No sprinklers were present and none were required at the Rhode Island nightclub where scores of people died, and a fire safety expert says the devices might not have made much difference against such a fast-moving blaze.
``This seemed to develop with incredible speed,'' said Fred Mowrer, associate professor at the University of Maryland's Fire Protection Engineering Department. ``There's a real question in my mind as to whether sprinklers would have been effective because it takes a while for them to react.''
No nationwide standards govern public fire safety in the United States. Cities usually base fire safety regulations on models: the Uniform Building Code and the Building Officials and Code Administrators' code. Older versions of these codes made it permissible for places of public assembly under 5,000 square feet to operate without sprinklers.
The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was not required to have them because of its small size.
However, recent updates of the model code recommend sprinklers for smaller facilities if they have capacity crowds of 300, like The Station had, said Baltimore Fire Marshal Theodore Saunders. His city has adopted the stricter rules, but many others have not.
The National Fire Protection Association also recommends sprinklers for public venues accommodating 300.
Early attention in the Rhode Island investigation focused on the lack of sprinklers at the club and the fact that the band Great White used pyrotechnics allegedly without a permit.
But Mowrer said other factors should be taken into account. Video of the fire raised questions in his mind about the flammability of thermal or acoustic insulation. That Great White singer Jack Russell said he initially splashed bottled water on the flames to no avail could be another ``big clue'' to the fire's development, Mowrer said.
Although Canada and many other industrialized countries have national fire codes, the United States relies on municipalities or states to adopt their own guidelines, usually based on recommendations by privately run organizations that write model building and fire codes.
``We have tended to follow a voluntary-consensus standard rather than government mandates,'' Mowrer said.
As a result, regulations on the East Coast vary from those out West, where earthquakes are more common. Older buildings often do not have to meet the stricter standards newer buildings must adhere to. Regulations also vary depending on the number of people allowed in a public place and the number of stories in a building.
Los Angeles recently required sprinklers in any new building where alcohol is served to more than 50 people. The city also has tough standards for pyrotechnic shows.
Los Angeles Fire Battalion Chief Greg Gibson said the city requires a live demonstration in advance and sends a fire official to performances using pyrotechnics. The department also requires performing acts using fire to post people on either side of the stage with extinguishers.
``We're very restrictive because obviously you can see what kind of tragedy can happen,'' Gibson said.
