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Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

mark handler

mark handler

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Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

9 March 2011

Farmhouse fire kills seven children in Pennsylvania

The burnt-out house in Blain, Pennsylvania"Fire fighters worked into the night to contain and investigate the deadly blaze

Seven children, aged from seven months to 11 years old, have died in a fire at a farmhouse in the borough of Blain in the US state of Pennsylvania.

The children's mother was milking cows in a barn and their father was napping in a delivery vehicle when the fire took hold, a state trooper said

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12690685
 
Yep, it was probably an older house and we all know that only older houses have fatal fires.

The new houses built today could prevent future tragedy like this but sprinklers are such a ridiculous burden...
 
All homes will eventually become old. The building materials today are lightweight such as I-Joists and 2x4 truss systems. This makes a big difference and they are burning quicker.

We had a new construction fire last year after a fires started OUTSIDE on the deck. The owner ran and left the windows open. The house burned to the ground within 35 minutes.

We have had several old home fires with heavier lumber and plaster and lath that faired much better and were simply renovated.

Now the builders can up-sell the $9,000 granite countertop and forgo the $5000 sprinkler system.
 
"fires started OUTSIDE on the deck"......maybe we should outlaw grills....or sprinkler the outside too...that vinyl goes up like gasoline.....maybe mandate fiber cement....
 
steveray said:
"fires started OUTSIDE on the deck"......maybe we should outlaw grills....or sprinkler the outside too...that vinyl goes up like gasoline.....maybe mandate fiber cement....
Click to expand...
The children's grandfather, Noah Sauder, told the Associated Press he believed the fire had started in the kitchen, ignited by a propane gas heater.
 
Does not matter how they start, what matters is that they do start whether from the mistake of people or electrical failures, they happen no matter what the quality of construction new or old. The last 2 fires I was at as an electrical inspector were both started by bathroom fans, both Nutone. One with a heater and one just a fan/light assembly. Both within the past 3 months.
 
yes...accidents and tragedies do happen...and it is a terrible thing....but at what point is there enough regulation? Is it going to be that we can no longer drink coffee and drive because we take our hands off of the wheel? Like the cell phone laws....I am sure that causes fatalities...how many? How many is too many? At least present an alternative....more draftstopping...better drywall seperations....something...there has to be a better way....a new home on a well needs a tank and a pump, and a generator to run said pump? +$20k cause I might want to live in the country?

That is one way to stop sprawl...
 
I believe we've been through all this before, nobody is going to change anybodys opinion. :beatdhrs

This was a tragedy that occured in a very old house, that regardless of sprinkler requirements, would never have been sprinklered. Unfortunatelly, one has to wonder if it even had SD's. But a tragedy nonetheless..............
 
It is very poor practice to make building codes to handle exceptional circumstances.

Very few single family residences ever burn. Very few of that do burn result in deaths.
 
Conarb

A propane heater is not allowed, but some house heaters are run on propane when there is no NG
 
You may want to check the numbers on that. Not looking at the site right now but last time I looked around 80% of fire deaths was in single family residences.

Residential structure fires constitute only 25% of all fires, yet result in 74% of deaths, 62% of injuries and 43% of loss (1985 data). The fire-related death rates (deaths per 1000 fires - 1985 data) for the various types of residential occupancies are listed in Table I.

( from America Burning)

[quote name=GHRobertor practice to make building codes to handle exceptional circumstances.

Very few single family residences ever burn. Very few of that do burn result in deaths.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
hlfireinspector said:
You may want to check the numbers on that. Not looking at the site right now but last time I looked around 80% of fire deaths was in single family residences. Residential structure fires constitute only 25% of all fires, yet result in 74% of deaths, 62% of injuries and 43% of loss (1985 data). The fire-related death rates (deaths per 1000 fires - 1985 data) for the various types of residential occupancies are listed in Table I.

( from America Burning)
Click to expand...
3000 deaths from fires a year is not a very large number. For comparison 7000 people die each day in the US. There are ways to prevent deaths that cost less per life saved than sprinklers.

Just so you understand 7000 people will die every day regardless of what we do to prevent death. Only the cause of death changes.

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I had to remove the [ size 3] code to see most of the post.
 
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