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Date: January 26, 2000

To: The Edmonds Paper
The Enterprise
The Herald
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Chambers Cable Television

From: Fire Marshal John Westfall (425) 771-0213 (Three pages)

Subject: Sprinkler Extinguishes Fire; Saves Edmonds Home

An automatic fire sprinkler system installed in an Emerald Hills’ residence extinguished an unintentional fire caused by a worker on January 14 before serious damage occurred.

Automatic fire sprinklers aid in the detection and control of residential fires, providing improved protection against injury, life loss, and property damage. Fire sprinklers activated by heat deliver water only onto the fire.

The Edmonds home was under renovation and unoccupied at the time of the fire. A local alarm was not yet wired, and the sprinkler activation went undetected until the owner arrived around 9:30 the following morning. The incident occurred during the evening of January 14. The cause of the fire was determined to be a cigarette butt discarded in a trashcan filled with rubbish and construction materials. Total fire damage is estimated at $30, the cost of the waste container. Total property damage is estimated at $2,400, due to water-damaged drywall and replacement costs of three electrical low-voltage lighting transformers. The total property "saved" by the sprinkler is estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Water Department determined the single sprinkler operated for approximately 15 hours. The fire occurred in the heated garage area where Department officials had encouraged the owner to extend sprinkler protection. Installation of residential sprinkler systems and working smoke detectors reduce the risk of dying in a fire by 97%. As an unoccupied home, the system had not yet been evaluated and accepted by the Fire Department. The average cost of sprinkler protection for this 4,200 square foot home was $1 per square foot, a small price when considering the value of life and property.

The Snohomish County Council, coincidentally, on the same day of the incident, unanimously passed an ordinance improving the sprinkler requirements for commercial and multi-family residential occupancies in unincorporated areas of Snohomish County.

Fire sprinklers save lives. Contact your local Fire Department to obtain more information regarding automatic fire sprinklers.

Room of origin	Sprinkler
Area of fire origin	Total fire damage

Edmonds Fire Department (425) 771-0213.

Technical Data:

The system was installed in a 4200 s.f. home with (28) quick response sprinkler heads in accordance with NFPA 13-D: Standard for sprinkler protection in single-family dwellings. The sprinkler was a Central Model LF 3/8" recessed pendent-type head, 155 degree F. A single sprinkler activated to suppress the fire. Design spacing is 20’x 20’. Design flow provides 16 GPM @ 28.4 psi for 1 head flowing. Available pressure on system is 58.89 psi for a single flowing head. System designed and installed by RPI Fire Protection/Robinson Plumbing of Arlington, WA, (360) 403-7462.