Home Sprinklers
You already know that a fire in a home is very dangerous to the people who live there and to the firefighters who must respond. Did you also know that a fire is very harmful to the environment?
It’s true. Home fires damage the Earth in several key ways:
- The carbon emissions that result from burning materials,
- The use of large amounts of water to extinguish the fire,
- Polluted runoff water from the fire that gets into groundwater and standing water,
- The addition of fire-damaged materials that go into landfills, and
- The carbon emissions that result from replacing materials damaged in the fire.
Preventing a fire in the first place is the best way to help people and the planet. There is only one safety feature that protects people and the Earth – home fire sprinklers. Home fire sprinklers are similar to ordinary plumbing – the pipes are usually hidden behind the walls and ceilings. If there is fire, the heat will activate only the sprinkler closest to the fire, putting water on the flames and controlling or putting out the fire. That quick action saves lives, prevents injuries, and protects homes and belongings. But it also controls the fire with far less water than fire department hoses, which use more than 10 times the amount of water per minute. A fire in a sprinklered home is quickly controlled; while an unsprinklered home fire will burn and grown so large that it will likely take thousands of gallons of water to put it out.
Let’s do the math: The less time a fire burns means fewer greenhouse gas emissions are released. Less water needed to control the fire means less water is used, and less pollution runs off. Finally, the less fire damage, the fewer materials get hauled to the landfill. With home fire sprinklers, less is more!