Sprinkler & Firefighting Water Damage in Olympia, WA

Sprinkler and firefighting water damage in Olympia, WA is the water damage that comes with, or instead of, a fire. Putting out a house fire can take a large volume of water, and that water runs through floors into the crawl space and into the rooms below. Separately, a fire sprinkler that freezes, gets knocked by a ladder or simply fails can flood a room before anyone finds the shutoff. Through our referral line (opening soon), you can be connected with an independent restoration company that removes the water, cleans what it carried and dries the building.

Water from firefighting

Firefighters' job is to stop the fire, and water is the main tool. Once it is out, that water has soaked into carpet, subfloor, walls and insulation, often across more of the house than the fire itself. In homes over a crawl space, it drains through the floor and pools on the vapor barrier below. It also carries soot and ash, so it is treated as dirty water rather than clean.

Drying needs to start soon after the fire department releases the property, alongside board-up and soot cleaning. Leaving the water while the fire claim is sorted out lets mold and further damage set in. See fire damage restoration for the full order of work.

Fire sprinkler leaks and discharges

• Freezing: sprinkler lines in attics, garages or unheated spaces can freeze during a hard cold snap and split when they thaw. Statewide damage in January 2024 included buildings flooded when sprinklers froze and burst.
• Impact: sprinkler heads hit by ladders, furniture or a ball.
• Heat near a head: heaters or cooking too close to a sprinkler.
• Aging parts: corrosion in older systems, and failed fittings.

A discharging sprinkler head releases a steady stream until the system's control valve is closed. In apartments, condos and commercial buildings, staff or the alarm company usually manage that valve.

What the cleanup looks like

1. Confirm the water is stopped and the building is safe to enter.
2. Extract standing water from floors, carpet and the crawl space or lower floors.
3. Remove soaked insulation, carpet pad and drywall that cannot be dried, especially where firefighting water carried soot.
4. Clean surfaces the water touched.
5. Dry with air movers and dehumidifiers, with daily moisture readings.
6. Document each stage for the insurer.

Multi-unit buildings

In apartments and condos, sprinkler and firefighting water travels down through floors to units below. Each unit may be covered by a different policy: the building's master policy, the owner's unit policy and tenants' renters policies. Restoration companies often work with the property manager to dry several units at once. Keep your own photos and notes, even if the building is coordinating the work.

Insurance

Firefighting water is normally part of the fire claim. Accidental sprinkler discharges are often covered as sudden water damage, subject to the deductible and any water damage sublimit. Freeze damage may depend on whether reasonable care was taken to keep the building heated. See our Washington insurance guide.

Book a water damage visit after a fire or sprinkler discharge

To reach a restoration company, email info@olympiawaterdamagewa.com while our phone line is being set up. Say whether the water came from fire hoses or a sprinkler, how many rooms or units are wet and whether the building has a crawl space or floors below.