Fire Department to Burn Homes for Public

YULEE, Fla. -- Don't call in to report the fire at Home Depot coming up Dec. 5.  Nassau County Fire Rescue will be there.

With assistance from the store, the fire department is going to set two fires for the public to watch. Both fires will be in recently built structures that have the same size and contents as a typical home.

Both homes have a working smoke alarm, but only one has a sprinkler system.

The purpose is to show the public how a fire can become deadly in under three minutes.

"There's nothing like the heat and smoke of a real fire to help adults and children understand just how fast a home fire is," said Interim Fire Chief Sam Young. "With our side-by-side comparison, we can show both the danger of fire and the value of having a fire sprinkler system installed."

NCFR said it takes around 10 minutes for crews to arrive at a fire.  Sprinkler systems in homes can keep the fire from spreading until the firefighters arrive.

In homes with no sprinkler, the fire keeps growing and spreading. The test fires will be started at noon.

Nassau County Fire Rescue also offers these facts about home sprinkler systems:

• Fire sprinklers are supplied by household water, usually off the water main.  Just like ordinary plumbing, sprinkler system piping is hidden behind walls and ceilings.
• The sprinklers are positioned along the piping and can be seen in ceilings or up high along certain walls.
• Sprinklers are activated only by the high temperature of a fire, typically between 135°-165°F.
• Burned toast or other smoke cannot set off a sprinkler; neither can a smoke alarm that activates.
• Sprinklers are designed to flow between 10-25 gallons of water per minute. That's about 10-15 times less water flow than fire department hoses, and under far less pressure.
• By operating while a fire is still small, a sprinkler controls or extinguishes a fire, slowing the spread of poisonous smoke and deadly heat.
• That fast and effective action gives family members more time to get out safely, saving lives.
• The sprinkler confines the fire damage so that surrounding rooms are protected, saving valuables.

The website homefiresprinkler.org offers more information.

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