Fire Control in Edison’s Time... and Today

Fire Control in Edison’s Time... and Today. . , In 1909, a major project was undertaken to install a fire control system at the Edison estate. Water for the system was supplied from a well on the east side of the property (across McGregor Boulevard) and directed to three large tanks located on the west side of the property. From there, it was piped to five different locations via a 5-inch underground water main with 3-inch branch pipes., A standpipe at each location had a hose rack and a reel with 100 feet of 2-inch hose. The standpipes were located at:, . The Main House , . The Guest House , . The Caretaker’s Cottage , . The Original 1886 laboratory , . A location on the east side of McGregor Boulevard, Several of these standpipes can still be seen today, including those at the Main House and Guest House., Fire control was enhanced in 1919 when five portable Pyrene fire extinguishers were installed inside of the following areas, and chemical extinguishers hung outside of: , . Thomas and Mina Edison’s bedroom , . Sitting Room , . Dining room , . Kitchen , . Caretaker’s Cottage garage bay, Today, historic structures at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates are outfitted with a state of the art VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus) system, along with a Borrell Mist system., When fire or smoke is detected, tiny water droplets and pressurized gas are delivered. As the droplets contact fire, they convert to steam, absorbing energy from the surface of burning materials. As the steam expands, it lowers the fire temperature and prevents oxygen from reaching the fire, which smothers it., In addition, the porches of the Edison houses feature a water sprinkler system to extinguish any fire outside, along with portable fire extinguishers.