Live Burn Demonstrations to Ignite Home Fire Sprinkler Awareness

As part of national Fire Prevention Week, the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) is working with fire departments in the greater Chicago region to conduct live burn demonstrations at their open house events.

These dramatic and effective demonstrations will show the public how fast fires can become deadly, while conveying the crucial benefits of fire sprinklers. Fire Prevention Week runs from October 8 to 14, and this year’s theme is “Cooking safety starts with You. Pay attention to fire prevention.” During Fire Prevention Week, fire departments, including the Beecher Fire Protection District on Friday, October 13, also will be educating their communities about the simple but crucial actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

In the side-by-side fire and sprinkler burn demonstrations, two similarly furnished rooms, each with smoke alarms, will be set on fire. One room features a single fire sprinkler, the other room will not. Attendees will be able to feel the extreme heat and see the rapid spread of fire in the unsprinklered room and contrast it with how quickly the sprinkler responds and controls or extinguishes the fire in the other room.

Besides these up close and personal demonstrations, fire departments will discuss typical fire department response times, the importance of working smoke alarms, and well-practiced escape plans.

“Because today’s homes tend to have open designs and furniture and other contents made from petroleum-based plastics and synthetic materials, a fire can turn deadly in less than two minutes,” said NIFSAB Executive Director Erik Hoffer. “These fires burn hotter and faster than years ago, while also producing more deadly, toxic smoke. With these demonstrations, people can see how fast the entire room ignites and reaches flashover, which not even firefighters in their full gear can survive. Simultaneously, they can see how heat automatically activates a fire sprinkler, stopping the fire from becoming deadly, and giving people precious time to evacuate.”

There are more than 115 Illinois communities that have ordinances or codes requiring fire sprinklers in all new construction homes. Fire sprinklers not only help safeguard occupants and property but also protect the lives of first responders.

Home fire sprinklers have controlled or extinguished thousands of cooking fires over the years, but the best strategy is to prevent these fires from starting in the first place. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for about half of all U.S. home fires.