A residential sprinkler system successfully controlled a fire at St Dominic House in Basildon on June 18th, preventing what could have been a far more serious incident.

The fire started in a third-floor flat after several electronic devices, including an iPhone, a Wi-Fi booster and a power bank, were left charging overnight on a sofa. A pillow had also been placed over the devices. During the night, one of the devices reportedly overheated, causing the iPhone battery to explode the ignite the sofa.

The resident was alerted by the activation of the smoke alarm and sprinkler system, allowing them to escape safely. Fire crew later confirmed that a single sprinkler head had successfully extinguished the fire before their arrival as well as confirming they closed all values on all floors.

The fire was contained to the living room area, significantly reducing the extend of the damage and preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties within the residential block.

Triangle Fire Systems engineers responded promptly after being notified of the incident at 1:00pm the following day. The activated sprinkler head was replaced, and the sprinkler system was fully reinstated by 5;00pm, restoring full fire protection to the building within just four hours of notification.

This incident serves as another powerful reminder of the effectiveness of residential sprinkler systems and the importance of safe charging practices when using electronic devices, particularly those containing lithium-ion batteries.