This month in Firewatch: Sprinkler douses fire started by ignition of oily rags in trash can, Washington

Oily rags in an open trash can in the kitchen of an assisted-living facility spontaneously ignited, starting a fire that spread to a wall until heat activated a sprinkler. The three-story, wood-frame building, which measured 100 feet(30 meters), contained 80 unites in addition to common spaces. The building's fire alarm system monitored the water flow of the wet-pipe sprinkler, which was installed in compliance with the local code. A building occupant who heard the fire alarm activate discovered the fire in the kitchen and tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the blaze using a dry chemical portable fire extinguisher. by the time...