Ask Starkville Fire Marshal Mark McCurdy if he believes the city’s fire sprinkler ordinance is effective and he’ll give you a resounding “Yes.”
A kitchen fire at a Brooksville Gardens apartment was quickly extinguished by that building’s sprinkler system Tuesday, an act that would not have been possible if the same building had not sustained a previous fire, McCurdy said.
That same building, which he said houses four separate units, previously burned down about four years ago. Since the prior Starkville Board of Aldermen approved a revamped sprinkler ordinance requiring all new apartments to have such fire suppression devices before the structure was rebuilt, the new facility had the necessary technology to prevent history from repeating Tuesday.
“We go from a building being burned to the ground to what we had,” McCurdy said. “There’s some water damage, but you can deal with that versus the potential displacement and danger to life and property.”
A grease fire escalated beyond control when the apartment’s resident attempted to extinguish it with water. The resulting fireball set off the sprinkler system, which McCurdy said is rated at about 155 degrees.
No injuries were reported.
“Yesterday was awesome because when the trucks pulled up, all we had to do was go in and investigate,” he said. “This is why we pushed so hard for this ordinance. We see its benefits.”
Besides apartments, hotels and large residential areas, Starkville’s sprinkler law applies to businesses, storage areas and mixed occupancies exceeding 10,000 square feet of gross floor area and all facilities with educational, institutional or hazardous storage usage.
Although grease fires can occur at any point of the year, McCurdy said residents should be mindful of cooler temperatures and take precautions to avoid many causes of winter fires. Residents should not use improper equipment — stoves, dryers or any other heat-producing appliance — to warm their homes, he said. Also, those who use space heaters should keep them away from combustible material and ensure the devices have tip-over switches to prevent accidents.
SFD sees a spike of activity in the winter, he said, when heating elements are commonly used.
After a spring and summer campaign, the department distributed free smoke detectors to about 50 homes. Residents can still request the devices by calling Fire Station No. 1 at 662-323-1277. SFD recently received a shipment of smoke detectors for hearing-impaired residents — instead of a loud alarm, the devices alert people with vibrations — which are available for distribution.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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