Fire Demonstration Shows Effectiveness Of Sprinkler Systems [VIDEO]

Everyone knows to have a smoke detector and a fire extinguisher in their home, but there is one other resource to prevent home fires that many people do not consider.

Residential sprinkler systems are a powerful tool when fighting fires. Barely visible in a home, a sprinkler system can stop a fire in its tracks before a fire team even has time to respond.

Bill Bershinsky with the Laramie Fire Department leads the demonstration in the video below. He says many people worry about the cost of installing a sprinkler system, but they are more affordable than people think.

“It averages about two dollars a square foot to install a fire sprinkler system,” Bershinsky said before the demonstration. “That’s about what it would cost to upgrade your carpet in your house, but upgraded carpet isn’t going to save your or your kids’ lives.”

The Laramie Fire Department used a high fire-risk holiday, Independence Day, to teach people about fire safety and what can be done to prevent damage. They were present at Freedom has a Birthday 2015 to show people first-hand how well a residential sprinkler system can control a blaze.

In the video you can see a side-by-side comparison of a room without a sprinkler system compared to one with a sprinkler system.

No fire accelerants were used in either room during the demonstration.

The Breakdown:

Beginning with the non-sprinklered room, fire erupts quickly with black smoke pouring out around the 1:30 mark. If you really want to see some flames, keep watching until around the 1:40 mark. Now consider how long it would take you to become aware of a fire and call the fire department. As you watch the video, think about how long it will take for the department to get the call and respond, even with fast response times.

Now for the sprinklered room. The fire in this room is lit about the 2:50 mark. You don’t need a play-by-play here to see the difference a sprinkler can make in your home.

For a side-by-side comparison of the two rooms, keep watching until the 3:37 mark.