MIDDLE SACKVILLE: The Halifax Professional Fire Fighters (HPFF) answered numerous questions that came to them in the hours since the devastating apartment building fire on Hanwell Drive in Middle Sackville.
The questions and answers were posted on their Facebook page on Monday afternoon.
We’re sharing this as an information piece to the community who may not have seen the post.
Here are a few key points:
1. Sprinklers
Sprinklers were present but do not cover every part of a building. Areas such as exterior walls, balconies, roof voids, and attics are often left unprotected.
Once fire reaches these spaces, sprinklers cannot stop the spread.
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2. Fire Spread
On arrival, fire fighters immediately began an aggressive offensive fire attack.
Despite their best efforts, the fire had already spread rapidly up the building and into the roof, where no sprinklers were present.
3. Firewalls & Voids
Modern multi-unit construction often has large concealed spaces.
Once fire breaches these voids, it can move quickly between units and into the roof structure, overwhelming fire separations, if present.
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4. Our Members’ Response
Our members deployed immediately with the resources available.
The challenges were staffing, water supply, and building vulnerabilities — not tactics.
Fires in today’s buildings can move with incredible speed.
“That’s why Halifax residents deserve building standards, equipment, and staffing levels that match the risks of modern construction,” HPFF said in concluding their post.
