Sprinklers Limit Fire Damage To Newly Constructed Hopkinton Home

HOPKINTON, MA - Home fire sprinklers saved a newly-constructed Hopkinton home this week, limiting damage from a fire that could otherwise have caused major damage to the unoccupied residence, said Hopkinton Fire Chief William R. Miller and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey in a joint statement Friday.

Hopkinton firefighters responded to the area of Weston Lane following an alarm notification shortly before 11 p.m. on Wednesday. On arrival, they found a sprinkler activation on the first floor of the end unit of a three-unit townhouse, with heavy smoke conditions on the second floor. One sprinkler head had activated, confining the fire and damage to a small area in the dining room.

“This is the third sprinkler save in this development in the past three years, and each one involved a single sprinkler head containing the fire and limiting the damage,” said Miller. “Without them, any of these fires could have caused major damage, injuries or worse. Home fire sprinklers have proven their value time and time again in our community.”

“Modern home fires burn hotter and faster than they did decades ago,” said Ostroskey. “Home fire sprinklers are proven to increase survival and reduce property damage in these fires. They can control, contain and even extinguish a fire while firefighters are on the way, using a fraction of the water that a firehose would.”

The unit recently received its certificate of occupancy, according to officials. The fire originated in the dining room in the area of painting and staining supplies that had been in use as workers prepared for the homeowner to move in. The joint investigation by the Hopkinton Fire Department and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office found no evidence that the fire was intentionally set.

The most likely cause was the combustion of oily rags, which has caused several residential fires in recent weeks – including one that claimed a teenager’s life in Agawam last month. The oils in some paints, stains and varnishes release heat as they dry and can ignite if the rags are left in a pile or confined space. Fire officials recommend drying these rags individually outdoors, then placing them with water and detergent in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid.