Deployment Stories

Ara Safety's Fire Interruption Technology Saves Another Home from Total Loss in BC

Sechelt, British Columbia
July 2009

For a second time this year, firefighters from the Sechelt Fire Department used their Fire Interruption Technology device to save a home from total loss.

The fire was discovered by a volunteer firefighter from the department who was a few homes away from the structure. When he smelled smoke, he instinctively followed the smell outside and saw smoke coming from a few houses away. He called 911 and his fellow crewmembers were dispatched to the scene.

A few months ago, Fire Chief Bill Higgs of the Sechelt Fire Department made the decision to disperse numerous Fire Interruption Technology units amongst his volunteers throughout the community, in an effort to improve fire response times. Luckily, one equipped volunteer firefighter was located 3km from the scene of the fire; within 4 minutes he arrived on scene to deploy the device and contain the fire to the lower floor storage room where the electrical fire originated.

Ara's device bought approximately 11 minutes until fire crews arrived on scene and set up ladders. The remaining hot spots were addressed with a small hand line off the light attack engine.

“Had it not been for [Ara's device], the structure would have been a total loss”, said Chief Higgs. “Thanks in part to [Fire Interruption Technology], damage to the $200,000 structure is estimated at approximately $40,000, no firefighter injuries occurred, no significant water damage is evident, and all units were back in headquarters in less than two hours.”

Smoke turns to white after Ara's device was deployed in the lower floor storage room fire of in Sechelt home.

Sechelt Fire Chief, Bill Higgs (right) and the firefighter who deployed Ara's device, show off the unit that helped them save the Sechelt home from burning to the ground.

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