Official: Business sprinkler system likely saved life

EDMOND On May 17, a Friday, Anna Reiner opened her new business Paper Arts, 632 W. Edmond Road. Years of dreaming, planning, hoping and hard work went into that all important day.

Two days later, a painter was in the business, applying lacquer to a cabinet in the restroom. Lacquer is a clear or colored wood finish applied by brushing or spraying. Solvents in lacquer have a particularly strong odor and are extremely flammable.

Mike Barnes, Edmonds chief of fire prevention, said due to lack of ventilation, the fumes ignited and flames began spreading in the bathroom. When the sensor in the bathroom sprinkler head recorded a temperature of 155 degrees, it began to discharge water, which contained the fire to the bathroom and doused the flames on the worker, Barnes said.

Per system design, no other sprinkler heads in the business activated, minimizing water damage, Barnes said. Since the fire was contained, no adjacent businesses in the building were damaged, he said. Thousands of dollars worth of business merchandise was saved. Since the business was able to reopen quickly on Tuesday tax revenue loss was minimized. And most importantly, the worker is recovering from his burns, Barnes said.

I truly believe we saved a life that day, he said.

Reiner said she decided to install a cabinet in the bathroom that was similar to those in the rest of the store. The cabinet was finished out but not painted. The painter wanted to do the work on Sunday, when the store was closed, sparing customers from fumes, Reiner said.

Sunday morning, between 8:30-9 a.m., she got the call from her security provider about the explosion. By the time she arrived, the Edmond Fire Department was there and the painter, who was able to call for help through the security system, had been taken with severe burns to an area hospital.

The store is replaceable. I have insurance. Thats all and good, Reiner said. But as soon as somebodys life is in danger, thats when I get concerned. People cannot be replaced.

Reiner said she was relieved to hear the painter would regain use of his hands. There was damage to the ceiling tile above the bathroom. Barnes said the charring was limited to part of the cabinetry in the bathroom.

Reiner said she cant express enough the value of having a sprinkler system in a business. She said she would rather risk losing the store than let a fire spread to other businesses.

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Official: Business sprinkler system likely saved life