All posts by viking210

Roanoke, VA – Fire that started in ceiling heater at distribution business extinguished by sprinkler system

Crews responded to a fire at a city business on Wednesday. Roanoke Fire-EMS responded at about 9:30 a.m. to a fire at Superior Distribution, in the 900 block of Rhodes Avenue. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire that started in a ceiling heater, according to the fire department. No injuries were reported and the building was evacuated upon the fire department’s arrival.

Pearland, TX – Patio fire at apartment building extinguished by sprinkler installed in balcony

** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported** –
The Pearland Fire Department responded to a report of a cooking fire located on the patio of an apartment unit in the 2500 block of Business Center Drive on Wednesday, April 6. Upon arriving, fire department officials discovered that the fire had been extinguished by a fire sprinkler system installed on the patio of the unit where the fire began.

Because the fire sprinkler system installed on the balcony worked as it was designed, no property damage or loss of life occurred during this incident. Fire sprinklers are required in all new multi-family dwellings in Pearland, as well as specific commercial structures because of requirements and guidelines set forth by the locally adopted Code of Ordinances approved by Pearland City Council. Single-family homes are not required to install sprinkler systems, but for less than the cost of many cosmetic upgrades, these life and property saving systems can be installed.

The Pearland Fire Department encourages the installation of fire sprinklers in all structures, especially in homes where people are sleeping. For additional information, visit pearlandtx.gov/firesprinklers or contact the Pearland Fire Marshal’s Office at 281.997.4650.

St. Paul, MN – Sprinkler system credited with saving man in wheelchair from fire

Officials say an indoor sprinkler system saved a man in a wheelchair after a fire started. The man, who’s in his 50s, had been sitting in his wheelchair, smoking and using an oxygen machine, the St. Paul Fire Department says in a Facebook post. He dozed off, and around 5:30 a.m. his oxygen tubing caught on fire.  The blaze spread, igniting a nearby recliner.  Fire alarms sounded, but the man was stuck, officials say. Without help, he could not escape.

When responders arrived, they say the man was sitting right next to the burning recliner, unable to move. But right above the recliner was an indoor fire sprinkler – and it’s the reason the man is still alive.

The St.Paul Fire Department says if it wasn’t for the nearby sprinkler keeping the fire from spreading, the man could have been seriously injured or killed. Thanks to the safety system, he got away with only “mild smoke inhalation.” According to the fire department, the sprinklers are 96 percent successful in controlling or extinguishing a fire.

Auburn, AL – Overnight fire at retail store contained by sprinkler system

A fire early Saturday night at Kinnucan’s on Donahue Drive has temporarily closed the Auburn location as store personnel work to assess damage. According to Auburn Fire Division Chief John Lankford, Kinnucan’s suffered a “small fire” Saturday around 2 a.m.

“When we arrived on scene, smoke and flames were visible on the College Street side of the complex,” Lankford said. “The fire was contained near the origin because the building’s sprinkler system activated. There was very little fire damage, but the water from the sprinkler got some of the merchandise wet. The fire originated near the sign that was mounted on the wall, and the fire cause is still under investigation.”

Kinnucan’s president and CEO Bobby Lake said he estimates the Auburn store will be closed about two to four weeks. “We did have a small fire in the attic area of the store, which the fire department did an incredible job getting put out rather quickly,” Lake said. “Unfortunately with fire comes a lot of water and a lot of smoke, so that’s the problem we’re dealing with now.”

Lake added that the volume of merchandise affected by the fire will prove a bigger problem than cleanup and building repairs.

“The most difficult will be the loss of the product in the store because even though the fire didn’t get to it, the smoke and the water in some cases did, so most of the stuff we carry, you can’t necessarily order in time,” Lake said. “It’s seasonal, so a lot of the spring products had come in, and so the opportunity to replace it, we’re just going to have to see what that is.”

Kinnucan’s has moved its annual A-Day player signing scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday to its Tiger Town store in Opelika. Auburn players Cassanova McKinzy, Ricardo Louis, Shon Coleman and Peyton Barber will be signing autographs and interacting with the public. The event is free to the public and will also feature food and inflatables.

“We’re open in Tiger Town, and thankfully it (the fire) happened in the middle of the night, so nobody got hurt and again, what a great job the fire department did at getting the fire put out quickly,” Lake said.

Smithers, BC, Canada – Arson fire at sawmill controlled by sprinkler system

A 49-year-old man is reportedly in police custody, in connection with two fires at the Pacific Inland Resources sawmill in Smithers.  RCMP and the Smithers Fire Department were called to the mill shortly after 10pm last night.

Fire chief Keith Stecko says mill employees activated fire supression systems quickly. “PIR has a sprinkler system in its building so the system quickly detected the fire and was able to control it; when we arrived we put out some spot fires, but the sprinklers largely did the work,” he said.

Stecko says it appears some sort of accelerant was used — and there was considerable damage.  “We’re estimating between $50,000 to perhaps $100,000; we are currently investigating what was used to start the fire, so we’re not sure at this point what it was,” he said.

Peosta, IA – Hotel fire caused by electric heater/AC unit contained by sprinkler system

A late-afternoon fire today forced the temporary closure of a Peosta hotel. Centralia-Peosta firefighters were called to Quality Inn & Suites at about 4:30 p.m. today after a fire was reported. Scanner traffic indicated that the hotel had been evacuated and that smoke was spreading in the bottom floors.

Ray Stephan, assistant chief for the Centralia-Peosta Fire Department, said the fire began in a small entryway in a staircase leading to the first floor. “The sprinkler head was going off as we entered the building,” Stephan said. “We found it was a combination electric heater and air conditioning unit that had shorted out and burned.”

Nicole Minnihan, a sergeant with the Peosta Police Department, confirmed that guests were present at the time of the fire but said there were no injuries. “Right now, the accommodations (for the guests) are still being worked out,” Minnihan said as of about 5:30 p.m.

Stephan said at 6:10 p.m. that the hotel’s status for tonight was “in limbo.” He said hotel staff were pushing to keep the hotel open, but that the establishment could not reopen until sprinklers were back in service. He noted that a pipe was damaged during the fire.

Minnihan said the fire was contained to one space inside the hotel, but smoke spread beyond that area to damage other portions of the hotel. She said the fire had been extinguished by 5:15 p.m. In addition to Peosta police and firefighters, officials with the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.  “Everything is still under investigation at this point,” she said.

O’Fallon, IL – Sprinkler system keeps dumpster fire from spreading into restaurant and brewery

The Peel Pizza will be closed for the next few days following a four alarm fire.  The fire happened on Sunday in a dumpster behind the restaurant.  Though the fire was contained to the dumpster, the sprinkler systems inside the restaurant were activated, causing water damage within. The fire was so intense that the dumpster melted.

Investigators are still searching for the cause of the fire, but no indication has been found that the fire was malicious or suspicious. The interior of the restaurant did not sustain any fire damage, but they will be closed for a few days while they clean up water damage

Orland Park, IL – Fire at assisted living and retirement home limited by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system installed at the Lexington Health Care assisted and independent living retirement home, 14601 John Humphrey Drive, is being credited with saving lives and helping to significantly minimize damage caused by a small fire there this morning.

The fire started in the basement maintenance area of the assisted living home just after 8 am on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Investigators identified the cause as a coffee maker that was located on a shelf above a desk.

The fire quickly spread to objects on and around the desk, and up the wall of the room when the water sprinkler system activated and suppressed the fire instantly.

The Orland Fire Protection District was alerted and responded to a fire alarm activation due to the sprinkler system operating. The initial crews reported a water flow alarm and investigated to find smoke in the basement with water flowing from a sprinkler head.

A fire extinguisher was used to completely extinguish the smoldering material. The smoke that was confined to the basement and workshop area was removed by firefighters using power fans.

Because the fire was controlled quickly no residents had to be moved or evacuated and normal operations were maintained throughout the incident. All floors were evaluated for hazards and deemed safe. Fire damage was limited to the desk and items on the shelves above.

“Every year at our Open House, we demonstrate how important fire sprinkler systems can for businesses, properties like assisted living centers and even in private homes in saving lives, and fighting and preventing damage caused by fires,” Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Schofield said.

“This was a perfect example of how the sprinkler system quickly prevented the fire from spreading throughout the property, and minimized the intrusion on the lives of the residents in the home. We didn’t have to evacuate the property or disrupt the healthcare services there. We made the property safe and completely extinguished what could have been a far worse fire.”

Schofield also credited the fast response of the District’s firefighting teams. Orland Fire personnel were assisted by a fire truck and team from neighboring Tinley Park.

Waterville, ME – Fire at assisted living home suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Five people were displaced from a residential assisted living home on Pleasant Street Sunday morning when a small fire broke out in a bedroom. The fire, reported at 7:56 a.m., was mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, according to a news release from the Waterville Fire Department.

The home is operated by Motivational Services Inc., an Augusta-based organization that provides services and programs for individuals with mental illnesses, according to their website. The five residents who were displaced have been moved to other area programs run by the organization, Executive Director Michael Provencher said.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at 8:01 a.m. and completely extinguished the fire by 8:06 a.m. Firefighters worked quickly to ensure that the fire had not spread, which they determined by 8:17 a.m., according to Captain Shawn Esler. Since the home is a licensed health care facility, it is protocol for the fire department to call the state fire marshal’s office.

Investigators from the fire marshal’s office cleared the scene around 1:30 p.m. Sunday after completing safety inspections in the home. Ken MacMaster, an investigator with the fire marshal’s office, said the investigation is ongoing and could not comment on the cause of the fire, though he said it had been determined. He also could not say whether it was believed to be of suspicious origin.

No additional information will be available from the fire marshal’s office until Monday, MacMaster said. Provencher could not comment in regards to the individuals who lived in the home, stating their conditions are “confidential.” He said that once minor repairs and alarm checks were completed the individuals would be able to return to the home.

Twenty-one firefighters from the Waterville Fire Department responded to the call. Mutual aide from the Winslow Fire Department and the Fairfield Fire Department were dispatched to the scene but were released once the fire was under control, the news release said.

San Antonio, TX – Fire at Riverwalk restaurant contained by sprinkler system; No other business affected

An overnight fire inside Tony Roma’s restaurant at the Shops at Rivercenter mall has left the business with heavy damage. The restaurant was not open when the fire broke out shortly after 1 a.m. Monday, and no one battling the fire suffered any injuries.

Fire officials said the fire started in a pile of towels on top of a cabinet. The fire spread to a storage area where wine and plastic containers were kept. Firefighters who responded to the fire said the sprinkler system had gone off, dumping water on the flames but also causing water damage inside the business. There was about 2-3 inches of water on the floor of the restaurant.

Firefighters said the restaurant also sustained some smoke damage. A hazardous materials team and an arson team were called to the scene to investigate, but officials said it appears the cause of the fire was accidental. No other businesses at the mall were affected.