MORE than £30,000 has been invested in sprinklers to help to protect a newly renovated block of flats in Warrington.

Kingsway House in Latchford was reopened on Friday following a huge £6.3 million refurbishment project by Torus Group.

Cheshire Fire Authority has invested £36,000 into a sprinkler system in the building which will protect all 53 homes on site.

It comes as the fire service is encouraging sprinkler systems to be fitted in all new buildings, as well as older premises.

Sprinklers have been likened to having a firefighter in every room. They only activate when they detect heat above a certain level and let out a spray of water over the affected area, and not with a deluge across the whole property, as sometimes shown in films.

Steve McCormick, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s head of prevention and protection, explained: “Every year people are needlessly made homeless, injured and even killed because of fire. It is indiscriminate; it destroys lives, businesses and properties, and can often be prevented with the addition of a sprinkler system.

“We’re encouraging decision makers to consider fitting sprinkler systems in all new builds, as well as retrospective fitting in older premises.

“We want to dispel the myth that they are hugely expensive - the cost of installation and the benefits they bring far outweigh the cost of destruction and potential loss of life and livelihoods caused by fire.”

It is known that where sprinklers are fitted:

  • fire deaths (including firefighter deaths) have been almost eliminated
  • fire injuries are reduced by 80%
  • firefighter safety is significantly improved
  • property damage is reduced by over 80%
  • effects of arson are reduced
  • there is a reduction in the environmental impact of fire
  • there is a reduction in the economic cost of fire.

Cllr Stef Nelson, Chair of Cheshire Fire Authority, said: “To date, we have invested more than £200,000 in retrofitting sprinklers into high rise residential buildings across our county, and Kingsway House is the 18th project we have supported.

“We have all seen the total devastation a fire in a tower block can cause and we are committed to working with our social housing partners to provide the best possible protection for residents.”

For more information about how sprinkler systems work, please visit our website: cheshirefire.gov.uk/sprinklers.