Fire Suppression and Detection

Rancho Los Cerritos has taken the necessary steps to protect and preserve the historic site for generations to come.

Hazards to the site are ever-present and come in all shapes and sizes, not the least of which are fire and its destructive properties. Allowing this hazard to exist unchecked would be a great misstep, which we are unwilling to take as stewards of the Rancho. To that end, we’ve taken steps to implement fire protection across the site. Our ultimate goal is to fully mitigate the risk of fire damage to our historic structures and irreplaceable collections. Currently, no fire detection/notification or suppression measures are in-place to protect RLC facilities or artifacts.

Understanding the importance of fire protection, we took action in 2022. We hired the world-renowned consulting firm, Heritage Fire Protection, which has assessed the site and designed a system for maximal protection. First, was the detection and notification aspect. These systems detect fire and notify the fire department of any incidents in the historic Adobe, the Visitor Center and the Cottage. These detection systems utilize a state-of-the-art technique that constantly takes air samples and analyzes them for anomalies. Traditional sprinkler systems will deploy and extinguish a fire in the Cottage or Visitor Center. For the historic Adobe, an elevated level of care was necessary. A traditional sprinkler system was determined to be insufficient because of the historic and irreparable nature of the home and its collections. Instead, a system that utilizes a gas-propelled water mist was designed. This will ensure that, even in the event of a fire, all collections and the adobe structure will sustain minimal damage from both the fire, and the method by which it is extinguished.

All systems are scheduled to be installed and commissioned in 2024.

We remain grateful to Steve and Nancy Dudley and the City of Long Beach for their support of this project thus far. If you’d like to support the Fire Suppression and Detection system, please donate below.