All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential, School / University

Lynchburg, VA – Fire at off-campus apartment complex at Liberty University put out by sprinkler system

A small grease fire interrupted move-in day for local college students Saturday afternoon. Multiple fire and public safety crews responded to The Oasis, a student-only apartment complex off Candlers Mountain Road, about 4:30 p.m. The apartment complex is less than a mile from Liberty University’s main campus.

Crews responding included Lynchburg Fire Department, Lyn-Dan Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Rustburg Volunteer Fire Department and Campbell County Public Safety. Lynchburg Battalion Chief Mike Reeves said Lynchburg was called in to assist Campbell County.

Reeves said the fire started on the fourth floor of the building. The sprinkler system was able to put out the fire, but Reeves said apartments directly below had heavy water damage. Firefighters worked to clean the apartments with brooms and squeegees as students were forced to wait outside with their belongings. Some students didn’t wait for the scene to clear and continued moving into their apartments.

Campbell County Fire Marshal Randall Johnson said a private contractor was called in to clean.  An apartment complex manager did not provide an exact number of students displaced but said most affected students were staying with friends in the same complex.  Liberty University officials could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brockton, MA – Apartment arson fire contained by sprinkler system

… The incident is the second arson fire in the city in a week. On Aug. 19, someone set a fire inside an apartment in a 16-unit apartment building at 119 Newbury St., Williams said.

The apartment was unoccupied, however, there were other people in the building at the time. No one was injured.

The building’s sprinkler activated and helped keep the fire from spreading inside the four-story wood-frame building until firefighters arrived, Williams said.

Anyone with information on these two arson cases is asked to call the Arson Watch Reward Program at 1-800-682-9229. A reward of up to $5,000 has been offered for pertinent information.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Bradenton, FL – Generator fire at high school contained to room of origin by sprinkler system

No injuries were reported Friday during a fire in a generator at Braden River High School, according to the East Manatee Fire Rescue.

“It was contained to the room of origin,” said East Manatee Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stacey Bailey. “The fire sprinkler put out the fire, so it did exactly what it’s supposed to do.”

About 20 firefighters were dispatched at 4:41 p.m. to the school located at 6545 State Road 70 E., Bradenton. Bailey said the fire took place in an electrical room that is part of the main school building.

“There were no students present,” Bailey said. “The staff did an outstanding job. The high school staff did exactly what they were supposed to do. They followed their emergency protocols.”

There was extensive water damage as a result of the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to fire officials.

Other - Residential, Residential

Durham, NC – Fire at family shelter extinguished by sprinkler system

A grease fire at a family shelter in Durham caused the shelter and staff offices to be evacuated and displaced two families Friday morning, the development director at Families Moving Forward said.

Fire crews were called to the shelter located in the 300 block of North Queen Street just after 8 a.m. in response to a structure fire. Crews arriving on scene reported a two-story residential structure fire with no flames or smoke visible, officials said.

According to Durham fire officials, the fire occurred in the kitchen was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. Two of the shelter’s rooms suffered water damage and the families in those rooms were moved to new rooms, Shana Carignan with FMF said.

Families in the shelter will not have access to the kitchen for the time being and the electricity is off on that side of the building.

At least 12 families no longer have power for their refrigerators and Carignan asked the community to consider making grocery store gift card donations for the families impacted.

The organization said that RISE Biscuits and Donuts, Domino’s Pizza and Urban Ministries of Durham have all donated food to the shelter.  Carignan said they’re still learning the full extent of the damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Petersborough, ON, Canada – Garbage chute fire at apartment building kept in check by sprinkler system

A fire in a garbage bin at an apartment building caused $500 damage and prompted an evacuation of the building.

Peterborough Fire service responded quickly to alarm bells ringing at a high-rise building at 909 Clonsilla Ave. this afternoon.

Upon arrival it was determined that a garbage bin  under the building’s garbage chute was on fire. This activated the  sprinkler system which controlled the  fire until fire crews extinguished the fire.

Smoke had spread throughout the  building and crews were able to remove it.

The building tenants had evacuated the  building upon hearing the  alarms ringing.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, said acting platoon chief Lloyd Dozois.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chesterfield County, VA – Sprinkler system helps put out dryer fire in apartment building

Nearly a dozen residents were forced from their apartments overnight after a dryer fire in Chesterfield County.

The fire happened in a second-floor unit at the Grand Oak Forest apartments.

Firefighters said the sprinkler system helped put out the fire, but there is some water damage to three of those units.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Olympia, WA – No injuries in apartment fire controlled by sprinkler system

Olympia firefighters responded to a fire alarm about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at a west Olympia apartment complex.  When they arrived at the Fern Street Southwest building, they found fire inside one of the second-floor apartments. The small fire was being kept under control by the automatic sprinkler system. Fire crews finished extinguishing the fire and ensured all occupants had gotten out of the building.

Damage was limited to a corner of the living room and was estimated at $45,000.  Olympia Fire Department responded; McLane Fire District 9 provided assistance by responding to an unrelated call for medical aid within the city.  No one was injured. On Thursday, the cause of the fire was undetermined.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Bend, OR – Early morning fire at hospital held in check by sprinkler system

A fire broke out in a washer for surgical instruments at St. Charles Bend early Wednesday, but a fire sprinkler kept the damage from being far more severe, officials said.  The blaze prompted closure of some areas of the hospital for a time, as well as the cancellation of all elective surgeries for the day.

Shortly before 6 a.m., Bend fire crews responded to the reported fire at the hospital on Northeast Neff Road, said Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering. They arrived to find light smoke coming from the lower level of the facility.  A machine used to clean surgical tools caught fire, said hospital spokeswoman Lisa Goodman.

A single sprinkler head activated in the area and held the fire in check until crews arrived, Kettering said. There was some smoke and water damage to the lower level of the facility, and fire crews helped clear remaining smoke from the building.  Investigators determined a heating element within the unit had overheated and failed, causing the fire, Kettering said.

As with any alarm at the hospital, numerous Bend firefighters responded to the scene, clearing the area of smoke and water by about 6:40 a.m. No one was injured, Goodman said.  As a result of the fire in the hospital’s central processing area, elective surgeries were canceled for the day, with only emergency procedures to be performed.

The hospital’s lower-level floor, including the in-patient pharmacy, was closed for a time but had reopened by 7:30 a.m. Goodman said the hospital had resumed normal operations and that all scheduled caregivers should report to work as usual.

Kettering said the fire was a clear example of the value of fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems,” which helped to isolate the fire area and quickly move to protect staff and patients. The sprinkler system minimized damage and will allow operations to resume in a timely manner.

“Without a properly maintained and operational fire sprinkler system, the damage from today’s fire would have undoubtedly been far more severe,” Kettering wrote in a news release.

Other - Retail, Retail

Camdenton, MO – Bathroom fire at consignment store controlled by sprinkler system

Firefighters made entry into Bear Market to find a fire burning in the bathroom in the center of the business which was being controlled by the building’s fire sprinkler system.   The Camdenton business suffered minor smoke damage as a result of the fire Sunday night.  According to a press release from the Camdenton Fire Department, the CFD responded to a fire alarm at 625 West US Highway 54 at Camdenton Post Office and Bear Market at 8:26 p.m. Aug. 21.  A water flow alarm was also sounding at Bear Market Consignment Store. 

Camdenton Fire Department arrived to find significant smoke inside Bear Market.  The incident was upgraded to a working fire and Mid County Fire Protection District responded to the scene to assist.

Firefighters made entry into Bear Market to find a fire burning in the bathroom in the center of the business which was being controlled by the building’s fire sprinkler system.  Firefighters checked for fire extension and found there was no fire extension, according to the press release, and the fire sprinkler system was shut off.

The fire damage was contained to the ceiling area above the bathroom. The center section of Bear Market around the bathroom suffered minor water damage. All of Bear Market suffered minor smoke damage. Damage was contained to Bear Market.

Investigation revealed that the fire originated in the ceiling of the bathroom in the area of the ventilation fan and light fixture, according to the CFD.  The Camdenton Fire Department was also assisted on scene by the Camdenton Police Department, Camden County Ambulance District / Mercy Ambulance, Camden County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Laclede Electric. Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District moved an engine and personnel to Mid County Fire Protection District Station #2 for coverage.

Bear Market commented on their Facebook page, “Tonight August 21, 2016 our store has survived a small fire above the out house!! We will be closed until the fire Marshal approves everything. Restroom will be closed for a few weeks probably. Thanks for your patience.”

No further posts have been made to indicate they have reopened yet.

Office Building, Other Business

Florence, OR – Possible arson fire at business center suppressed by sprinkler system

Authorities suspect arson as the cause of a fire in the Florence Business Center after eight fire starts were discovered inside a business on 12th Street.   At 6:41 a.m. Tuesday, Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue personnel were called to the business center after someone reported smoke coming from the building and water flowing from a sprinkler in the ceiling.

Within 5 minutes, firefighters arrived but discovered no fire because the sprinkler had put the fire out.  Authorities said it was “very obvious” that the fire starts were intentionally set.  Three fire engines, one firetruck, three support vehicles and 12 firefighters responded.

The structural damages are estimated at $25,000.  Anyone with information is asked to call Florence police detective Brandon Ott at 541-997-3515.