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Tragic Fire Supports Des Plaines Home Fire Sprinkler Requirement

Orland Park, IL (January 27, 2021) – The deadly home fire in Des Plaines where four children under the age of six and their 25-year old mother died today is a sad reminder of why requiring fire sprinklers in new homes is vital, according to Erik Hoffer, Executive Director, Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB).

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that house fires can become deadly in as little as two minutes due to the contents in homes. Furniture and other belongings are now made of synthetic materials that burn fast and produce toxic smoke. People at highest risk are those that have trouble escaping quickly like young children, as in today’s fire, as well as the elderly and people with disabilities.

Just over fifteen years ago, the Des Plaines City Council passed an ordinance requiring the installation of automatic fire sprinklers in all newly constructed one- and two-family homes. Existing homes undergoing major additions are also required to retrofit.

“Today’s fire is so tragic. Our thoughts are with the family, firefighters and the mourning community,” Hoffer said. “People don’t realize how deadly fires can be. It is unfortunate this home was built before the ordinance was passed. But it reinforces why the ordinance is so important for the safety of residents and firefighters. As more homes are built with fire sprinklers, the risk of future fire tragedies will greatly decrease.”

“Smoke alarms are necessary as they are important early warning for occupants, but only fire sprinklers can control or extinguish a fire, allowing occupants the pathway to escape,” noted Hoffer. “They are individually activated by the heat from a fire while it is still small, preventing it from spread beyond the area of origin. Most often, a single fire sprinkler is all that is needed to control the spread of deadly heat and toxic smoke,” he said.

According to NIFSAB, there are more than 110 municipalities and fire protection districts in Illinois that require fire sprinklers in all new construction, regardless of building type, through the adoption of ordinances and model codes provided by the International Code Council and the NFPA.

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About the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB)
NIFSAB is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting progressive legislation, raising public awareness, and educating code officials and governmental policy makers by demonstrating the proven performance of fire sprinklers in saving both lives and property. For more information, visit FireSprinklerAssoc.org.

New Tax Incentive in CARES Act Can Prevent Commercial High-Rise Fires Like Today’s Jewelers Row Fire

Orland Park, IL (November 12, 2020) – Today’s early morning Chicago Loop high-rise fire on the 10^th floor of the Mallers Building on Jewelers Row could have been prevented if the building was fully protected with fire sprinklers. The fire was a drain on fire department resources with 200 firefighters responding and two being transported to the hospital due to heat exhaustion. It was also the second fire in the building since 2018.

But now new tax incentives included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, could allow buildings such as the Mallers Building to immediately recover costs for retrofitting fire sprinklers in their buildings. Fire sprinkler systems that are installed or upgraded in existing commercial structures from September 27, 2017, to December 31, 2022, can be fully expensed, allowing the property owner to immediately deduct the full cost of the fire sprinkler system.

The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) worked closely with U.S. legislators to pass the tax incentive bill as part of the CARES Act.

“This incentive is vital because fires in commercial properties that are not protected with fire sprinklers have a negative impact on communities,” NFSA President Shane Ray said. “These unsprinklered fires put occupant and firefighter lives at risk and can cause significant economic loss due to business interruption and closure. The results can include lost sales and tax revenues and loss of irreplaceable property. Fire can permanently close a business and may result in the loss of local jobs. Protecting a building with fire sprinklers can generate insurance savings and decrease liability risks,” he added.

“We have to protect our historic buildings from fire to preserve them for later generations,” said Erik Hoffer, executive director, Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB). Hoffer notes that all commercial high-rise buildings in Chicago built before the mid-1970s when codes required sprinklers, were required to be retrofitted with fire sprinklers by January 1, 2017. But the Mallers Building was exempt because it is a designated Chicago landmark building. Landmark buildings had to pass the city’s Life Safety Evaluation but did not necessarily have to fully install fire sprinklers.

“Now that there is a federal tax incentive, there is no excuse not to enhance fire safety in commercial buildings of all types,” adds Hoffer.

Business and property owners are encouraged to contact their tax advisors for more information.

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