Clark County mandates residential fire sprinklers in new homes after tragic blaze

Residential fire sprinklers in new homes are becoming more common as jurisdictions in Nevada approve ordinances requiring them to try and save lives in house fires.

The Clark County Fire Department did not reveal if sprinklers were in a home that killed four people and injured two others after they jumped from a third-story window to escape the flames.

The fire department responded within five minutes of receiving a call, but the intensity of the fire made rescue efforts challenging.

Chief John Steinbeck said fires in modern homes burn more quickly and are hotter due to the materials in modern furnishings like plastics and petroleum.

Clark County Commissioners approved in Sept. 2023 an ordinance requiring residential fire sprinklers in new homes built in unincorporated Clark County. This followed buildings over 5,000 square feet initially being mandated to have them.

Chief Steinbeck addressed the commissioners during a presentation about the importance of requiring residential sprinklers.

“CCFD responded on 14 fire-related deaths in private dwellings since 2020,” Chief Steinbeck said. “To my knowledge and the other fire chiefs in the Valley's knowledge we have zero, I'll repeat that, zero private dwelling deaths in Clark County where residential sprinklers were present and working properly.”

He also included the business impact statement, the cost-benefit analysis along with safety benefits. The date the ordinance went into effect was March 5, 2024.

The approval followed the International Residential Code requiring residential sprinklers in new homes starting in 2009. The IRC is a model building code that regulates residential construction in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

The City of Henderson and the City of Las Vegas have already approved ordinances to mandate sprinklers in new two-family homes.

“The residential fire sprinkler is designed to get people back to about eight minutes before a flash over, so that they have time to evacuate," Robert Nolan, Senior Deputy Fire Chief with Las Vegas Fire and Rescue said.

Nolan said due to the materials and finishings in homes, prompted the requirement for sprinklers in new residential builds to try and save lives and reduce how quickly a fire burns a house.

“Residential sprinklers are the answer to get us back to where we were,” Nolan said. “Furniture used to be designed with cotton and wall upholstery and thick batten padding, but now it's all synthetics, all synthetic foams and the flame spread will go very quickly,” Nolan said. “It not only goes faster, but because of the recycled materials, petroleum products that are in our furnishings, you'll get dense, black smoke and intense heat, about five to eight times hotter than you would with a traditional 1970s era home."

He said there are fewer fires in new home construction due to pride of ownership but said that eventually changes.

“So, they're kept up pretty well, at least for the first decade, then it's a different story,” Nolan said.

The Southern Nevada Burn Foundation will accept donations on behalf of the families of the victims of Thursday's devastating house fire in southwest Las Vegas.

A Clark County spokesperson says all money raised through Sunday, Nov. 24, will be given to the family.

Visit theburnfoundation.org to contribute.