State fire marshal encourages home sprinkler installation

MOSES LAKE — They’re in commercial and industrial buildings everywhere you go, but fire sprinklers are still a rarity in homes, where they could save lives, according to a statement from the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office.

“Home fire sprinklers are designed to activate individually, targeting only the area affected by fire, which minimizes water damage,” Fire Marshal Chad Cross wrote in the statement. “They can be seamlessly integrated into new constructions or retrofitted into existing homes.”

They can be, but they seldom are.

According to a study by the Fire Safety Research Institute, fewer than 11% of all single-family residences are equipped with fire sprinklers. Only two states, California and Maryland, require sprinklers to be installed in new residences, although the Washington cities of Olympia and Redmond have adopted such ordinances, according to the fire marshal’s statement. A significant part of the reason for this is that not all domestic water supplies can provide enough pressure and flow to support the system, the FSRI study found.

Data from the National Fire Prevention Association indicates that a home fire sprinkler system can result in a substantial reduction in fire-related deaths and considerably less property damage.  According to the American Fire Sprinkler Association, the cost of installing sprinklers in a new home constitutes about 1% of the cost of construction, about as much as new carpet.

The SFMO recommends installing sprinklers for these reasons:

• Life safety: Sprinklers reduce the risk of fire-related deaths by up to 89%.

• Property protection: A sprinkler system limits fire damage, often containing fires with just one or two sprinkler activations.

• Environmental impact: Sprinklers use significantly less water than fire department hoses, reducing water damage and runoff.

• Cost-effectiveness: Average installation costs are approximately $1.35 per square foot in new constructions.

• Insurance benefits: Many insurance companies offer premium discounts for homes with sprinkler systems.

For more information, contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 360-596-3904.