Stacked paper creates a chimney effect that defeats standard sprinklers
Architecture
A massive warehouse fire in Ontario revealed that tightly packed paper creates internal wind tunnels that can overpower even the most advanced industrial sprinkler systems.
When a Kimberly-Clark warehouse caught fire in 2026, it destroyed 600 million dollars in inventory despite having a fully functional suppression system. The culprit was the way the paper was stored. When cellulose-heavy products like paper or cardboard are baled and stacked high, the narrow gaps between them act like miniature chimneys. These channels pull in oxygen and funnel heat upward with such force that they create a self-sustaining wind that feeds the flames.