NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 82

Firewatch
walls before the sprinkler activated and
extinguished the fire before the fire
department's arrival.
The fire department indicated that
the entire facility was protected by a
wet-pipe sprinkler system and that
one sprinkler opened to extinguish the
fire. Smoke detectors were also located
throughout the building. Newspaper
coverage reported that the facility was
able to reopen after the fire was put out.
The building was a two-story structure constructed with a wood frame
and walls and had a wood roof deck
that was covered by asphalt shingles. It
occupied a ground-floor area of 6,500
square feet (604 square meters).
The fire caused an estimated $6,000
in damage to the building, valued at
$2 million. There was no damage to
building contents, also valued at $2
million.

EDUCATIONAL
ILLINOIS
Sprinkler extinguishes fire in high
school lab
A fire that started in a high school science laboratory during an experiment
involving a Bunsen burner was quickly
extinguished by an overhead sprinkler,
causing minimal damage.
Firefighters were dispatched to the
school after a sprinkler in the lab activated and triggered the alarm.
Firefighters reported no signs of fire
as they arrived at the school. Crews
were advised by school officials that
the fire was out, but proceeded to the
lab to confirm it had been completely
extinguished. They remained on the
scene until the alarms were silenced.

Investigators determined that the
fire was caused by the ignition of fuel
that was contained inside the Bunsen
burner.
The building was protected by a
wet-pipe sprinkler system that was
connected to a central station alarm
system.
The school building was a four-story
structure with a ground-floor area of
436,900 square feet (40,590 square
meters). The structure was of concrete
block construction.
The fire resulted in an estimated
$500 in damage to the contents of the
classroom.

INDUSTRIAL
ILLINOIS
Fire at manufacturing facility causes
damage, but no injuries
Firefighters responded to an early
morning fire at a manufacturing facility
following a phone call from workers,
who evacuated the structure after a fire
alarm at 4:40 a.m., according to news
reports.
Sources indicated that firefighters
encountered heavy smoke upon arriving at the facility, with fire showing
inside the building, but mounted an
aggressive attack that quickly extinguished the fire.
Investigators indicated that the fire
began when a malfunctioning piece
of machinery heated metal shavings
and ignited dust located on top of the
machine.
The facility was a single-story structure with a ground-floor area of 9,000
square feet (836 square meters). The
building was constructed with concrete
floors, and included a metal roof deck
on a steel roof frame.
The facility was equipped with smoke
detectors connected to a fire alarm.
It was not protected by a sprinkler
system.
Damage to the structure, which was
valued at $400,000, was estimated at
$50,000, while damage to its contents,
valued at $600,000, was estimated at
$100,000.

82 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2017
