The Lake Zurich Fire Department (LZFD) demonstrated how sprinkler systems work for students in architecture and science classes in the PAC parking lot this morning.

LSFD brought its fire sprinkler demonstration unit to set a controlled fire and teach LZHS students about fire behavior, such as how fast it spreads and how quickly it can consume an entire room, which is called flashover, but most importantly how important sprinkler systems are.

“The kids are learning about fire behavior in science, so we’re going to demonstrate how fire grows and how the sprinkler system works so they can see how it happens in real life,” Bob Kleinheinz, fire prevention officer for LZFD, said. “Ms. Santiago’s class has had some incidents in the past [with the sprinkler system], so she offered us to come in.”

Sprinkler systems are the fastest way to protect houses, buildings, and businesses. Today, since so much is made with plastic, an entire room can flashover in about three minutes, as opposed to 20 minutes in the 1980s, according to Kleinheinz.

Kleinheinz has 34 years of experience in fire prevention, but this is the first time he has conducted a live demonstration for students. His example consisted of a wastebasket full of newspaper, a cotton towel, and a match, which all caught fire within a matter of seconds and was completely extinguished by the sprinklers.

“The students are going to see how the video [they watched in class about fire behavior] actually works in real life. This is a fast, real world example,” Kleinheiz said. “I hope especially the seniors are going to learn something, especially with them moving into dorms next year. This can happen anywhere.”