In the early hours of 9 June, a fire involving a microwave oven broke out within a flat on the second floor of Nova House in Slough – a tower block we retrofitted with sprinklers in April 2025.

What could have developed into a far more serious incident was quickly brought under control thanks to two sidewall sprinkler heads that automatically activated, containing and extinguishing the fire before it could spread beyond the flat of origin. The resident was able to evacuate safely.

When Fire and Rescue Service crews arrived at the scene, they confirmed that the fire had already been controlled by the sprinkler system. Our engineers attended the site the following day to replace the activated sprinkler heads and return the system to full operational use.

The incident is particularly significant because the sprinkler system had been retrospectively installed. Demonstrating that effective fire protection is not limited to new developments and that existing buildings can also benefit from the additional layer of safety.

At Nova House, a potentially serious fire was stopped before it had the chance to escalate. The resident reached safety, firefighters arrived to find the situation under control, and normality was restored quickly.

It is a simple but powerful reminder that when fire occurs, sprinklers can make all the difference.