3-Alarm Blaze Leaves Lincoln, Nebraska, Apartment Complex A Total Loss

Fire Sweeps through Wood-Framed Structure, Displacing Dozens, Despite Presence of Sprinklers

Silver Spring, MD – On Wednesday morning, a 3-alarm fire swept through an occupied, wood-framed apartment complex in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The fire, which drew more than 50 firefighters from 18 precincts, took a little more than an hour to knock down.  However, in that time, the blaze, which reportedly was started by an improperly discarded cigarette, quickly swept through the complex – only stopping when it hit a firewall. Investigators are calling the building a total loss, leaving dozens of residents displaced.

Although the complex featured fire sprinklers, the fact that the fire started on the exterior of the building where none were present allowed the blaze to grow quickly.

“Despite the presence of an active fire suppression system, the nature of the materials used to construct the building and the location of where the fire started left the flames nowhere to go but up,” said Kevin Lawlor, a spokesperson for Build with Strength, a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association comprised of fire safety professionals, engineers, architects and industry experts.  “Sprinklers are not a guaranteed failsafe against fires; they’re simply designed to allow residents enough time to evacuate. In order to prevent incidents of this nature from happening again, the best option is to build with non-combustible materials like concrete and steel.”

According to a review commissioned by the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research & Education Foundation, sprinklers systems are effective in 87 percent of the fires in which they are activated, provided they are properly installed and maintained.

Over the last year, there have been a number of spectacular wood-frame apartment complex fires  – most notably in Lakewood, NJ; Weymouth, MA; Haverhill, MA; Waltham, MA; Charlotte, NC; Warner Robins, GA;  Midvale, UT; Oakland, CA; Dorchester, MA; Lawrence, MA; East Hollywood, CA; Lowell, MA; Waterbury, CT, Emeryville, CA; St. Petersburg, FL; Arlington, VA; College Park, MD; Overland Park, KS; Raleigh, NC; and Maplewood, NJ. There have been dozens over the last few years.

“Build with Strength is willing to work with any local leader, lawmaker or developer that is interested in constructing a more resilient community,” continued Lawlor.  “The time to act is before a disaster leaves damage in its wake.”

A number of cities and small towns have already taken proactive steps to protect themselves from preventative fires in construction of this type, including Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Sandy Springs and Tucker, GA; and Maitland, FL.  In August, the Waltham City Council voted unanimously to ask the state of Massachusetts to update their building codes after a string of fires devastated the region.

Learn more at www.buildwithstrength.com.