collection lost in Grampian fire

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by lynx42

This is the result in a local shed. Not military vehicles but 3 restored Rileys and a Vauxhall and of course all of his garage gear.

This is the worst possible nightmare for any collector - a shed full of restored vehicles ablaze. I've often wondered if a sprinkler system would do any good. Inside the shed it might help reduce ignition by wetting everything down, but once the shed itself collapsed the plumbing would rupture and the spray would stop, after which the radiant heat would quickly dry everything out again and it would soon ignite. However if you put the spray system outside to protect the shed itself there may be a chance to save the whole thing. I know it's been done with houses, I remember reading about a woman in Marysville who installed an elaborate spray system under the eaves, which formed a water curtain around the whole house. Apparently she was ridiculed by some in the town but when Black Saturday came she used it and her house was completely undamaged while the rest of the town was all but wiped off the map. I'll see if I dig up the story. There are probably experts in this field so it may be worth some research.