Viewfinder: Fire Department Demonstration Brings the Heat

The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB), in conjunction with area fire departments and Nexus Safety Solutions put on a controlled fire demonstration Tuesday at 411 W. Glendale Ave. in Hinsdale and Patch was there with camera in hand.

The focus of the demonstration was the benefits of sprinkler systems in the home. Two controlled burns were showcased, one with a sprinkler and one without, to show the differences between having a system and not.

"I think this highlights the importance of having a sprinkler system in the home," Hinsdale Fire Department Chief Mike Kelly said. "The sprinkler side was quickly extinguished and they gave time for a potential family to get out of the house."

According to a release from NIFSAB, more than 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home.

"The Hinsdale Fire Department and NIFSAB are using this important event to help people of every age understand how dangerous a home fire is, and how important prevention, detection, suppression and escape are," the release read.

Editor's note: Also on Patch today is a story about the Hinsdale Fire Department receiving an EMS reward for a successful 2010 response to a call in which a 2-month-old infant stopped breathing.