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By Melanie Davis
Smoke alarms in homes are very important, but a growing trend
is adding to home fire protection. Home fire sprinkler systems
are quickly becoming a popular feature of new home construction.
Seth Norris, fire prevention officer for the Boone Fire Department,
explained there are several myths about home sprinkler systems,
such as smoke from cooking or a cigar would set it off and soak
the living room. Another myth are the ever-popular movie scenes
depicting sprinklers all spraying water at the same time.
“In fact, home sprinklers are design to respond to high heat
from flames and only the sprinkler head nearest the fire will
activate,” Norris said.
The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, a non-profit organization which
provides information to builders, firefighters and home owners,
said accidental discharge is less likely and less damaging than
a plumbing accident.
Sprinklers are common in commercial buildings and are designed
to contain a fire until firefighters arrive on scene. Such was
the case in the Big Lots fire on Feb. 6. The fire started in the
storage area at the rear of the building. The sprinklers in that
section of the store held the fire to that small area, preventing
a major blaze and reducing damage, making it easier for members
of the Boone Fire Department to fully extinguish the flames.
Norris said commercial and residential sprinklers are different.
A commercial system is designed only to contain the fire and set
off an alarm. A residential system is designed to extinguish,
and the alarm feature is optional.
Research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
suggests modern homes burn more quickly and can become deadly
within three minutes. This is attributed not to construction,
but to the contents of the home which are made or treated with
chemicals. The chemicals burn faster and produce more smoke.
A major concern for many homeowners is the potential water damage.
The HFSO said the average water use to control a home fire is
341 gallons from a sprinkler compared to 2,935 gallons used by
firefighters. Clean-up from fire contained by a sprinkler is much
faster.
Residential models are small and can be recessed into the ceiling
for an aesthetically pleasing addition to the home. The average
cost of a system is estimated to be one to one and one half percent
of the total building costs of new construction.
Most insurance companies offer a reduced rate of the fire section
of a homeowners policy for homes with sprinkler systems. The discount
amount varies company to company.
For more on home fire safety, contact Norris at the Boone Fire
Department by calling (828) 262-4516. Information on home sprinklers
is available at the HFSO Website at www.homefiresprinkler.org.
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