Report: Sprinklers could have controlled UCI fire

Deirdre Newman

UC IRVINE -- Automatic sprinklers would have helped control a fire

that broke out in a chemistry lab at the university last summer, an

independent report has found.

The explosion and ensuing fire damaged two labs in Frederick Reines

Hall on July 23.

The investigation, which began a week after the accident, was

conducted by experts in emergency response, operations, chemistry and

industrial safety.

While sprinklers were not required in the lab at the time the hall was

built, investigators declared that sprinklers would have helped contain

the fire.

“Sprinklers would have activated soon after the fire began,

controlling the fire’s growth and subsequently limiting fire damage,” the

report stated.

The investigative team also reported that the installation of

automatic sprinklers should be a priority in rooms that house hazardous

materials.

The fire started when chemical mist leaking from equipment that was

too highly pressurized caused an explosion and subsequent fire.

Graduate student Cy Fujimoto, who was purifying benzene at the time,

has fully recovered from first- and second-degree burns he suffered on

his face, neck, leg and right arm.

Damages, cleanup and rebuilding costs related to the fire will total

as much as $3.5 million, campus officials said.

While the investigation found sprinklers lacking, it also found things

that helped to minimize the severity of a similar occurrence, including

fire walls and mechanical ventilation systems in the labs that prevented

the fire from spreading and damaging adjacent areas.

The report also found that UCI provides adequate safety training for

all lab workers.

UCI’s policy is to protect laboratories and research facilities with

automatic sprinklers, the report mentions. And, the university is in the

midst of a fire safety survey of all campus buildings.