Other LanguagesThousands of Washington apartment homes and hotels may be especially vulnerable to fire. The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office says up to 500,000 fire sprinkler heads in Washington may be defective – and officials don’t know where they are located.
If property owners fail to take advantage a free replacement program that ends August 31, they will be required by law to replace the sprinkler heads at an estimated cost of $50-$75 per device. Since many residences have multiple sprinklers, owners of multiplex apartments and hotels who miss the deadline could pay $100,000 or more.
The dangerous “O-ring” heads have a flat circular ring at the base and look like this. But identifying defective sprinklers can be tricky; 65 different models were included in the recall and some heads may be concealed with a ceiling plate.
The recalled heads were blamed for at least two fires in Washington. Don’t risk losing your home. Contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 1-866-977-7366 to determine whether your sprinkler heads are included in the recall.