All posts by viking210

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Durham, NC – Residence hall fire at Duke University controlled with help from sprinkler system

About 175 students were evacuated from Randolph Residence Hall on Duke’s East Campus early Monday morning following a fire in a first floor laundry room.  The fire alarm sounded about 2:25 a.m., and all building occupants were safely evacuated to the common room of Blackwell Residence Hall, which is adjacent to Randolph, for about an hour before the building was cleared for reentry.

Duke University Police and the Durham Fire Department responded to the fire alarm, when a dryer caught fire. The building’s sprinkler system engaged causing some water damage, which was primarily limited to the laundry room on the west end of the building and the adjoining hallway. A locked door on the second floor was also damaged when firefighters had to forcefully enter the room to ensure no one was inside, but no rooms were damaged by the fire.

An emergency services company has already begun to address the water damage. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Riverside, CA – Overnight apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

Two families were displaced after a sprinkler system put out a garbage can fire at an apartment in Riverside early Sunday morning, Nov. 15.  Riverside firefighters were dispatched to 9800 County Farm Rd. in Riverside about 1:05 a.m., fire officials wrote on an incident fact sheet.

Firefighters discovered that the fire had been in a bathroom wastebasket and had been put out by the apartment’s sprinkler system, the fact sheet said.  It took fire officials two hours to clear the water from the building.  The families were placed in lodging by Red Cross, the fact sheet said. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Cranbrook, BC, Canada – Suspicious fire at middle school limited by activated sprinkler system

The investigation into a fire at Laurie Middle School is ongoing, as school district staff have shut down the building for repairs stemming from a rooftop fire.  Cranbrook RCMP along with Fire and Emergency Services responded to the blaze early Wednesday morning, as fire fighters extinguished the blaze and police assisted with an investigation into the cause.

While authorities haven’t determined what started the fire, it is considered suspicious by the RCMP.  Anyone who has information about the fire is encouraged to call the Cranbrook RCMP at 250-489-3471 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The Southeast Kootenay school district has closed Laurie Middle School for Thursday and Friday, however, class will be back in session on Monday, Nov. 16.

“The fire damage was limited to the exterior of the building, but it did trigger our sprinkler system, so we didn’t get any fire inside the school because our sprinkler systems worked like they’re supposed to work,” Rob Norum, treasurer with School District 5, said.

While staff and contractors are cleaning that area up to reopen on Monday, the gym was much harder hit.

“The gym is a different story. We’ve got water inside some of the walls and in some of the insulation in the ceiling and some water underneath the floor,” said Norum. “We don’t know the extent of the damage there, but we’re getting that assessed to see if we have to do any major renos.

“We’ve already had an engineer in; he’s going to continue to look at the building to make sure we don’t have any structural issues. We’ve had an air quality expert in and he’s cleared the building.”

Hotel / Restaurant, Other Business

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinklers keep fire from spreading at Sands convention center; No injuries

A vendor booth at an ophthalmology convention went up in flames Thursday night at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, no one was hurt.  Clark County Fire District responded to the alarm at 8:15 p.m. at 201 Sands Ave. The sprinkler system already had been activated. It took about seven minutes to extinguish the blaze, according to a news release sent Friday. Thirty firefighters responded.

Sprinklers kept the blaze from spreading, the news release said. The building was evacuated, and firefighters helped air out lingering smoke. Investigators are still trying to figure out how the fire started.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Santa Ana, CA – Sprinkler system helps minimize damage in fire at aluminum manufacturer; No injuries

Fire crews extinguished a fire inside an aluminum manufacturing business Thursday in Santa Ana, authorities said.   Fire Authority officials were called at 2 p.m. to a fire at Aluminum Precision Products in the 2600 block of South Susan Street, said Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority.

The company makes die aluminum forgings for the aerospace industry.  Twenty employees were near a forging press machine when it caught fire. The blaze quickly spread to the roof where a sprinkler system was activated.

“An oily residue kept igniting the fire on the ceiling,” Concialdi said.   The fire was under control by 2:40 p.m.  A Fire Authority hazmat crew contained the runoff mixture of water and chemicals.

Fifty employees were inside the building when the fire broke out, but were able to exit safety. No one was reported injured.  Around 55 firefighters with OCFA and the Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Huntington Beach fire departments responded to the building.

The cause of the fire was an unknown failure of the forging press machine. Damages were at least $50,000, Concialdi said.  It was not clear if the business would reopen Thursday. More to come.

Office Building, Other Business

Honolulu, HI – Sprinkler system activates to suppress flames in office fire

A two-alarm fire in the Waiakamilo Business Center was reported just after 10 p.m. Tuesday. Nine fire companies responded and 35 firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from the five-story building in Kalihi. The fire was located and contained to a ground floor unit. The building’s sprinkler system activated and helped suppress the flames. The fire was fully extinguished by 10:55 p.m. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation. A damage estimate is not available yet

Apartment Building, Other - School / University, Residential

Greeley, CO – Off-campus apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

Four students were displaced from their homes Tuesday after a fire in one apartment touched off the sprinklers at the Arlington Park Apartments. Greeley firefighters were called around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday to a fire at the Arlington Park Apartments, Building No. 3, 2315 9th Ave.

Firefighters arrived to heavy smoke showing. The fire was contained to one apartment and was put out by the building’s sprinkler system. But students living in two rooms would be displaced because of smoke and water damage, said University of Northern Colorado spokesman Nate Haas.

Students were evacuated and there were no injuries, reported Greeley Firefighter Battalion Chief Rick Hinchcliffe.  Firefighters were clearing the building as of 8:30 p.m., and the fire was out minutes later. Custodians were called in to clear the water.

The immediate damage was contained to the apartment with a fire, with water damage to the apartment immediately below, Hinchcliffe said.  Haas said university residence officials were working Tuesday to find temporary housing for the students in the college’s residence halls.

Hinchcliffe said three fire trucks, one ladder truck and one heavy rescue truck responded, with a total of 15 firefighters on scene. There is no word yet on a cause or a damage estimate.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Johnstown, CO – Restaurant fire at truck stop held in check by sprinkler system

A gas leak and small fire temporarily shut down the restaurant portion of Johnson’s Corner Sunday night through Monday morning.  Front Range Operations Chief Bernie Covillo said crews from both his department and Loveland Fire Rescue Authority responded to a small kitchen fire at the restaurant around 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

“Loveland Engine 6 was the first arriving unit,” he said. “They discovered a small fire that was being kept in check in the kitchen. The fire was quickly extinguished and there was minimal damage.” Covillo said the restaurant was shut down because the sprinkler system had been activated. Johnson’s Corner employees had to clean the restaurant to pass an inspection from the Larimer County Department of Health.

The restaurant, which never closes, is located at 2842 SE Frontage Road just off Interstate 25. Employees were stationed at the front of the restaurant Monday morning turning customers away and offering them complimentary cinnamon rolls and cookies.

“This is a really bad thing,” Christy Hall, a Johnson’s Corner cashier said. “So many people come here. I know another month we had a tiny fire — but (the restaurant) was definitely not closed for this long.”

Employees confirmed later on Monday that the restaurant reopened at 12:30 p.m. However, they directed further questions to the restaurant’s corporate office, TravelCenters of America. Requests for comment were not returned.

“It just so happens there was a fire the same day they are remodeling,” Hall said.  Covillo said that Johnson’s Corner officials and their insurance agency would be investigating the cause of the fire.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Richland, WA – Fire in university laboratory is put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

Several students and staff had to be evacuated Monday at WSU Tri-Cities after a small explosion and fire. It happened just before two in the afternoon inside the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory.

The school says there was a minor fire after a cylinder of compressed gas exploded unexpectedly. The Director of Marketing and Communications at the school says the building’s sprinkler system put the fire out and no one got hurt.

Students were evacuated from the east and west buildings but were allowed back in shortly after. Firefighters say they’re now looking into what happened.

Richland Fire Department Chief Tom Huntington said, “the sprinkler system activated, alarm system activated everybody was able to get out safe. Our initial response and activity were here was to make sure the buildings were clear and everybody was out. Right now what they’re working on then is to make sure there is no secondary spills chemical spills things like that associated with the explosion make sure the building is secure then we will start the investigation and figure out what happened.”

Staff at the school says the BSEL labs are now canceled until further notice, and students should log on to Blackboard to check if lectures have been moved to a new location.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Bridgeport, WV – Fire at TownePlace Suites hotel contained to 3-by-3 foot area by sprinkler system

The TownePlace Suites on Platinum Drive in Bridgeport caught fire Monday morning. Crews were dispatched to the hotel at approximately 9:20 a.m. after receiving a fire alarm activation notification and a call from the front desk advising there was something on fire on the fourth floor.

The Bridgeport Fire Department Chief said a candle left unattended in one of the rooms caught fire. The fire was contained in a 3-by-3 foot area on the fourth floor.  The third and fourth floor rooms are uninhabitable due to water damage. The fire chief said the sprinkler system kicked on as it should have, and the hotel is trying to get a water restoration company to come in and get the water cleaned up.

The Bridgeport Fire Department responded. The Anmoore, Nutter Fort, Clarksburg and Mount Clare Fire Departments, Harrison County EMS and Bridgeport Police assisted on scene.