All posts by viking210

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Jackson, NJ – Sprinkler system activates in fire at senior assisted living complex; No injuries reported

A fire Sunday morning at the Bella Terra assisted living complex at 2 Kathleen Drive resulted in approximately 100 people being evacuated to Jackson Liberty High School, Jackson Township Chief of Police Matthew Kunz said.

Mayor Michael Reina said the fire broke out in the D-wing of the facility and resulted in the evacuation of 44 rooms. More than 30 people living in that wing were taken to Jackson Liberty High School for temporary shelter.

“The only thing I know is that the fire was in the attic area above the third floor. It might have been initiated in a heating, air conditioning unit and spread out into the attic area,” Kunz said late Sunday morning at Jackson Liberty as the evacuees were being transported into the high school. “The sprinkler systems were activated, as a result of the heat and the fire causing extensive water damage on that side of the building.”

Both Kunz and Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy said the high school was being used as a temporary staging area for the evacuees.

Kunz said: “There were no injuries, but because of the fire and water damage, there had to be an evacuation of the building so the building department and inspections could get in and take an assessment as to what was damaged or if it (Bella Terra) could be rehabitated. That’s going to be an all-day process.”

Denise Olejarz, Deputy Coordinator for the Jackson Office of Emergency Management, said early Sunday afternoon that some of the evacuees had either gone home with family members or been transported back to Bella Terra. Olejarz said not all the rooms at Bella Terra are habitable.

Reina said the D-wing had roof damaged and would remain closed until further notice. Bella Terra had enough open units to relocate the D-wing’s residents, he said.

Ethel Levine, 89, resident of Bella Terra for 13 years, said the fire alarm at the complex went off at about 7 a.m. She said members of the Jackson Township Fire Department arrived at about 7:30 a.m., knocking on the doors of the residents and telling everyone to move into the lobby area.

“Then they told us, which of us had to be evacuated,” Levine said. Levine, who lives on the second floor of the complex, said said she remained calm.

“I’ve been through a bomb scare when I worked at the post office so this didn’t bother me,” Levine said.

John Dittman, 60, a resident at Bella Terra for eight years, also said everyone remained calm before they were transported to Jackson Liberty.

“The only pain was being inconvenienced. It wasn’t scary,” Dittman said.

Mastronardy said there were over a dozen ambulances on site and a bus from the Monmouth County EMS Task Force to assist in the evacuation process.

The fire occurred at about 7:20 a.m, and the Jackson Township Police Department and officers with stations 54 and 55 of the Jackson Township Fire Department responded to the alarm, Jackson Police Deparment Lt. John Decker said.

Fire departments from neighboring towns also came to help, Reina said.

“The evacuation, rescue went seamless and not a single injury,” he said. “I’m a very grateful mayor tonight.”

Auto Dealership, Retail

Riverside, CA – Fire at vintage car restoration business limited by sprinkler system; Welding sited as cause

Welding equipment set fire to a vintage car at a Riverside auto repair shop causing $150,000 damage, city fire officials say, though a sprinkler contained the flames until firefighters arrived. The blaze was reported at 6:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, inside a 1952 Chevy that was being restored at DMCG Inc., 1860 Chicago Ave., in Freeway Industrial Park. “A guy was welding and ignited the upholstery of the rear seat,” said Acting Capt. Brandon Mollicone. Smoke and water damage also affected several adjoining businesses, Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said in a written statement. Fire crews finished extinguishing the flames, then used exhaust fans to clear smoke out of the building, and squeegees to remove the water. No one was hurt.

Office Building, Other Business

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes intentionally-set fire at office building

Madison police and firefighters had to deal with a bizarre incident Friday night in an office building along the Beltline, where a man allegedly set fire and vandalized a suite of offices before crawling out, soaking wet, to waiting police.

Dustin Palmer, 30, was taken into custody on five counts of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, and could face an arson charge, Madison police said.

The incident started at about 8 p.m. Friday at the office building at 2601 W. Beltline, the building on the corner of Todd Drive and the Beltline.

According to police:

Palmer’s intention was to vandalize, not to steal, police said.

“Damage was reported on several floors of the high-rise building,” said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. “Glass was broken, items were pulled off of walls and smeared blood was found in different locations.” 

Before Palmer allegedly set a fire in an office suite on the fifth floor, he went into the restaurant, scared staff and helped himself to a fountain drink.

The fire brought firefighters to the scene, called by police as they searched for the suspect.

“The crew from Ladder 6 saw dense smoke in the fifth-floor room and found that a small fire had been extinguished by the automatic fire sprinkler system,” said Joel Kneifel of the MFD.

Firefighters evacuated the building and searched the part of the building near the fire to make sure nobody was hurt or trapped.

When police officers entered the damaged fifth-floor offices, Palmer was ordered to come out.

“He crawled to them alternating between yelling nonsensical things and coughing,” DeSpain said. “Officers pulled him to safety and took him down several flights of stairs as the MFD mopped up the scene.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Fredericksburg, VA – Sprinkler system helps extinguish fire at Value Place Hotel

A fire at Value Place extended stay hotel at 1455 Carl D. Silver Parkway displaced half the guests Friday night, October 7, 2016. The Fredericksburg Fire Department responded at about 10:47 p.m. to an alarm activation, and upon arrival discovered smoke in the fourth floor public hallway and water pouring from under the door of room 425, said Deputy Fire Chief Mike Jones.

The call was upgraded to an active fire, and additional units responded from Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania.  Firefighters found the bed in room 425 on fire, but almost extinguished by the sprinkler system. The occupant had already evacuated. “The sprinkler did exactly what it was supposed to do,” Jones said.

All guests were evacuated. “A few people were looked at for possible smoke inhalation, but all refused transport,” Jones said. There were no injuries to guests or firefighters.  Fire damage is estimated at less than $5,000, but water damage is significant, Jones said.

The building is a stick-built wood structure, with more sheet rock than concrete between the floors, according to Jones. The water from the sprinkler system ran down from the fourth floor, causing significant damage. The fire marshal determined about half of the building could not be reoccupied. Hotel staff worked through the early morning hours to find alternate places for displaced guests to stay. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Burlington, KY – Laundry fire at county jail contained with help from sprinkler system

A fire that broke out in a commercial dryer last Monday night at the Boone County Jail was ruled accidental and caused by bedding materials that overheated in the unit.

Crews from the Columbia Fire Department and Boone County Fire Protection District were sent to the jail, 2121 County Drive, at 10:54 p.m. Monday and found neither smoke nor fire visible from the outside, according to a news release.

Fire district personnel arrived first and were taken to the laundry area, where there was light smoke and fire coming from the unit. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. One sprinkler activated before crews arrived, helping contain the fire to the single unit, the release said.

No injuries were reported. Boone County sheriff’s Detective Tom O’Sullivan said the dryer is a loss, and damage to it and some light smoke damage in the building is estimated to cost about $6,000. The dryer was left on too long, and the heat setting was too high, he said.

Residential, Single Family Home

Riverside, CA – House fire caused by short-circuited microwave oven controlled by sprinkler system

A microwave oven short-circuited, igniting a nighttime kitchen fire that displaced four Riverside residents and caused $4,000 damage to their home, city fire officials say. The blaze was reported at 9:49 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, along the 6400 block of Logan Court, just north of Arlington Avenue and about a mile southwest of Riverside Muncipal Airport.

“The home’s sprinkler system kept the fire contained to the kitchen,” Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said in a written statement. The crews of two fire engines and two ladder trucks fully extinguished the flames by 11:16 p.m. No one was hurt. American Red Cross volunteers were summoned to help shelter the residents until water and electrical service can be restored to the house.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

New London, CT – Evening fire at elementary school confined to one classroom by sprinkler system

A fire at the Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School has been knocked down, according to New London Fire Chief Henry Kydd Jr. The fire, which began about 9 p.m. Friday evening, caused the sprinkler system to go off and was confined to one classroom, the chief said. There were no injuries reported.

Two custodians, who heard the fire alarm go off and evacuated, said they were the only people in the school at the time. Superintendent Manuel J. Rivera, at the scene, said school officials will need to assess the scene when firefighters finish their work to see how it will impact operations. However, with the long weekend, he said they are optimistic that building staff will be able to get the school in shape for the return of students on Tuesday. No further information was available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lexington, KY – Fire at Clarion Hotel contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire led to an evacuation of a Lexington Hotel Friday evening. It happened around 10 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel on Athens-Boonesboro Road, near Interstate 75. Firefighters say the fire started around the pool and fitness area, but the sprinkler system kept it from spreading too far.

Firefighters say it caused minimal damage to the building. The hotel was evacuated but guests were allowed back inside shortly after. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Jersey City, NJ – Fire in compactor shaft at high-rise apartment building put out with help from sprinkler system

Jersey City firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at a residential building in the Newport section of the city Thursday night, an official said.  The fire began in the compactor shaft on the first floor of Parkside West — a high-rise apartment building on Newport Parkway — shortly before 11:45 p.m., Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

The sprinkler in the shaft activated to help extinguish the fire, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill added. The residents on the first and second floor evacuated the building, but there were no injuries and the fire was brought under control in about 20
minutes. All tenants returned to their apartments, Morrill said.

The fire reached a second alarm because the building is a high-rise, Morrill said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hagerstown, MD – Kitchen fire at new apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire that broke out at the Reserve at Collegiate Acres apartment complex in Hagerstown Thursday afternoon could have been much worse if not for the building’s second-floor sprinkler system.

Firefighters from the city and Maugansville responded to the apartment complex on Buckeye Circle at 4:45 p.m. to find the fire-alarm system activated and occupants evacuating the building, according to a Hagerstown Fire Department news release.

Residents reported a fire in the second-floor kitchen apartment, which had been extinguished by the sprinklers. Firefighters verified that the fire was out, shut off the sprinklers and worked to contain the remaining water, the release said.

“This new 28-unit apartment building would most likely have suffered significant damage, displacing much or all of the occupants without the fire sprinkler system,” city Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven said in the release.

“We have had too many large fires recently in the area. Today, we saw the importance of working smoke alarms, which activated alerting the apartment occupants of the fire; the fire sprinkler system, which extinguished a growing fire in the apartment; and the buildings fire alarm that alerted others within the building and notified the fire department,” he said.

The fire marshal’s investigation determined that a pot of grease on the stove caught fire, spreading into the exhaust fan and the above cabinets, the release said.

The occupants of the apartment found the burning pot and attempted to remove it, which activated the sprinklers, the release said.