Save lives, property:
[9/29/2008] - Unprotected high-rise buildings in New Jersey pose serious risk of loss of life, injury and economic strain for thousands of New Jersey residents and firefighters. Citing costs to New Jersey families in the current economic climate, the Department of Community Affairs recently did not adopt proposed high-rise fire sprinkler retrofit regulations that would address a significant public- safety issue. While the department chose not to act on these regulations now, the fire service community strongly urges the state, the department and DCA Commis sioner Joseph Doria to keep his promise and address high-rise fire protection as quickly as possible before tragedy strikes. If our state acts now, it can make proper high- rise fire protection a reality and avoid the risk of high-rise fires and their attendant devastation, loss of life and financial hardships on local municipalities and fire services. link

In-home sprinkler laws find way into more towns
[9/28/2008] - Alberta Davidson woke up at 5 a.m. last March to a blaring alarm. Her garage was on fire. But it wasn't her smoke detector; the alarm was notifying her that the fire sprinklers in her garage had activated. They helped keep the fire from spreading to the interior of her house in Fallbrook, Calif., where sprinklers are mandatory in new homes. "Fire sprinklers really saved my home and saved my life," says Davidson, 48. As concern over residential fire deaths grows, home sprinklers are becoming more widespread and could soon be mandatory in new homes across the country. link

Sprinklers Douse Two Fires in Las Vegas Hotels
[9/25/2008] - LAS VEGAS (AP) - Guests evacuated three floors of the Bellagio casino resort Tuesday morning after a mattress fire left one man burned and others complaining of smoke inhalation, officials said. link

Residential Fire Sprinklers Proposal Approved at ICC Hearing
[9/23/2008] - A strong majority of the International Code Council's voting members have cast their support for a residential fire sprinkler requirement for all new one- and two-family homes and townhouses. Fire service and building code officials united to approve the requirement and countered opposition Sunday at the ICC final action hearing in Minneapolis. The vote--1,282 in favor, 470 against--represented 73 percent of members in attendance approving the proposal to change the International Residential Code (IRC). link

Fire quickly knocked down at Tallman recycling plant
[9/23/2008] - TALLMAN — A pile of garbage inside a paper recycling plant caught fire this morning but was quickly contained by the building’s sprinkler system. Some 60 firefighters responded when a fire alarm went off at the Millennium Paper Recycling plant at 25 N. Airmont Road in the hamlet just after 9 this morning. link

Sprinklers douse fire in room at Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas
[9/23/2008] - LAS VEGAS — Fire officials say sprinklers doused a mattress fire that left one person hurt and several others complaining of smoke inhalation at the Bellagio resort casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Clark County Fire Chief Steve Smith said Monday the fire was contained to one guest room, but smoke and water damaged the 26th floor. link

Mandatory fire sprinklers for homes met with some opposition
[9/21/2008] - FALLBROOK, Calif. -- Alberta Davidson woke up at 5 a.m. one morning last March to a blaring alarm. Her garage was on fire. But it wasn’t her smoke detector that had gone off. Rather, the alarm was notifying her that the fire sprinklers in her garage had activated. link

Tenants Evacuate Wilshire Apartment Building Fire
[9/20/2008] - LOS ANGELES A fire in a microwave oven on the 32nd floor of a 38-story apartment building near downtown triggered the sprinkler system early Saturday, and some residents evacuated themselves. A 19-year-old woman who breathed some smoke was taken to a hospital to be checked out, and damage to the unit and its contents was put at $70,000, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. link

Blaze guts mansion
[9/20/2008] - BELLEFONTE — A fire caused by faulty electrical wiring roared into a blaze early Friday that ravaged a historic Bellefonte mansion left unprotected by a new but inactivated sprinkler system. link

Sprinkler system douses Buffalo Grove fire
[9/17/2008] - Buffalo Grove fire officials said a sprinkler system contained a fire in an office building at 1400 Busch Parkway Tuesday night. link