WASHINGTON – We learned early in the investigation into an Annapolis mansion fire that the home didn’t have sprinklers, which is required of every new home built in Maryland. But experts say it’s a feature, that while costly, could have saved their lives.
“It’s a tough situation for fire responders to face — a highly involved fire in a residential structure with a report of people inside,” says Ron Siarnicki, former Prince George’s County fire chief.
While he did not respond to the Annapolis fire that killed six people, Siarnicki says a dry Christmas tree of that size likely didn’t give the family much time.
“You have this huge flame plume … of course all that heat is going to push the smoke vertically. And with the bedrooms being on the second floor, that’s the place the smoke goes to first,” he says.
Fire investigators say the open concept layout of the home did not play a significant factor in the fire, but fewer walls means fire travels more quickly. Siarnicki, who now heads the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, says it’s a design style that changes the way firefighters approach containing the flames.
“People like having that open area. There’s nothing wrong with that, provided you put the protection in place. ”
He’s long been a proponent of sprinklers inside homes. Prince George’s County was the first in Maryland to pass a regulation requiring new home construction include sprinklers.
The Annapolis mansion that went up in flames was built ahead of the statewide sprinkler regulation. But ironically, Siarnicki says older homes take longer to burn and when they have sprinklers installed, residents are afforded extra seconds to escape.
He points to present-day construction trends of using compressed wood, glues and resins that are quick to ignite.
“Fires are spreading quickly and reaching higher temps and producing more smoke much faster than an older home built with dimensional lumbar, solid wood,” he says.
Unfortunately, he says, homeowners assume they won’t have a fire. And this is a prime example of why it’s important to protect your home.
“We can rebuild you house. We can’t rebuild your family. And that’s what sprinklers do — give you the time as the fire accelerates to hold it in check to get you out.”
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