As part of the recently announced US federal tax reform, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, small businesses will be able to expense the retrofit of fire sprinklers

German media report that a fire in Saarbrücken has killed four people and injured 23, while a fire in Berlin has injured 22 people.

There have been several major fires recently in some of Europe's capital cities. In each fire the burning building was not fitted with sprinklers.

On 9 November Jeremy Corbyn, the British Labour Party leader, gave a press conference at which he called for sprinklers to be fitted in all existing social housing buildings higher than 30 m.

From January Finland will permit 3-8 storey hotels to be built from wood if they are fitted with sprinklers. Larger compartments

Fire Sprinkler International 2018 will take place in Stockholm on 13-14 June. As for our previous conferences, we are issuing a call for papers. Please download it here: Call for Papers 2018

Far from dampening activity, since sprinklers became mandatory in Wales housebuilding has increased.

On 28th June two live fire tests were run at Les Violettes care home in Nérac, southwest France.

Following the disastrous fire in the unsprinklered Grenfell Tower in west London, Croydon council in south London has decided to retrofit all 25 social high-rise buildings in the borough that are 10 or more storeys high.

We were all dismayed to wake up on Wednesday and see the unfolding tragedy at Grenfell Tower in West London. 79 people are confirmed dead and hundreds more have been injured or lost their homes.