Fire sprinklers are effective in minimising the environmental impact of building fires. Minimum building damage and subsequent rebuilding, and less water required for suppression.
Fire and the Environment
Building fires can have a significant impact on the environment.
- As combustible materials burn they release carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.
- Uncontrolled fires burn significantly more of a building and its furnishings.
- Firefighter intervention in an uncontrolled fire requires a large amount of water to extinguish the flames.
- The waste water from firefighting often contains pollutants from the burnt material in the home, which can end up in waterways.
- Larger fires subsequently lead to disposal of more material and reconstruction of a greater degree of the home, ultimately embodying more carbon.
Fire Sprinklers minimise the environmental impact
Sprinklers are effective in minimising the environmental impact of building fires.
- Fire Sprinklers control the spread of fire significantly reducing its size and damage (up to 97%*).
- Reducing the size and amount of combustible material consumed by the fire subsequently reduces the carbons and toxic gases released (by 97.8%*).
- Firefighter intervention in a sprinkler controlled fire requires much less water resulting in a fraction of the waste water (up to 91% less total water used*).
- Smaller fires result in less disposal of damaged material and less reconstruction consuming less carbon overall.
Peak heat release from home fire (kW)*
- Sprinklered
- non-Sprinklered
Total water used to extinguish fire (L)*
- Sprinklered
- non-Sprinklered
CO2 Emmissions
(kgs)*
- Sprinklered
- non-Sprinklered