An elderly man was saved from a blaze at his residential care home in Cheam, London, thanks to a sprinkler system fitted at the premises.

London Fire Brigade was called out to the incident, but by the time they had arrived at the scene, the man had managed to flee his flat, and the blaze was extinguished by the sprinklers.

The man was subsequently treated by ambulance crews for shock, and a small area of the flat was damaged by the fire, but firefighters from LFB said the incident could have been much worse.

Station Manager Richard Field from Sutton fire station, emphasised the importance of sprinkler systems. He said: “This close call shows just how vital sprinklers are in care homes and sheltered accommodation – they not only stop fires from spreading, they save lives.

“People living in sheltered accommodation and extra care facilities are often very vulnerable to fire. They may have limited mobility or a disability which makes it difficult for them to notice a fire and react quickly. 

“If it wasn’t for the flat’s sprinkler system this fire could have had a very different outcome.”

Original source

London Fire Brigade