Overview
- Nearly one year after a deadly blaze at Gabriel House that killed 10 residents, local firefighters and the National Fire Sprinkler Association staged a replicated-room demonstration on Wednesday to recreate the conditions of the original fire.
- Investigative reporting found a recalled sprinkler head in the room where the Gabriel House fire began and that head failed to activate during the blaze, a failure organizers said the demonstration sought to illustrate.
- In the demo a functioning sprinkler activated 81 seconds after ignition and limited damage, while a second run with no working sprinklers produced rapid flashover and much greater destruction.
- Organizers included an oxygen tank in the replica to mirror the victim’s medical equipment and to show how supplemental oxygen can speed fire growth and make residents in assisted living especially vulnerable.
- Fall River officials and safety advocates say millions of recalled sprinkler heads may still be installed across the country and are using the test to press for closer inspections, mandatory removal rules, and changes to state and national fire codes.