ABSTRACT
The following is taken from an investigator’s report of a 1994 kitchen hood fire that escalated into a full-scale conflagration inside a commercial building.
In saying “improperly designed,” what the report refers to is a (vertical) 9-in. combustible concealed space that was not protected with automatic sprinklers, a definite oversight. The report continues:
This particular blaze was so intense that in order to obtain adequate water to fight the fire, the fire department ordered the sprinkler system shut down upon their arrival. Their efforts were ultimately in vain, and three firemen were injured in the process. What followed in the aftermath was a series of fire investigations and litigation involving inspectors, cleaning companies, and the installers of both in-place fire protection systems.
