Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
On November 17, 2016, the Louisiana Fire Sprinkler Association teamed up with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s office, the Louisiana Life Safety & Security Association and the Texas Fire Sprinkler Coalition to host a live side-by-side burn to demonstrate how quickly a typical home fire grows to the point of flashover. The demonstration took place at The Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana, and it stressed the importance of fire sprinklers in keeping home fires contained, and giving residents time to escape. Over 400 people were in attendance for the demonstration.
The Texas Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Assistant Chief Roland Garcia and Assistant Chief Randy Crimm from the City of Pearville, Texas conducted the demonstration along with the Kenner Fire Department, who were on hand to extinguish the fire. The fire on the sprinkler side of the trailer was extinguished in less than 60 seconds, and the non-sprinkler side had a flash-over in one minute and 20 seconds. “The latest statistics show the fire department takes 4-6 minutes to arrive at a home,” says chapter president Linda Biernacki. “So in that time most likely the entire house would be engulfed. We had a lot of great feedback, and many people were amazed that sprinklers are not mandatory in new homes [in Louisiana].” Visit lafiresprinkler.org.
