A new interactive exhibit focused on home fire sprinkler systems is opening at the Hall of Flame Museum in Phoenix, with fire officials hoping the display will educate residents about how sprinkler systems can dramatically reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage during house fires.
The exhibit is designed to show visitors the difference between a home equipped with fire sprinklers and one without them. Fire safety experts say the side-by-side demonstration gives people a clearer understanding of how quickly fires can spread inside homes and how effective sprinkler systems can be at stopping flames before they become deadly.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, home fire sprinklers can reduce the risk of dying in a house fire by about 90%. Officials involved with the exhibit said many people still mistakenly believe every sprinkler head activates at once during a fire, when in reality only the sprinkler closest to the heat source is usually triggered.
The exhibit was created through a partnership involving the Hall of Flame Museum, the Phoenix Fire Department, and fire sprinkler advocates who want to increase public awareness about residential fire protection systems. Organizers said the display is especially important as modern homes filled with synthetic materials can burn much faster than homes built decades ago.
Firefighters explained that today’s furniture, flooring, and household products often contain petroleum-based synthetic materials that can ignite quickly and produce dangerous smoke within minutes. Because of that, officials say residents may have far less time to escape a burning home compared to previous generations.
The demonstration exhibit includes live burn comparisons showing how a fire behaves inside a room protected by sprinklers versus one without them. In the sprinkler-protected room, flames are quickly suppressed before spreading throughout the structure. In the room without sprinklers, the fire rapidly intensifies, filling the area with smoke and dangerous heat.
Fire officials say many people also incorrectly assume sprinkler systems cause extensive water damage. However, experts involved with the exhibit noted that a single activated sprinkler head typically uses significantly less water than firefighters spraying hoses during a large uncontrolled fire.
The Hall of Flame Museum hopes the exhibit will encourage homeowners, builders, and policymakers to consider residential sprinkler systems as an important safety feature in both new and existing homes. Fire safety advocates said the systems can buy occupants valuable escape time while also helping firefighters control dangerous situations more quickly.
The Hall of Flame Museum, located near the Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, is one of the world’s largest firefighting museums and features historical fire engines, firefighting artifacts, and educational displays focused on fire prevention and fire service history.
Officials say the new sprinkler exhibit is intended to help residents better understand how quickly home fires can become life-threatening and how modern fire protection systems can help save lives.
