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Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire on university campus

The Madison Fire Department reported an automatic sprinkler prevented further damage to a building on UW-Madison’s campus overnight.

Spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said firefighters were dispatched to 30 East Campus Mall at 12:33 a.m. for a fire alarm activation. Schuster said no one was around to report the fire to 911.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met by members of the UW-Madison Police Department and UW Security.

The crew entered the building and noticed an odor of smoke. The odor was followed to a wood workshop, where the crew found the room full of smoke and an automatic fire sprinkler activated.

Beneath the active sprinkler was a burned-up garbage can and its contents on the floor. Just one sprinkler head activated, but it extinguished the fire and prevented the fire from spreading, according to Schuster.

Damage from the fire is estimated at about $2,000. Damage was contained to some paint cans, a portable electric sander, cabinets and other items.

Firefighters moved the burned items outside, ventilated the area, and turned off the fire sprinkler system.

With the sprinkler systems temporarily shut down, UW Security provided fire watch until a responsible party returned to the building.

Fremont, CA – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at electronic recycling storage area; No injuries reported

A building’s sprinkler system activated in response to a fire in Fremont on Tuesday, keeping the fire in check until Fremont Fire Department crews arrived. Firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire within 25 minutes of arriving at the scene.

The fire was reported at 5 p.m. at the Fremont Recycling & Transfer Station at 41149 Boyce Road. The fire was in the electronics recycling storage area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters or employees.

The fire was contained to the area of origin and operations were able to resume in the remainder of the facility.

Syracuse, NY – Sprinkler system activated for fire on 20th floor of hotel; No injuries reported

Firefighters responded in big numbers to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Syracuse Wednesday evening.

Around 9 p.m., Syracuse Firefighters were dispatched to investigate a fire alarm activation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 701 East Genesee Street, in downtown Syracuse.

When firefighters arrived on the scene moments later, they found an active alarm in the building, indicating a fire sprinkler activation on the 20th floor. Firefighters also noticed water leaking from elevator shafts on the first floor, and a faint odor of smoke in the lobby. The incident commander at the scene immediately requested the alarm be upgraded from an alarm investigation response.

The water leaking into the elevators had caused them to become disabled, and unusable, on the first floor. As additional crews of firefighters arrived at the scene, they began moving equipment and personnel up to the 20th floor via the stairwells to investigate. As crews neared the top, they encountered a worsening smoke condition, and eventually found fire on the 20th floor.

Teams of firefighters searched the 20th floor for any trapped occupants as other teams of firefighters connected hoses to the building’s standpipe system to fight the fire. It was quickly determined that the 20th floor, an open-plan event space frequently used for large gatherings, was empty. The fire was located and extinguished.

A sprinkler head nearby had activated as designed and held the flames in check. Crews also checked the floor below the fire, as smoke that filled the 20th floor had begun to affect the 19th floor. Incident commanders requested a ‘second alarm,’ bringing additional personnel and resources to the scene.

With the bulk of the fire knocked down, crews shifted to a ventilation operation. This involved bringing in large, powerful fans to remove smoke and other products of combustion from the affected floors.

The 20th floor sustained fire, smoke, and water damage. Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene working to determine the exact origin and cause of the fire. That investigation is ongoing.

Firefighters worked to protect belongings and property in the affected area, using large tarps to divert water away. No one was injured.

Hotel staff are working with fire officials to ensure any guests displaced by the fire and subsequent fire suppression operations are accommodated.

Berkeley, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at supportive housing facility

A fire broke out at the Hope Center in downtown Berkeley when a lithium-ion battery overheated Monday night, authorities report.

Battalion Chief Brian Harryman of the Berkeley Fire Department credited the Hope Center’s fire sprinkler system with putting out the blaze before it spread.

“It probably saved the whole building,” he said.

The Hope Center, which opened in 2022 on the site of a former city parking lot, has 53 supportive housing units while Berkeley Way Apartments, part of the same complex, has 89 affordable units and services for low-income families.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Hope Center, at 2012 Berkeley Way, just before 8:30 p.m. Monday for a report of smoke on the third floor.

“We’re getting reports of somebody blowing up their room, unknown what that means,” a dispatcher told the Berkeley Fire Department as the call came in.

Thanks to proximity, Berkeley firefighters arrived at the Hope Center in under a minute, Harryman said: BFD’s Station 2 is just across the street about 100 feet away.

Inside the apartment, firefighters found scooters and lithium-ion batteries that had been charging unattended.

The fire was out quickly thanks to the sprinkler system, but the water caused “considerable damage” to the apartment where the batteries were charging.

Several adjacent units saw minimal damage due to water that got in beneath the doors.

Firefighters had to manually turn off the sprinklers to control the flow.

“There’s a considerable amount of water damage,” a firefighter said over the radio just before 8:40 p.m., adding: “We’re going to need squeegees and manpower.”

All of the residents were able to return to their rooms aside from the unit where the fire happened.

Fortunately, Harryman said, a friend in the building offered that resident a place to stay.

“We checked around and all the shelters were full. All the hotels were full,” he said. “We really didn’t have a place to send him.”

Harryman noted that some of the scooter rental companies pay people to charge lithium-ion batteries for them. But he said he did not know if that had been the case on Berkeley Way.

BFD strongly discourages anyone from charging lithium-ion batteries inside their homes, he added. Even outside, they should not be left unattended.

“Don’t plug them in and leave for the day or leave them for the weekend,” he said. “These things are overcharging, heating up and causing fires. If you are going to charge it, remain home with it and don’t charge it inside.”

Last year, the city of Berkeley announced in June that six recent fires had been caused by unattended lithium battery charging.

“These local battery fires — involving e-skateboards, e-scooters, and at least one e-bike — have also been seen around the region and nation,” the city wrote.

The city also noted that fires could “occur spontaneously while charging” and advised anyone noticing signs of fire, such as smoke, gas and sparks, to evacuate the area and immediately call 911.

Lithium battery safety tips from the city of Berkeley:

  • Only use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries and replacements
  • Charge only until the battery is full, then disconnect
  • Keep the battery away from heat, cold and flammable items while charging and storing
  • Discard distressed batteries (those that are swollen, dented or otherwise damaged) at a drop-off site — not in your garbage can

Learn more from the city of Berkeley about fire risks related to lithium-ion batteries.

Gainesville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for dumpster fire in garage; No injuries reported

There are no injuries after a building fire in Gainesville early Tuesday morning.

Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to the Hub at 1258 Northwest 3rd Avenue. First arriving crews reported smoke coming from the parking garage.

The fire was located in a dumpster on the first floor of the garage. The building sprinkler system held the fire in place until crews extinguished it.

There were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Police are questioning one person of interest.

Elyria, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at group home

A working sprinkler system prevented a group home from being severely damaged in a weekend fire, according to Elyria firefighters.

When crews arrived on Academy Court Saturday, they said the main body of the fire had already been extinguished.

Firefighters helped get the smoke from the building and also assisted with water removal, which eliminated further damage, said firefighters.

The cause remains under investigation.

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Walmart; No injuries reported

The Walmart on Burbank Drive will be closed “indefinitely” after someone intentionally set a fire inside, the St. George Fire Department said Monday.

Just before 8 p.m. Sunday, the department was called to the store and found it had been evacuated. They were told the fire broke out in the middle of the building and “many sprinkler heads had been activated.”

Crews were able to find the fire and put it out within minutes, the department said. No one was injured.

The fire, smoke and sprinklers caused enough damage to close the store indefinitely, the department said.

Concord, NH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at dentist’s office; No injuries reported

A fire in the basement of a dentist’s office in Concord was quickly extinguished in part because of the building’s sprinkler system Wednesday morning, Concord Fire Chief John Chisholm said. 

Concord Fire was dispatched just after 9:20 a.m. and smoke was reported in the building. Firefighters were able to quickly locate a small fire in the basement of Generations Dental Care offices at 9 Triangle Park Drive. The modern building’s sprinkler system had been activated, keeping the fire in check, according to Chisholm. There were no injuries.

Firefighters dragged hoses into the building and cleared the offices of smoke while employees and patients were evacuated.

A preliminary investigation determined that the fire started in the area of a trash can and that it was accidental, though its exact source remains unclear, Chisholm said.

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system contains fire at industrial building; No injuries reported

At 8:34 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, 2024, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to a monitored fire alarm in an industrial building in the 1200 block of Fife Street.

When crews arrived to the scene, they found smoke coming from the structure. The fire was quickly brought under control, having been contained by the building’s sprinkler system.

There were no occupants in the building at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The building sustained smoke, fire, and water damage. Damage estimates are not available at this time.

Litchfield, NH – Fire in laundry room extinguished by sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm at Mels Funway Park early Friday morning, encountering smoke and a small fire that was swiftly contained by the building’s sprinkler system.

Engines 1, 4, and Tanker 3 were dispatched to 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy at 3:47 a.m. following the alarm.

The first officer on the scene, a Litchfield Fire lieutenant who lives nearby, reported smoke on the first floor of the three-story building.

A working fire assignment was immediately requested, bringing additional support from Londonderry, Hudson, and Merrimack, including a ladder truck, an engine, an ambulance, and a battalion chief.

Upon the arrival of Litchfield C1, command was established for the incident.

Fire crews meticulously searched the large building for the source of the smoke, a process that took significant time due to the building’s size.

The four occupants of the building were safely evacuated, and all floors were checked.

Light smoke was found on the third floor, but there were no conditions on the second.

The fire, located in a first-floor back laundry room filled with storage items, had been extinguished by the sprinkler system before firefighters arrived.

Once the fire was confirmed to be out, the building was ventilated, air quality was monitored, and the area of the fire was isolated to prevent any further incidents.

The building was then cleared and turned back over to the property representative, allowing all occupants to return.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by authorities.

All fire companies involved cleared the scene at 5:30 a.m.

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