All posts by viking210

Chelmsford, MA – Sprinklers stop spread of fire at restaurant; Neighboring business spare damage

A fire at Zesty’s Pizza in North Chelmsford left the establishment with smoke and water damage at early Monday morning.  The Fire Department responded to 10 Vinal Square at about 4:40 after a DPW worker reported the fire at Vinal Square Plaza, according to Fire Chief Gary Ryan. The fire was knocked down about an hour later, Ryan said.  Ryan said a pharmacy and cleaning business both sustained significant water damage. The owner of the pharmacy is working with his counterparts so that his customers can get the medications they need.  “The sprinkler system activated to minimize the fire damage,” Ryan said in an email. “The fire is currently being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.”  Ryan also said the department is working with other store owners, investigators and utilities to get the other businesses in the plaza up and running again, although they were not damaged by the fire.

Yuma, AZ – Fire in snake habitat at local business is put out by sprinkler system

The Yuma Fire Department said a business fire may have originated from a large snake habitat where a four-foot long ball python died. Officials said on Sunday just before 1:30 p.m., a passerby reported seeing water coming from a building at 4221 East 30th Place occupied by SunRay Electric. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived to find that there had been a fire inside that had been extinguished by the building’s fire suppression sprinkler system. Firefighters ensured the fire was out and shut down the water flow to the system.  The fire was found to have originated in a large snake habitat and the cause is under investigation. It was stopped from spreading beyond the habitat and extinguished by the fire sprinkler system. A four-foot long ball python died in the fire. The fire damage was limited to the area of the habitat. There were no employees at the business at the time of the fire.

Hamilton, ON, Canada – Fire at city recycling center extinguished by sprinkler system

Units reported to a fire inside a city recycling facility at 1579 Burlington Street, where garbage had caught fire.  Mostacci said the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished most of the fire, but firefighters pulled garbage out of the building and wet it down. There was no financial loss as a result of the fire, he said.

Canton, OH – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing apartment building laundry fire

Residents of a building in the Mayfield Manor Apartments were displaced by a laundry room fire Saturday afternoon. The fire started inside a clothes dryer in a common laundry area on the fourth floor of 3830 11th St. SW. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.  Firefighters were called to the complex at 1:39 p.m. Firefighters were told that people were trapped in the building and unable to see through smoke to escape.  Crews found smoke had filled the fourth floor. Firefighters helped about 40 residents out of the building – starting with the fourth floor – into one of the adjacent apartment buildings.  The smoke activated the buildings sprinkler system, which helped firefighters as they put out the fire.  One resident was taken by paramedics to a local hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.  Firefighters had to shut down electrical service to the building because the sprinkler system had been activated. Residents had to remain out of the building until service was restored.  Damage is estimated at $20,000 to the structure and $10,000 to contents because of the fire, smoke and water damage.

Keene, NH – Fire in dust collector at metal fabricator controlled with help from sprinkler system

No one was injured in a fire at EVS Metal in Keene last Friday morning. A dust collector caught fire, according to Keene Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Chickering. Fire officials believe sparks from the work of nearby employees ignited the fire, he said.  Chickering did not know how many workers were in the building at the time of the fire, but all got out safely.  There was some heat damage within a 15-foot radius of the dust collector, and the fire set off two sprinkler heads, he said. Damage is estimated at $15,000, he said.  In addition to Keene, the Brattleboro, Spofford and Swanzey fire departments responded.  EVS Metal is a precision sheet metal fabricator.

Springfield, IL – Two sprinkler heads knock down arson fire at vacant apartment building

Arson is suspected in an early-morning fire Sunday at the soon-to-be opened The Villas at Vinegar Hill apartment building.

Springfield Fire Chief Barry Helmerichs said crews were called around 2:20 a.m. for an automatic alarm caused by sprinklers being activated.

The sprinklers extinguished the blaze, but the new building suffered some smoke and water damage, Helmerichs said, adding vandalism also was noticed.

The Villas at Vinegar Hill is a four-story, 92-unit apartment development for residents 62 and older being developed by The Springfield Housing Authority. It’s being built on the site of the former John Sankey Hi-Rise at 401 W. Allen St.

Nobody is living in the building yet, Helmerichs said.

Marriottsville, MD – Morning arson fire at high school extinguished by sprinkler system

Students, faculty and staff at Marriotts Ridge High School were dismissed early Friday morning after a paper towel holder was set on fire and triggered the building’s sprinkler system. Howard schools spokesman John White said the fire was caused by a student and that disciplinary actions will follow, using the school system’s Student Code of Conduct. On Monday, Howard police charged the 16-year-old juvenile, of Ellicott City, with arson, malicious burning and disturbing activities at school.  There was little damage by the fire and no one was injured. Students were allowed to return to the school Friday afternoon to retrieve their belongings.

Everyone at the high school was safely evacuated to nearby Mount View Middle School this morning, as Howard County Fire and Rescue arrived. Classes were dismissed for the day at 10:15 a.m. since smoke was throughout the building, White said. Kristy Gaigalas, a spokeswoman for the fire department, said officials received the call around 7:15 a.m. and found the fire was extinguished by the sprinklers. White said students who drove to school were immediately dismissed, while parents picked up other students at the middle school.  Marriotts Ridge senior Anthony Ellis said he smelled the smoke, which was coming from the men’s bathroom near the art room on the first floor.  “There really wasn’t much of a fire, just smoke,” Ellis said. “We all had to evacuate before school even began.”

Nashua, NH – Grease fire at café controlled by sprinkler system

A Nashua cafe is set to reopen Friday after a fire this week. On Tuesday, a coffee roaster caught fire at the Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, fire officials said. No one was hurt.  The restaurant remained closed Thursday for cleanup. It will reopen Friday at 6 a.m., according to the owners.  The fire broke at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, triggering an overheard sprinkler that contained the flames, according to Nashua Deputy fire Chief Karl Gerhard. Workers used portable fire extinguishers, furthering containing the fire.

Burlington, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activates in apartment blaze caused by unattended candle

An apartment fire last weekend caused $10,000 damage but no injuries.  The incident occurred on Sunday, Jan. 29 around 9:20 p.m. at 982 Falcon Blvd., south of Plains Road about halfway between King Road and Shadeland Avenue, in Aldershot.   When firefighters arrived there was no obvious sign of fire.   The suspected cause of the fire is an unattended candle.  The unit’s sprinkler system activated, which in turn sounded the apartment’s main alarm

San Jose, CA – Fire at BBQ restaurant contained with help from sprinkler system

A two-alarm fire erupted Wednesday night at a Mi Pueblo Supermarket in East San Jose.  Firefighters responding to a report of a fire on the 1700 block of Story Road arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the store’s outdoor restaurant and roof, said San Jose fire Capt. Kevin Stidham.  A second alarm was immediately called because of the potential for the fire to spread to other businesses in the strip mall.  A build up of grease in the exhaust system of a BBQ pit was pinpointed as the cause of the fire, which spread to the roof, Stidham said. A sprinkler system helped contain the fire.  No injuries were reported.  Stidham said the store reopened after the county health department determined none of the food was damaged.