Faux fire emergency Faux fire emergency (December 10, 2003)

Caption with Nick Wright photo in print edition: Fortunately, Menlo Park Fire Division Chief Harold Schapelhouman wasn't emerging from a real fire. The smoke and hoses were part of the fire district's annual holiday fire safety demonstration, held December 5 at the Baylands Structural Collapse Training Center near the Dumbarton Bridge. The simulation took place in several rooms, demonstrating fires sparked by a candle, a radiator and chemicals found in a garage. The fires could have been slowed or extinguished if the rooms had smoke detectors or fire sprinklers, said firefighters. The district is trying to get local city councils to pass a law requiring sprinkler systems in most new homes and many undergoing major remodels.

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