Fire In New Construction: Sprinklers & Fire Alarms Don't Always Help

[x635 4,066]

Since I moved to Round Rock, I've been watching the construction of this modern hybrid apartment/retail/office space and lofts. I was always perplexed by why they would construct this out of wood. The building had fire alarms, and sprinklers, and a standpipe system.

The other night, just a few days after it was finished, this brand new complex caught fire. It burned off most of the roof and 4th (top) floor of that section. Firefighters were already in the area when they smelled smoke (on a completly different gas leak call).

The fire was in a tough space to get to....between the roofing materials and concealed spaces inside the roof of the structure. Also,the rubber from the roof was melting, and dripping to the floors below, causing additional small fires.

Under control in 10 hours, extinguished in 15. About 17 pieces of apparatus, with 72 firefighters from Austin, Georgetown, Pflugerville and Round Rock. Williamson County EMS and Round Rock PD were also on scene. Kudos to the FF's, they had to do a TON of truckwork to get to the fire.

Luckily, the building was vacant and, and only some minor injuries to firefighters. It has been determined that sparks from welding caused the fire.

I really need to start figuring out how the radio systems work down here, that's the second major fire I could have caught had I known! I'm going to set up the fire alert somehow when I figure it out.

Anyways, I did get some aftermath photos.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Were the sprinklers and fire alarm hooked up or just installed.

That could have made a huge difference if not.

Edited December 13, 2008 by bvfdjc316

[x635 4,066]

Were the sprinklers and fire alarm hooked up or just installed.

That could have made a huge difference if not.

From what I understand, everything was functioning correctly. The building was all ready for tenants. The fire alarms did activate, and the sprinklers were below where the fire was.

[x635 4,066]

This was the first-due to the call:

[Bnechis 3,961]

Were the sprinklers and fire alarm hooked up or just installed.

That could have made a huge difference if not.

It is rare to find sprinklers & detectors in most of the void spaces. This is true in new construction (think wood I Beams) as well as old think balloon frame or even regular joists. The big concern with new construction is that fire will cause structural failure faster. Also it may burn more area in light weight construction voids before breaking out and potentially overwellming the sprinklers. This fire was in the cockloft, which is rarely sprinklered.

[Remember585 815]

I've been involved in a few incidents both as a dispatcher and as a firefighter where the alarm either doesn't go off or notification of the alarm is delayed - drastically.

Most recently I dispatched an FD for smoke in a building. Units were on scene venting and we got the alarm, nearly 25 minutes after the initial call from the facility reporting smoke from the basement.

[ny10570 745]

Buildings are not built with fire protection in mind. They are built to be cheap, strong and fast to construct. The only reason fire protection is even considered is due to local building codes. If people were worried about fire everything would be built from concrete and steel or at the very least heavy timber. Trusses, laminate I beams, composite materials, etc all lead to cheaper construction costs and shorter build times.

[x635 4,066]

ny10570, you are absolutely right. They build "disposable" structures nowadays.

It was just shocking to me, because I watched this being built since I've been here. I always worried about the wood, but thought that the sprinkers would help to contain everything.

There needs to be a code to cover the roof parapet area as well.

[antiquefirelt 994]

The Codes generally cover the occupants, not the building or contents. Most are designed to ensure fire barriers, detection and sprinklers to help buy time for the occupants to be notified and escape. I would wonder about the construction code there in Round Rock.

Where I am, the Code Office uses the BOCA/IBC (FD uses NFPA) and they have specific height and area limitations that must be met or sprinklers must be installed. And I believe BOCA only recognizes full NFPA 13 systems which would include sprinklering mid to large sized void spaces. I doubt BOCA/IBC would allow that large a wood frame without a full NFPA 13 sprinkler.

Seth do you know the intended use(s) of the building. It looks like a parking garage at Side 3? And the windows look too utilitarian for residential only.

Last comment, often commercial buildings will be completed except tenant fit out, which might include moving/building of non-bearing partitions and areas, so the sprinkler system gets shut off at levels/areas by use of zone valves. Might this have been the case?