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Side-by-Side Fire Sprinkler Burn Demonstration
Photos by Harlem-Roscoe Fire Photographer Sheryl Drost
October 12, 2008
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Click to watch video.
In a side-by-side live burn demonstration during the department's Fire Prevention Week Open House, patrons witnessed just how quickly a room without a fire sprinkler can burn and how quickly a fire in a room with a fire sprinkler can be extinguished. Two rooms were built, but only one was equipped with a fire sprinkler system. Plexiglass was placed across the front so viewers could observe the demonstation.
In the demo, a fire was set in the room with no sprinkler first. It took only 2-1/2 minutes before the room had a flashover of fire. “A flashover is the near simultaneous ignition of all combustible material in an enclosed area. Flashover occurs when the majority of surfaces in a space are heated to the point (known as fire point) at which they give off flammable gases that are hot enough to sustain combustion. Flashover normally occurs at 500 °C (930 °F) for ordinary household combustibles.” Firefighters then extinguished the fire. The room was destroyed.
The second room was equipped with one fire sprinkler. The
fire was set, and this fire hadn’t burned 30 seconds when, the fire
sprinkler went off, and the fire was completely extinguished. The Plexiglass
across the front of the room was even still intact. Temp. 90 °F.
A fire was lit in the room without a fire sprinkler first. It was 2-1/2 minutes when the room flashed over with fire.
Firefighters were used to extinguish this fire.
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The room with a fire sprinkler system was set on fire next.
The sprinklers activated in under 30 seconds, completely extinguishing the fire.