There has been a high level of interest in the fire that occurred in the Balcony Fire at West Hampstead, on 3 July 2018 involving the actuation of multiple nozzle heads.
The following case study report about the incident has now been completed by the London Fire Brigade, focusing to raise awareness in the residential sector of the beneficial/effectiveness impact that incorporating Automatic Fire Suppression Systems can have in a multi-point residential high rise fire.
Summary of incident
- Balcony fire, Residential High-Rise Multiple point Nozzle Head Activation
- LFB called to a rapidly developing fire on the third floor external balcony of a seven storey apartment block.
- Fire spread vertically affecting three additional balconies from fourth to sixth floor level.
- A further apartment located directly below the seat of the fire was also alight.
- In the space of 19 minutes from the time of the call, 5 apartments were exposed to fire and heat activating 12 nozzle heads.
- This is unprecedented in a residential fire; at most only one or two heads activate during a fire.
- The fire did not spread within the apartments due to the prompt activation of the Automatic Fire Suppression System (AFSS) and fire damage was restricted to the glazing units/frames with heavy smoke logging confined to the ceiling level of the apartments.
- Without AFSS the outcome of this incident may well have been more serious with the potential for five multi point fires which would have seriously compromised the safety of residents and firefighters. Personal contents in the apartments were virtually untouched by the fire, and no fire related injuries were reported.
- The installation of AFSS within this block is not only compatible with the open plan flat design but is also a cost effective solution which can lead to savings in capital, construction and lifecycle costs.
- This was the second 8 pump residential fire involving the actuation of multiple nozzle heads in London during June /July 2018. On both occasions the cause of the fire was recorded as the careless disposal of smoking materials.
- The Building Research Establishment Report ‘Fire Safety Issues with Balconies’ carried out for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) also confirms that balcony fires are increasing. This could partly be explained by the fact that Building Regulations remain open to interpretation in the absence of specific spread of flame requirements relating to balconies.
- We therefore have a responsibility to inform property developers, designers and risk assessors of the need to be aware of the potential fire risks posed by balconies in residential properties.
https://www.bafsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/West-Hampstead-Square-AFSS-Activation-Case-Study-Rev-31-01-2019.pdf