Oak Ridge Today

State: Sprinkler system saves lives in Oak Ridge assisted living fire

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Patriot Park Assisted Living Fire

Firefighters remove water from Patriot Park Assisted Living on Gum Hollow Road after putting out a small bed fire Friday evening. The fire was kept in check by a sprinkler system before Oak Ridge firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames.

An Oak Ridge assisted living center is thankful for its sprinkler system after a fire broke out on the premises Friday, state officials said Wednesday. All residents were safely evacuated and property damage contained to one room because of the sprinkler system.

This news comes at the same time as investigators comb through the fire-devastated ruins of an assisted living community in L’isle Verte, Quebec. where 25 residents lost their lives. The major difference between the two fires is that the assisted living building in Oak Ridge was equipped with a working sprinkler system, a press release said.

“The damage to the building was minimal, and no residents were displaced,” Oak Ridge Fire Department Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said of the Friday evening fire at Patriot Park Assisted Living on Gum Hollow Road. “Without the sprinkler system, we believe the outcome would be very different.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Fire Department recognized for exceptional fire prevention programs

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Darryl Kerley

Darryl Kerley

Josh Waldo

Josh Waldo

The Oak Ridge Fire Prevention Office has been named Tennessee Fire Educators of the Year for 2013, officials said Wednesday.

The department was nominated by Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley in “recognition of the outstanding efforts put forth by the Fire Prevention staff this year,” a press release said.

Oak Ridge officials was notified of the honor by the State Fire Marshal’s office.

“The nomination was selected above all others from across the state, recognizing the tremendous education and outreach efforts accomplished by the Oak Ridge Fire Department,” said Assistant Commissioner Gary West of the Fire Prevention Division in the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. [Read more…]

Video: ORFD demonstrates fire ‘flashover’ in three minutes

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Have you ever heard the term “flashover”? Do you know how fast fire spreads throughout your house? Do you have a home escape plan? For the answers to these questions, and more, watch this video from the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

The Fire Department demonstrates how a fire that starts in a trash can in the corner of a room can “flash over” at 1,150 degrees and engulf an entire room in flames in about three minutes.

ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley said the Fire Department would prefer that residents not try to fight fires themselves unless they’ve had training in using a fire extinguisher and have it immediately available. [Read more…]

ORFD has fire demonstration Tuesday for Fire Prevention Month

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Oak Ridge Fire Department Burn Cell

A burn cell flashes over during a recent Oak Ridge Fire Department open house. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge Fire Department will have a fire demonstration Tuesday as part of Fire Prevention and Public Education Program month.

The demonstration is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fire Station No. 3, located at 333 Tuskegee Drive.

It’s the official kick off for remembering the Great Chicago Fire, which burned from Sunday, Oct. 8, to early Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying thousands of acres of property and buildings, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORFD open house includes fire demonstration

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Oak Ridge Fire Department Burn Cell

A burn cell flashes over during an Oak Ridge Fire Department open house on Thursday. (Submitted photo)

A Thursday evening open house at Fire Station No. 3 in Oak Ridge included a live fire demonstration of a typical living room fire, which allowed those who attended to watch a fire progress from start to “flashover” at 1,150 degrees.

The burn cells constructed for these type of demonstrations are located at Fire Station No. 3 and were built under a partnership agreement with the University of Tennessee’s National Forensic Academy and the Oak Ridge Fire Department as a teaching tool for fire development studies. The live fire demonstration allowed attendees to see firsthand how quickly a fire develops and the tremendous amount of heat released from a burning sofa and chair. The live fire demonstration illustrated the need for smoke alarms and exit drills to save lives when every second counts, a press release said. [Read more…]