This video is of a demonstration of interior structure sprinklers that took place in the District of Columbia on October 7, 2009 at Gallaudet University. The gear on two of the firefighters catches fire when some burning plastic dripped on them. The firefighters were unaware their gear was burning for what seems like an eternity.

The action starts at 3:10.
WASHINGTON — Usually the biggest worry for a fire chief who has gathered the public and the press together for a sprinkler demonstration is whether the sprinkler head is going to activate as promised.

Livingston Fire Protection Inc. made sure that wasn't a problem during Wednesday's demonstration using two side by side mock dorm rooms at Gallaudet University in the District of Columbia. It operated at just 12 seconds into the fire.

It was the fire on the unsprinklered side that occurred minutes earlier that caused a little excitement and had Chief Dennis Rubin asking for someone to put out the firefighters. At about 3:10 on the video you will see a plastic barrier melt and drip down in a large flaming clump on the three firefighters who were extinguishing the fire.

It was much more obvious to the audience than the firefighters themselves that something was amiss. All three had plastic burning on their PPE. It took a little more than 30 seconds before the fires were put out.

DC Fire & EMS officials tell STATter911 a sergeant from Engine 6, seen on the left in the video, was burned on the cheek and hand. He spent Wednesday night to Thursday morning in the burn unit of the Washington Hospital Center.
Written by Dave Statter
9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com