Apartment Building, Residential Charlottetown, PE, Canada – Sprinklers limit spread of fire that started on deck of loft apartment building July 26, 2016 viking210 At least six people have been displaced after a fire late Friday afternoon at the Y Lofts condo building in Charlottetown. There were no injuries. Charlottetown Fire Chief Randy MacDonald said the call to the 18-unit condo building, located at the corner of Euston and Prince Streets, was received at 5:20 p.m. When crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from the roof of the building, which was formerly the YMCA. The building was evacuated prior to fire crews arriving, he said. MacDonald added the fire seemed to have started on the outside deck of a third floor unit. It then spread to the roof. The fire was “held to the outside” by the building’s sprinkler system, he said. Shortly after 6 p.m., MacDonald said the fire was “knocked down” and mostly contained with crews dealing with hotspots. He also noted a challenge to fighting the fire was the warm weather. To keep fire fighters safe, they took “quick breaks” and kept hydrated throughout the incident, MacDonald said. Fire officials are investigating the cause.
Other - Retail, Retail Tyler, TX – Suspicious fire at Dollar Tree store extinguished by sprinkler system July 25, 2016 viking210 The Tyler Fire Department investigated a fire at the Dollar Tree, 3825 Texas Highway 64, on Friday evening that they described as suspicious in nature. Tyler Fire Department Investigator Tony Gumber said the sprinkler system at the store extinguished the fire, but not before an estimated $10,000 to $12,000 worth of merchandise was damaged. There were no injuries reported. According to Tyler Police Sgt. Adam Colby no arrests had been made in connection with the fire as of Friday evening. Signs on the doors of the store indicated Friday that the store would be closed until further notice.
Apartment Building, Residential College Station, TX – Fire at off-campus apartment building contained by sprinkler system July 25, 2016 viking210 Occupants of the Domain at Northgate apartments stand in front of the building after being evacuated for a fire in one of the units Friday afternoon in College Station. The building’s smoke detectors and sprinkler system activated and contained the fire in the second-floor apartment where it originated. An estimated 50 to 60 people were evacuated and residents whose apartments were damaged are being relocated. The College Station Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire.
Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse Oak Ridge, TN – Warehouse fire caused by spontaneous combustion controlled by sprinkler system July 25, 2016 viking210 On Thursday, at about 6:50 am, the Oak Ridge Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a sprinkler system activation alarm. Upon arrival at 342 Warehouse Road, the Fire Department found heavy smoke coming from the windows and doors of the building. The Fire crew entered through the front door and quickly extinguished a fire in a waste container. The structure was unoccupied at the time of the fire and damage was minimal. The fire was initially controlled by the building sprinkler system; with a single sprinkler head activating. The fire was contained to a waste container and the remainder of the business suffered minimal heat and smoke damage. Without the sprinkler system, several businesses within the building could have been destroyed, an ORFD press release said. The cause of the fire appears to have been spontaneous combustion from oily rags discarded in the waste container. This fire points out two critical safety items worth discussing: Sprinkler systems save lives and property. Many folks complain about the cost of maintaining their commercial sprinkler system; however the cost is fractional to the loss of a structure, business and local jobs. This fire was another excellent example of the sprinkler system controlling the fire and notifying the fire department for additional response. This is the third fire in Oak Ridge in the past four years started by spontaneous combustion. Discarding oily rags from refinishing furniture, cleaning wood products, working on vehicles, or any other work which involves certain types of oil products can begin to create internal heat to the point where the rags ignite. The rags should be kept in a covered metal container or laid out flat so the residue can evaporate prior to being disposed of. The final solution requires either destruction by something like burning, or a safe way to let the material cure without cumulating heat. For home and small commercial shops, the easiest way is to spread the rags in a single layer so heat dissipates while the material cures. Then, depending on local regulations, the materials can be safely disposed of, either in hazardous waste collection sites, or in the general landfill, the press release said.
Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse Chattanooga, TN – Fire in cotton bales at ADM plant contained with help from sprinkler system July 24, 2016 viking210 Chattanooga firefighters battled a fire in South Chattanooga at ADM Southern Cellulose Products at 103 W. 45th Street on Thursday. Chattanooga Fire Department spokesman Bruce Garner says though there was only light smoke visible from the outside, once inside the large building, they could see dozens of cotton bales that were on fire. CFD says the company had recently repaired the sprinkler system in the building and it activated properly, which helped to keep the fire contained. A total of 13 fire companies responded to this fire. The fire was brought under control in 15 to 20 minutes. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire will be ruled accidental. Company executives told firefighters that the bales are held together by wire, and they believe a wire on one of the bales might have created a spark against the concrete while being moved by a forklift. When the spark hit the cotton, a fire broke out. About 200 bales of cotton were involved in the fire. The dollar loss was estimated at $30,000. The building itself was not damaged and company executives said the fire will have minimal impact on its operation.
Government Office, Government/Military Media, PA – Sprinklers activate to help control car fire in courthouse’s underground parking garage July 22, 2016 viking210 The county courthouse and government center was closed Tuesday morning after a car fire in a below-ground parking garage flooded the building with smoke. “They tried to fight it with fire extinguishers, but it just got ahead of them,” said Delaware County Council Chairman Mario Civera. “The sprinklers went off and the fire department was called in.” Civera said the fire broke out about 8:20 a.m. and was brought under control within 20 minutes. The car was in a corner of the B-level of the parking garage directly underneath the government center. The building does not open to the public until 8:30 a.m., but Civera said some employees and cafeteria staff were already inside. Park Police attempted to use fire extinguishers and hoses before the sprinklers kicked in, he said. “Everybody was evacuated, everybody came out safe,” Civera said. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Civera said there were about 75 or 100 cars already in the garage at the time the fire broke out and that employees would be able to retrieve their vehicles Tuesday morning. Employees and citizens crowded the surrounding sidewalks Tuesday morning as they waited for word on the building. Civera made the call to close the buildings for the day at about 10 a.m., but said the building would re-open Wednesday. “We want to make sure all the numbers are right, the carbon monoxide level is where it’s supposed to be, the sprinkler systems is intact, so it can accept the public and the employees (Wednesday),” he said. “We just want to make it’s a safe place for tomorrow for the residents and for the employees.” Upper Darby Mayor Tom Miccozie, who also serves as the county’s director of risk management, said the county does a lot of planning and drills twice a year for just such an emergency. He praised the park police for employing extinguishers as they were trained to do and employees who “acted 100-percent the way they should.” Micozzie said there was no need to open windows in the complex, which has carbon monoxide detectors installed. “The fire company is checking now for carbon monoxide levels throughout the whole complex,” he said. “Cleanup companies are already on scene, they’ll do their work with some aromatic sprays, make sure that all our buildings are safe and then we’ll reopen tomorrow morning. Responding crews included Media, Rose Tree, Springfield, Aston and emergency medical services. Eddystone also lent a hovercraft to the effort, which was backed up to the garage exit with its fan active in an attempt to clear out smoke. Civera praised the first responders for their quick and professional response to the alarm. “They were here right on the money,” he said. “Thank God nobody got hurt.” This is a breaking story, return for more updates later in the day.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Charlotte, NC – Sprinklers quickly extinguish fire in warehouse containing hazardous materials July 22, 2016 viking210 Firefighters responded to the scene of a 2-alarm hazmat situation Tuesday evening at the Seacon Corporation on John Crosland Junior Way near Wilkinson Boulevard. Firefighters said there were hazardous materials inside the warehouse, so they had to work around those while fighting the fire. Additional firefighters were called in to help because of the heat. There was also a mass casualty bus to keep first responders safe in the heat. Firefighters worked in intervals to make sure there were no issues with the heat. No firefighters were injured. Mecklenburg EMS said one person was taken to Carolinas Medical Center for minor injuries. Charlotte Fire Department said the company was mixing chemicals and there was a little fire and smoke. The sprinkler system quickly put the fire out, but the smoke was a concern.
Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic Orlando, FL – Sprinklers activate to help stop fire at Lake Nona VA Medical Center; No injuries July 21, 2016 viking210 A fire struck the fourth floor of a domiciliary at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake Nona Wednesday, according to the Orlando Fire Department, and residents are likely to be moved from the center to another yet-to-be opened facility at Lake Baldwin. Just before 11:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the residential facility at 13800 Veterans Way, according to the fire department. It is on the same campus as the newly opened VA hospital center, but is in a separate building. Fire sprinkler alarms were activated in the fire that struck the patient intake processing area of the facility, VA medical center spokesman Mike Strickler and the OFD said. Once firefighters arrived on the scene, they extinguished the flames by 11:40 a.m., according to the OFD. There were no injuries reported in the fire, Strickler said.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Flat Rock, MI – Storage fire at auto assembly plant controlled with help from single sprinkler July 21, 2016 viking210 A fire that started in storage racks damaged the north side of the Flat Rock Auto Assembly Plant Tuesday night, causing hundreds of workers to be evacuated from the building. Firefighters from Flat Rock, Rockwood and Woodhaven responded to the plant at Gibraltar Rd. and I-75 about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Firefighters could see smoke billowing from the plant at the Flat Rock station, Chief William Vack said. “When we arrived, it was going pretty good, and you could see smoke about 100 feet in the air,” Chief Vack said afterward. “Once we got our water supplies established, we had it knocked down in about a half hour.” Where the fire started was only about 100 feet from Vreeland Rd., he said. Heat from the fire penetrated an exterior wall on the north side of the plant, activating a single sprinkler in a newer section of the building, he said. The sprinkler helped quell any fire inside. “Most of the plant was unaffected,” Chief Vack said. “The fire was near the truck docks. … There was no smoke in the building.” He said it was standard procedure to evacuate the plant when a fire alarm is activated. The amount of damage was unknown but was not believed to be extensive. Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Mount Vernon, KY – Fire at Renfro Valley entertainment center controlled by sprinkler system July 20, 2016 viking210 In the early evening hours of July 16th the Mount Vernon Fire Dept. was dispatched to a reported building on fire in the Village at Renfro Valley. Upon arrival, fire units observed a large amount of smoke coming from the replica fire station building in the village, across from the gristmill. Once crews made entry, it was determined that the fire was actually a golf cart on fire inside and not the building itself. The building’s sprinkler system activated and kept the fire contained. It was quickly extinguished, with only smoke and water damage to the building and its contents. Brindle Ridge Fire Department responded automatic aid while Brodhead Fire Department responded mutual aid.
