The BBC Northern Ireland carried this story on 15 October:

"Police appealed for keyholders to check premises. Police have warned traders in Newtownabbey to be extra vigilant after a firebomb attack on a B&Q store in the area.    The store on Mill Road sustained smoke and water damage after a fire broke out near wood in the DIY section. The sprinkler system kept the fire under control until firefighters arrived at about 2340 BST on Saturday.    

Assistant Divisional Commander Gary Allen of the NI Fire and Rescue Service said the system prevented major damage.    "We went in and found the fire and put it out. When we were looking through the material that had been burning we found one of the devices placed within a quantity of wood," he said.    "Because of the sprinklers in the B&Q premises, the fire was very, very small and we were able to deal with it quickly and stop it spreading."   

 BAFSA Member John McCann of API Vipond says that this is the third such fire and sprinkler stop involving B&Q stores in the province. A similar fire at the DIY chain's premises at Coleraine on Sunday 8th October was also controlled by the sprinkler system.

After a long delay, Marioff has received permission to announce that its HI-FOG system is being fitted in the A86 car tunnel west of Paris.

The A86 links Brussels via Paris to Bordeaux. The autoroute passes through a densely populated area and therefore it will run through a tunnel. The first section of the tunnel, which is 4.5km long and runs cars in two lanes with a hard shoulder and on two levels in opposite directions, is due to be opened in October 2007.

The HI-FOG water mist system releases water at high pressure as a mist over three sections simultaneously, each 33m long, so that 100m of the length of the tunnel are covered by mist.

In tests the mist was proven to control the fire and knock down temperatures to 50 degC at only a few tens of metres from the fire. Without fire suppression the temperature in a tunnel fire can rise above 1200 degC and passengers can be trapped by the heat and smoke.

This is the first tunnel in France to be protected by a fire suppression system and is the longest tunnel in Europe to be protected from fire in this way.

European Fire Sprinkler Network

Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade was called at 11:18 on Sunday 30th July to Pinewood Studios, northwest of London. The Albert Broccoli 007 Stage, the largest sound studio in Europe and which had just completed the filming of Casino Royale, was on fire.

Over 60 firefighters attended but were unable to prevent the collapse of the roof and the destruction of the studio. This is the third major fire at Pinewood Studios and the 007 Stage itself was built following the destruction of the previous James Bond studio in a fire at Pinewood Studios in 1984.

For the first time, the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 13: Installation of Sprinkler Systems includes code language that clarifies the use of Flexible Sprinkler Hose Fittings and provides applicable guidelines.

The new language appears in the 2007 edition of NFPA 13. This clarification is welcome news for contractors who want the well-documented advantages of flexible fittings. Such fittings typically are faster and easier to install, making installers more productive and reducing backlogs. They also result in simplified project and materials management and eliminate the need to use oversized rings in order to meet IBC code requirements in seismic areas.

Although flexible fittings have been approved for use for some time by both UL and FM, the addition of code language in NFPA 13 means that engineers and AHJs now have clear guidelines that simplify the product submittal process.

NFPA 13 now states that Flexible Sprinkler Hose Fittings supported by a suspended ceiling do not have to be independently supported from the building and should be used in accordance with its listings, including installation instructions.

For the first time, the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 13: Installation of Sprinkler Systems includes code language that clarifies the use of Flexible Sprinkler Hose Fittings and provides applicable guidelines.

The new language appears in the 2007 edition of NFPA 13. This clarification is welcome news for contractors who want the well-documented advantages of flexible fittings. Such fittings typically are faster and easier to install, making installers more productive and reducing backlogs. They also result in simplified project and materials management, and eliminate the need to use oversized rings in order to meet IBC code requirements in seismic areas.

Although flexible fittings have been approved for use for some time by both UL and FM, the addition of code language in NFPA 13 means that engineers and AHJs now have clear guidelines that simplify the product submittal process.

NFPA 13 now states that Flexible Sprinkler Hose Fittings supported by a suspended ceiling do not have to be independently supported from the building and should be used in accordance with its listings, including installation instructions.