Fire Sprinkler advocate Murray Pound is featured in new Uponor Ltd. advertising.

Check out the poster!

Our nineteen year old son was looking to buy his first house this spring.  He found something he really liked, built by a local contractor, Gold Seal Homes of Carstairs, Alberta.  Naturally we checked it out.  Everything about the house from the plan to the price pleased us.  What really sold us on the home was its water sprinkler system.  The contractor, Murray Pound, explained thoroughly and also gave us an educational DVD that had a man on the front lines, a Calgary firefighter, showing the benefits of this sprinkler system.

We love our son, and we want his investment to be safe.  But of course, our prime concern is for his safety.  We feel that the Fortress sprinkler system goes a long way towards this goal.  We also believe that Mr. Pound’s excellent educational talk will help our son to be aware of the destructive dangers of fire. We believe that our son will take what he has learned from Mr. Pound and use it in the future when he buys his next house.  This can only benefit whatever community he lives in next.  In fact, we ourselves are planning to have a new house constructed and fully intend to have a sprinkler system installed.

Shelley Robertson and Allan Cole, Carstairs, Alberta

Blue Ember BBQ Recall

The Fire Service has recently been made aware of the recall of a consumer product that may pose a serious fire safety hazard.

CBC.ca News reports that Blue Ember BBQ grills were sold at a number of major retail outlets across Canada between November 2006 and May 2009 (Health Canada). Some 25,000 of these outdoor barbecues have been recalled after users across North America reported several grill fires, some of which have caused nine (9) injuries, including two cases of major burns.

The recall covers liquid propane and natural gas outdoor barbecue grills with the words “Blue Ember” printed on the hood. The affected barbecues are cabinet-style grills that come in two colour combinations - silver and black, and silver and grey.

Health Canada said in a release that if the affected grills are not assembled properly, the burner hose could be exposed to excessive heat, posing a possible fire and burn hazard.

The importer, Fiesta Barbeques of Brampton, Ont., is voluntarily recalling the barbecues in co-operation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada.

Only grills that have certain model numbers (FG50045, FG50057, FG50069, C1072-30744, C1072-30754) and have the serial numbers indicated below are affected.

Improper assembly is the root of the problem

The Affected BBQ

Consumers have reported 31 instances of grill fires in Canada associated with the use of the barbecues. Health Canada says 15 of these incidents were “possibly related” to the hazard involving the grease pan. There have been no reports of resulting injuries.

In the United States, there have been 161 reports of grill fires resulting in nine injuries, “including two incidents of major burns on different parts of the body, six incidents of minor burns, and one incident involving temporary hearing loss,” said Health Canada.

Health Canada has advised users to immediately stop using the recalled grills and contact Fiesta to receive a free new grease pan and assembly instructions.

“Consumers are also advised to not use the grill until the new grease pan assembly has been installed,” Health Canada says. “Consumers should also inspect the gas burner hose and regulator, which will be replaced free of charge if there are signs of damage.”

Around 25,366 affected grills were sold at a number of retailers (including Sears, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, The Brick Warehouse, and A & P Canada stores) nationwide between November 2006 and May 2009.

The grills are manufactured in China. For more information, people can contact Fiesta by phone at 1-866-956-0396 or visit the Blue Ember website.

Welcome to Stop The Fire.org! Gold Seal Master Builder is proud to be a part of such an important initiative. As a Volunteer Firefighter I have witnessed the devastation and loss experienced by the victims of fire. Whether you are a Professional in the Fire Service, home construction industry, a new home buyer, or planning a renovation, you may have some questions regarding fire sprinklers.

The number one concern I hear is that sprinklers are going to cause a flood once engaged.Hollywood has done a great job creating this myth. Often times a character in the movie engages a sprinkler head with a cigarette lighter and the next thing you know, every sprinkler head is flowing water and making a mess of things. The fact is that, in a residential system, only the sprinkler heads closest to the fire engage. Usually only one head is needed to slow the fire’s progress or completely snuff it out. (more…)