Fosseholm Manor

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  • Inergen Brandslukning bevaringsværdige bygninger Fosseholm Manor

Firefighting without water – securing cultural heritage for posterity

Firefighting with water can have major consequences for buildings and contents worthy of preservation. Such consequences were exactly what the owners of the Norwegian manor house Fossesholm wanted to avoid. That’s why they chose Fire Eater’s solution for fire protection. What’s more, the solution had to be as discreet as it was effective so that guests’ experience of the building would be undisturbed.

In Norway, the state has devised a national prevention strategy, with particular efforts aimed at preserving the country’s cultural heritage. The stricter requirements were the reason why Fossesholm Manor in 2015 began to investigate the market for solutions for fire protection.

Effective and discreet fire protection

Fossesholm Manor is a wooden construction through which a fire could spread quickly. At the same time, it is a living environment featuring events, exhibitions and concerts. Therefore, it was important to find a solution that could both suffocate a fire quickly and, at the same time, was sufficiently discreet so that visitors could continue to experience the building’s beautiful rooms without being disturbed by fire-extinguishing installations.

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Fossesholm contacted Fire Eater and were given a demonstration of the solution. As a result, the management chose to protect the entire manor with Inergen®. Ellen Pauline Steen, general manager for Fossesholm Manor, is enthusiastic about the solution:

»Among people working with cultural heritage, it has long been the prevailing view that fire protection with sprinkler systems was the only solution. I hope Fire Eater’s solution will make people realise there are better options than water-based firefighting. “

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No consequential damage to buildings and contents

When dealing with cultural heritage, neither water nor chemicals provide good solutions for protection against possible fire as they may damage both building and contents. Chemicals, moreover, may represent a hazard to people’s life and health. The unique thing about Inergen is that it is composed of gases that occur naturally in the atmosphere. Owing to this, the solution is without consequential damage to people, materials and the environment. When an Inergen system is activated, the Inergen is released into the room under pressure, quickly gaining full control of the fire. Unlike water, which has to be sprayed over a fire from above, Inergen works in different directions and can penetrate hidden cavities where fire may spread, but where water cannot enter. Nor do the nozzles have to be visible in the ceiling; they can, for example, be hidden under wood stoves, beds or behind doors, which was the solution used at Fossesholm. The pressurised cylinders containing the Inergen were also kept out of sight in the cellar. The necessary piping from the cellar to the public spaces was also kept hidden by installing it inside the structure of the floor. A ‘branch-line’ was additionally installed up to the attic, as fires often start in such places.

Fact box

Customer Fosseholm Manor Location Norway Industry Buildings and museums worthy of preservation Area protected In addition to Fossesholm itself being a unique building, the manor house also contains a large number of invaluable artefacts, including Norway’s largest collection of 18th century hand-painted canvas wallpapers. Contact Ellen Pauline Steen, General Manager

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