A new report from Minnesota's State Fire Marshal Division says fire sprinklers could've saved the lives of those killed in a November 2019 high-rise fire in Minneapolis.
"It’s a bold statement, but it’s a very accurate statement," said State Fire Marshal Jim Smith. "We know through our experiences that sprinkler systems put fires out."
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division (DPS-SFMD) released the report, which details findings and recommendations from the fire. After-action reports are completed after every multiple-fatality or high dollar-loss fire to help identify factors that led to deaths and injuries and determine how to prevent such tragedies in the future. "This tragic loss of life could have been prevented. The victims would still be alive had there been sprinklers throughout that entire building," Smith said. "We owe it to the victims and their families to learn from this fire so we can prevent similar tragedies."