Flashover: The Power of Fire in a Home Without Fire Sprinklers

Flashover is the point when everything combusts—and there is no chance of survival when it occurs. The video “Fire Power!” tells the dramatic story of how quickly fire spreads and destroys a residential home. While it was a staged fire, with working smoke alarms, it presents a clear case of why residential fire sprinkler systems can provide critical defense against a devastating fire.

In a related demonstration with side-by-side structures—one is protected with fire sprinklers, the other is not—the fire sprinkler extinguishes the fire in just 30 seconds, whereas a raging flashover in the room without a fire sprinkler system provides striking evidence that fire sprinklers can help save lives.

For more information about home fire sprinkler systems, go to www.firesprinklerinitiative.org.

©2011 National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®). All rights reserved.