Evanston firefighters demonstrate how quickly fire can spread without sprinklers

Sunday, October 4, 2020
EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- The Evanston Fire Department held a live burn demonstration Sunday to show just how quickly a fire can spread.

Two fires were set in rooms, one with a home fire sprinkler and the other without to compare the difference.

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Burn survivor Jordan Rodriguez said it serves as a reminder of just how important sprinklers are.

Rodriguez was just 4-years-old when he and his twin brother Justin survived a fire in their Logan Square home.

"I obviously get goosebumps. I get flashbacks and the heat kind of reminds me of everything I went through," Rodriguez said. "If I had sprinklers in my home, the injuries wouldn't be what they are today and it would have prevented the house form burning down."

Jordan suffered burns to 80% of this body and spent months in the hospital.

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