A sprinkler system fitted in a ground floor flat in Trowbridge in Wiltshire has been credited with saving the lives of its two occupants.
Last month’s fire broke out at 2.30 am and was concentrated in the living room. Wiltshire Fire & Rescue believes it was started by discarded smoking materials and says that although the flat had smoke detectors fitted, they were not working.
The Studley Green estate is said to have been the first housing development in Europe to be fitted with domestic sprinklers following its rebuild in 1999.
“This is the second time that the sprinklers at Studley Green have done their job, with two people surviving a fire in their home that could have had fatal consequences otherwise,” said chief fire officer Andy Goves. “Sprinklers save lives and protect property, and we will continue to lobby local authorities, housing associations and developers to include these safety measures in their properties.”
Barry Hughes, chief executive of West Wiltshire Housing Society, which owns and manages the Studley Green estate, added: “Although it is always distressing to be involved in a fire, thankfully the sprinklers really reduced the damage. “We installed the sprinklers at Studley Green as part of a European Pilot. This is the second fire where the sprinklers saved lives and homes. I would like to call on the Government to make sprinklers in homes compulsory in building regulations.”
