U.S. Experience with Sprinklers

Report: NFPA's "U.S. Experience with Sprinklers"
Author: Marty Ahrens
Issued: July 2017

Report

U.S. Experience with Sprinklers*

This report examines sprinkler presence, reliability, effectiveness and impact in structure fires overall and in home fires specifically. Rates of casualties per 1000 reported fires are shown for properties with sprinklers vs. those with no automatic extinguishing systems (AES.) Reasons for the rare cases of sprinkler failure and ineffectiveness are also discussed.

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* Errata issued August 31, 2020. Download the errata. (PDF)

Report highlights

Sprinklers were present in only 10% of reported structure fires in 2010-2014.
Most structure fires and fire deaths occurred in homes, but sprinklers were found in only 7% of all home fires. Sprinklers were most likely to be found in institutional occupancies such as nursing homes, hospitals, and prisons or jails.
The civilian death rate per 1,000 reported home fires was 81% lower in homes with sprinklers than in homes with no AES.
In three of every five incidents in which sprinklers failed to operate, the system had been shut off.