Iain Cox, Chair of Business Sprinkler Alliance analyses the recent fire that tore through a 6,000m2 mixed-use building on the Brucefield Industrial Estate in Livingston has highlighted the huge challenge faced by firefighters when fire breaks out. The blaze rapidly engulfed a business and several adjoining units, necessitating significant fire service resources and road diversions.
The extensive fire on Saturday, December 7th required nine appliances, including two aerial ladder platforms, two pumping appliances, and a bulk water carrier from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to bring it under control. While thankfully there were no injuries, the industrial unit was destroyed, impacting several businesses including an adjacent gymnastics club.
Highlighting the dramatic visuals of the destroyed building, Tom Roche, Secretary of the BSA said: “What caught my attention was the sheer destruction of what was a simple industrial building. The number of units involved and need for additional water highlight how even limited buildings require significant resources to quell them. The scale of the fire service platform beside it demonstrates the enormity of the challenge faced by firefighters. It underscores how quickly these fires escalate when buildings are not protected by automatic sprinkler systems.”
Roche emphasised the critical importance of early fire suppression, explaining that while the average response time to a primary fire in the UK is eight minutes and 50 seconds1, the actual development of a fire can begin long before the first appliance arrives. Delays in discovering the fire, assessing its nature, and notifying the fire service can allow the fire to grow unchecked. Upon arrival, firefighters must evaluate access, water supplies, and the safety of the scene—all while the blaze continues to intensify.
As a fire grows, the resources needed to tackle it also increase. Larger fires demand greater amounts of water and personnel, with efforts often limited to external firefighting due to the scale of the inferno and associated risks. The UK fire services are already noting challenges with the available water in the supply network for hydrants. “This scenario is precisely what we see with fires in unsprinklered industrial buildings. They escalate rapidly, overwhelming fire service resources and leading to catastrophic damage,” Roche explained.
In stark contrast, incidents involving buildings equipped with sprinkler systems demonstrate the dramatic difference these systems can make. When fire broke out at a Winsford Packaging Factory in January 2022, the fire was contained by the premises’ sprinklers, preventing significant damage and allowing the Fire and Rescue Service to manage the situation quickly. Similarly, a fire at a Lutterworth Warehouse in March 2022 that started in storage racks was suppressed by sprinklers, enabling firefighters to extinguish it with minimal disruption to operations. The business was able to resume operations the following day.
“The outcomes of these sprinkler-protected fires are notably different from the large-scale devastation we saw in Livingston,” Roche added. “Automatic sprinkler systems activate early, containing or extinguishing a fire before it can spread. They are an essential component of a fire protection strategy, reducing the burden on fire crews, minimising property damage, and helping businesses recover faster.”
Call for sprinklers
The BSA is advocating for the wider adoption of sprinkler systems across the UK’s built environment, including industrial and commercial buildings. Fires like the one in Livingston serve as a reminder of the true cost of inadequate fire protection. Beyond the immediate destruction of property and business interruption, these incidents disrupt local economies, jeopardise jobs, and place enormous pressure on emergency services.
“Automatic fire sprinklers are a proven solution to mitigate fire risk,” Roche stated. “It is time to prioritise their inclusion as a key part of the fire strategy at the earliest stages of the design process, ensuring a safer and more resilient future for businesses and communities alike.”
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