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I have always assumed that we only design for one fire in a building at a given time, and in a campus-style site with a single water supply, a fire in one building only.
Is that written anywhere, or just the agreed-upon practice? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
8 Comments
Brett
6/18/2025 07:06:43 am
Although not adopted in the majority of states, there is language about a single fire assumption in NFPA 1 (2021) in section 4.2. If you're talking about just sprinklers, it's in NFPA 13 (2019) section 1.1.3.
Chad
6/18/2025 07:16:15 am
To add to what Brett said- in a campus style set up, an AHJ could reasonably say more than one, depending on the size, type of occupancies, hazards etc. It would be rare but it could be justified with enough evidence. Typically just one fire in 99% of cases.
Anthony
6/18/2025 08:18:59 am
1.1.3* This standard is written with the assumption that the
Jesse
6/18/2025 08:24:54 am
Its not written / codified per se, just presumed. But its not without precedent either. Everything from water infrastructure, fire station locations, fire department box alarm assignments, fire flow calcs, etc. operate under the presumption of one fire-event at a time.
Jack G
6/18/2025 08:29:26 am
For buildings cojoined or less than 50 feet apart dont necessarily mean multiple fires however Nfpa has strict laws to protect this from happening:
Chris Nelson
6/18/2025 08:29:39 am
I was always told that its unlikely that more than one fire would start at the same time as fires are so rare to begin with that it would mean arson and that codes dont really account for terrorism.
Glenn Berger
6/18/2025 09:06:38 am
The origin of the one event at a time probably pre-dates all of us in this industry today.
Pete H
6/19/2025 08:26:01 am
Don't think it's written anywhere, but it's made certainly reinforced by the fact we calculate a single remote area operating at a time. Leave a Reply. |
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