Sprinklers extinguish loading dock fire

NFPA Journal, Jul/Aug 2004 by Tremblay, Kenneth J

MERCANTILE

WASHINGTON-Sprinklers protecting a loading dock at a strip mall extinguished an early-morning fire. It was the second time the mall's sprinklers had successfully extinguished a loading dock fire on the property.

The single-story mall building, which was 680 feet (207 meters) long and 119 feet (36 meters) wide, had concrete-block walls and a wooden roof covered with plywood and built-up roofing material. A dry-pipe sprinkler system with a monitored water-flow alarm protected the exterior canopies and loading docks.

The fire department received the central station fire alarm reporting the water flow alarm at 1:08 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they found the remnants of a fire in some cardboard boxes and other waste material on the loading dock and saw one sprinkler operating. Investigators couldn't locate an ignition source in the loading dock area.

The value of the mall was estimated at $10 million, and it contained $23 million worth of merchandise and fixtures. Damage to the building was estimated at just $2,000, and its contents were untouched.

The fire department is working with the building owners to prevent trash and waste from accumulating on the loading docks in the future.