sprinklers within purpose-built blocks of flats.