When it comes to protecting your home from fire, it is important that you consider a suppression system custom-tailored to your particular home. Fire suppression systems are determined by federal, state, or local codes – laws which dictate certain suppression requirements depending on the type of materials and nature of the environment. And one area where technology is ahead of standards is in the energy storage space. Residential and commercial battery units often contain powerful batteries, and in many cases can pose a fire risk that can be addressed with a custom designed suppression system.

Fire safety standards exist for small scale lithium-ion batteries – such as those in phones and laptops – but fires in these components are very rare: many are designed such that they fail in safe ways, resulting in fire rates of approximately one in every 10 million devices. Larger battery systems, such as Tesla’s Powerwall home battery, are much newer, and fewer standards regulating both their manufacturing and operational suppression systems exist. While Tesla is known to test these units internally in order to understand their behavior in case of fire, many fire departments have little experience with these units, and no standards exist for suppression requirements in residential spaces.

Buyers considering such devices – either in residential or commercial spaces – may consider contacting a suppression firm for expert consultation. In spaces with other installed suppression systems, the suppression system designer should consider whether or not the type of suppression is appropriate for the chemical battery – in some cases, a wet suppression system may be less ideal than a dry system. Owners in residential spaces, or spaces without installed suppression systems, can consult a suppression profession to determine if suppression systems are recommended.

For more information about custom suppression systems, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

a group of people standing next to a forest filled with fire

Over 90 large fires across seven states are triggering alerts over poor air

By Zach Rosenthal

Dangerous blazes continue to spread across the West, with 93 large fires burning in seven states.

As smoke plumes rise into the skies, alerts for hazardous air quality are in effect in parts of Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. A special weather statement about hazardous air quality was also issued in east-central California and western Nevada. The smoke is most dense and toxic near its source but has also expanded in lesser amounts all the way to the East Coast.

Idaho — where the Moose Fire, the nation’s second largest, is burning — leads the pack in terms of large fires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

Firefighters are battling 34 large fires in the state, followed by 23 in Montana, 13 in Washington, 12 in California and nine in Oregon. Utah and Wyoming each report one large fire.

In Oregon, eyes are on the Cedar Creek Fire, which has grown to more than 86,000 acres after being sparked by lightning Aug. 1. After days of extreme fire growth, the fire remains uncontained. The rapidly spreading blaze has forced nearly 1,500 evacuations, while blanketing nearby cities such as Bend in dangerously high levels of smoke. Smoke from the fire has prompted alerts in south-central Oregon.

Firefighters are also battling the massive Double Creek Fire in Oregon, which has burned more than 155,000 acres and is currently the nation’s largest blaze. That inferno has prompted the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to issue an air quality advisory for the northeastern parts of the state.

Fire and heavy smoke conditions in the West are unlikely to abate anytime soon, as hot and dry conditions have left forests ripe for fire growth. Red-flag warnings have been hoisted for much of eastern Wyoming because of hot, dry conditions conducive to fires.

Hazardous air quality conditions — air quality index (AQI) levels of 301-plus — have been observed in at least five states, including California, where the Mosquito Fire continues to burn between Sacramento and Reno, Nev., in the Sierra Nevada.

The Mosquito Fire has forced officials to evacuate more than 11,000 people. At least 25 homes have already been destroyed by the blaze, which has torched more than 48,700 acres and is just 16 percent contained.

Other active and dangerous fires in California include the Fairview Fire, which still burns close to the town of Hemet, though it is now 56 percent contained. Downpours from the remnants of Tropical Storm Kay have assisted crews in containing that blaze. That fire has burned more than 28,000 acres and killed two people who were trying to flee the blaze.

As more fires in the West are ignited and active fires expand, the smoke can travel as far as the East Coast and in the past has even blown into continental Europe. Wildfire smoke has been found to be surprisingly harmful to people even far from the source. A study published in 2021 found that three-quarters of smoke-related cases of asthma visits to emergency departments and deaths occurred east of the Rocky Mountains.

“Smoke is not just a Western problem,” said Katelyn O’Dell, lead author of the study and postdoctoral research scientist at George Washington University.

O’Dell suggested there may be a “lack of awareness” in the East about the effects of smoke, “because you’re not in proximity to these large wildfires, and they don’t really impact your day-to-day.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described an “expansive area of light smoke” covering most of the Lower 48 state, except for the far southeast and far southwest on Monday. However, computer simulations indicate much of the smoke in the eastern United States is at relatively high altitudes, meaning it shouldn’t substantially compromise air quality near the ground. But NOAA reported some “moderate to thick smoke” had already reached as far east as Colorado, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa.

AirNow.gov, which monitors pollution across the country, showed air quality had worsened to “moderate” in portions of Colorado, including Denver, as well as northern Minnesota and western Iowa on Tuesday.

A total of 49,820 wildfires in the United States have burned 6,726,028 acres this year; both of these numbers are ahead of the 10-year average through Sept. 13.

Research has shown that human-caused climate change has contributed to an increase in the frequency of large fires and the size of the area burned by Western wildfires, as fire seasons become longer and more dangerous.

Jason Samenow contributed to this report.

For more information about fire safety, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

a red fire hydrant sitting inside of a building

Now that we are beginning to change from hot summer months to cooler autumn ones, it is important to prepare for the weather changes in order to keep all suppression systems going. After all, it is important for everyone to be prepared for any accident that may occur as a result of unnecessary neglect. This time of year is also notorious for wildfires, so keeping our employees and property safe is of the utmost importance.

The exact maintenance regime needed depends on the suppression system and use case. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) has guidelines not only for the types of systems that should be used in various settings, but also for the ongoing maintenance of those systems for proper compliance and safety purposes.

The type of system installed, and the nature of the building it is protecting, will determine how often it must be inspected, how often it should be tested, and what type of labor will be required on the system over time. A skilled system designer, such as CJ Suppression, will not only design the system, but can also assist you in establishing and meeting the maintenance and inspection requirements in order to keep your system functioning properly so that if a fire were to occur, lives and property can be saved.

Regular maintenance will identify minor problems before they turn into system failures, allowing you to correct them quickly and inexpensively, rather than allowing them to fail. With automatic scheduling of maintenance activities, you never need to worry about surprise fire department inspections – you’ll be up to date, properly maintained, properly inspected, and fully functional whenever the fire department decides to visit.

a frying pan filled with food on top of a stove

We all want to feel safe in our own homes. It’s a sanctuary away from all of the outside world’s madness. We kick off our shoes, fix ourselves a nice hot meal and curl up on the couch with our favorite relaxing pastime. We keep a first aid kit handy, lock our doors, we keep our phone charged and close by – all of these little habits keep us prepared for anything.

One of the leading causes of home injuries and deaths in the home is related to cooking. And those of us that are 65+ are at an even higher risk. Unfortunately, we all need to eat. And while all these tips work for everyone, let’s also protect those of us on the latter side of life with these simple cooking tips for fire safety:

Don’t forget. There are times when we get sidetracked – it’s natural. So, if you need to step away from the kitchen for even a small amount of time, turn off the oven/stove.

Keep it clean. Grease fires can start unexpectedly. To lessen the chance of these happening, keep the range clean from grease or other debris that can accidentally catch from a stray flame.

Tighten things up. The last thing we think about when we are in the kitchen is what we are wearing. When cooking, keep your sleeves rolled up to prevent accidentally catching on an open flame.

Test the alarms. It’s important to test smoke detectors on a monthly basis and change out batteries once a year. Keeping these alarms in abundance throughout the house will give ample time to get to safety.

For more information about cooking fire safety, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.