Arson Attempt Foiled

A single family dwelling in the City of Vancouver is fortunate to be standing today. Sometime during the evening of July 26, 1997 a person or persons unknown smashed a basement window and poured some form of flammable liquid into the unoccupied home. The fire swiftly spread around the room being fuelled by the liquid.

Fortunately the home was equipped with a residential fire sprinkler system which quickly activated a single sprinkler to douse the flames. Some local students walking down the street noticed the smoke and quickly brought the fire department to the Maple Street home. The damage to the home was approximately $7,000.00 which is considerably below the destruction that could have been done had there been no sprinklers.

The fire sprinkler system was designed and installed to regulations of the National Fire Protection Association code 13D. Sprinklers have been mandatory in all new homes since April of 1990 in the City of Vancouver.