Hatfield, Hertfordshire: At 20:00 on 28th February Herfordshire Fire & Rescue Service was called to a fire in the Galleria Outlet Shopping Complex. The fire started in a back office, caused by the overheating of an extension lead which ignited adjacent materials. A single sprinkler operated to control the fire. The Fire Service used a single hose reel jet to complete extinguishment. The smoke extraction system removed smoke so that the mall and concourse were unaffected and there was no need to evacuate the restaurants and cinema complex.

Ramsgate, Kent: Kent Fire & Rescue Service reports that on 8th February a toaster caught fire in a flat housing a vulnerable person who had experienced two recent fires. A water mist system installed by Kent F&RS to protect the occupant extinguished the fire.

Basildon, Essex: Essex Fire & Rescue Service was called at 23:35 on 5th February to a fire in the Eastgate Shopping Centre in a unit used by a local radio station. On arrival crews found that the sprinkler system has activated and was controlling the fire. Assistant Divisional Officer Mark Turnbull, Incident Commander, said, “There is no doubt in my mind that had it not been for that sprinkler system this would have been a huge fire involving much more of the shopping centre.”

Tooting, London: London Fire Brigade was called at 19:45 on 3rd February to a cooking oil fire in a medium-rise accommodation block for doctors and nurses at St George’s Hospital. A single sprinkler head, fed from the town mains, operated to extinguish the fire.

Earby, Lancashire: Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service was called at 06:30 on 29th January to a fire in a four-storey plastics-processing factory. Eight fire-fighters wearing breathing apparatus used two jets and a hose reel to extinguish the fire. They then used two ventilation units to clear the smoke from the building. A spokesman said, “Because the building was fitted with sprinklers, the fire was able to be put out quicker.  This allowed the fire-fighters to deal with it before it spread.” Though the system was over 40 years old and the sprinklers were about 20 metres above the fire, the system worked well and helped to quell the fire.

Wandsworth, London: London Fire Brigade was called at 14:40 on 12th January to a cooking oil fire in a medium-rise residential building. One sprinkler had operated to extinguish the fire.

Camden, London: London Fire Brigade reports that it was called at 23:00 on 9th January to a fire in a high-rise residential building. On arrival crews found that one sprinkler in the residential sprinkler system had operated and extinguished the fire.