Series of Breaks in Sprinklers and Pipes on South Rim

Grand Canyon, AZ - On Sunday, December 28, 2003, a series of pipe breakages and sprinkler system activations had rangers scrambling on the South Rim. The first call came in at 1:30 p.m. for a response to alarms at the Grand Canyon Unified Schools complex. Rangers and the structural fire brigade responded. Smoke was not found, but water was. A pipe for the sprinkler system had broken in the storage room in the new wing of the high school building and flooded three classrooms and the hallway.

The next call, at approximately 4:30 p.m., was in response to an alarm at the Grand Canyon Community Building. The responders found water flowing from the attic area of the building. They discovered a rupture in the pipes serving the sprinkler system.

Finally, around 5:20 p.m., an alarm in the new NPS warehouse facility sounded. Grand Canyon Fire Chief Kent Mecham responded and found that the pipes serving the eyewash stations and other safety features had burst. Shortly thereafter, the sprinklers activated.

There were no injuries, and cleanup and recovery efforts are well underway in all three locations. Classroom and office use is temporarily suspended in the Community Building. Investigations into the causes are ongoing, and both Grand Canyon National Park Deputy Superintendent Kate Cannon and Grand Canyon Unified Schools Superintendent Sheila Breen have stated that any lessons to be learned will be used to make improvements in the future.