Fire Sprinkler Facts

• Fires are fast. They can become deadly in less than 2 minutes. Home fire sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.
• Nationwide, more than 2,500 people die in fires each year. Children, older adults and people with disabilities are at the greatest risk.
• New houses burn just as often as old houses and are more deadly because of modern building materials.
• Not only do sprinklers save lives, they save money. Nationally, on average, home fire sprinklers cost $1.35 per square foot of sprinklered space in new construction.
• Installing both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers reduces the risk of death in a home fire by 82%, relative to having neither.
• Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire. Ninety percent of home fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.
• Fire sprinklers are green. They reduce water usage, water runoff and toxins released by fire and use only a fraction of the water used by fire department hoses. Find out more
• Modern residential sprinklers are inconspicuous and can be mounted flush with walls or ceilings.

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