NFPA Journal - November/December 2013 - (Page 57)

Fire Protection Systems There was a fire alarm system present that activated and alerted occupants. There was a wet-pipe sprinkler system present, which operated with 17 heads flowing. The system was ineffective, but the reason why was not reported. Fire Development The fire broke out in the ceiling/roof component, but the cause was listed as undetermined. Contributing Factors The loss was estimated at $6 million to the structure and $4 million to the contents. CaliFornia Date, Time of alarm, Dollar loss November, 2 p.m., $10 million Property Characteristics and operating Status This was a large steel flammable fluid storage tank. The tank was located in a flammable fluid processing plant. No information was reported on the size of the tank. Fire Protection Systems It was not reported if there was a smoke alarm system present. There was an unreported type automatic suppression system present that operated and was reported as not effective. No additional information was reported on the type of system or why it was ineffective. Fire Development The fire broke out in the tank, but the cause was listed as undetermined. Contributing Factors No addition information was reported. Firefighters protect a home from the Ponderosa Fire in California. The fire destroyed more than 50 homes and resulted in $15 million in property damage. for 16 of the 18 structure fires. Six of the structures had no suppression equipment. Of the remaining 10, four had wet-pipe sprinklers, three of which provided complete coverage and one had unknown coverage. Six systems were of an unreported type; two were partial coverage and four did not have the coverage reported. Five of the 10 suppression systems operated, and three did not. The other two had unknown operation. Of the systems that operated, one was effective and helped contain the fire; two systems operated as designed, with no additional information reported on their effectiveness; and two systems were ineffective, with one not being located in the area of origin and one that operated but was damaged by a structural collapse. Complete information on both detection and suppression equipment was reported for 11 of the 18 large-loss structure fires. Three of the structures had neither a detection nor a suppression system. Both types of systems were present in four structures. Two structures had just detection equipment, and two had just suppression equipment. Photograph: AP/Wide World SPECial ProPErTiES arizona Date, Time of alarm, Dollar loss September, 3:15 p.m., $10 million Property Characteristics and operating Status This three-story apartment building was under construction and was of unprotected wood-frame construction. It was part of an apartment complex that covered 12 acres (5 hectares) with seven three-story, wood-frame buildings completed and occupied and five buildings of the same construction materials under construction. There were also eight garage buildings under construction. There was a security guard on site at the time of the fire. Fire Protection Systems There were no smoke alarms present at this point in construction. There was a sprinkler system partially installed, but it was not yet completed or operational. Fire Development A fire broke out in a second-story center apartment in the bathroom area. It was caused by plumbers' hot work igniting fiberboard being used in the wall construction around a water heater. Upon arrival of the fire department, three buildings under construction were already involved in fire. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 NFPA JOURNAL 57

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2013

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NFPA Journal - November/December 2013