Estero considers installing fire sprinklers in all new homes

ESTERO, Fla.- Does your house have a fire sprinkler system? The fire marshal is suggesting every new home built in Estero must have sprinklers installed before anyone can move in.

He says the benefits far outweigh the cost but local builders don't think so.

Joey Hatfield knows a lot about house fires. "There are three main causes of house fires: men, women and children."

He's on the State Board of Fire Prevention and is also a partner of Naples Fire Protection Inc.

The company installs sprinkler heads in buildings as well as in residential homes.

Hatfield says it's a no-brainer. "The evidence is so clear, that these sprinklers save lives, every single day. It's all documented."

The company often demonstrates the effectiveness of sprinklers to the public.

A demonstration by the Naples Fire Department shows fire spreads quickly in a model room without sprinklers. In minutes, it's fully engulfed and destroyed. The opposite happens in the room with the sprinkler.

Some home builders are strongly opposed to the madatory installation of sprinkler systems in residential homes.

The vice president of the Lee County Building Industry Association (BIA) says there's no benefit for the added construction cost.

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Estero considers installing fire sprinklers in all new homes