All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential

Hartford, CT – Apartment fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

A small fire in a kitchen at 76 Pliny St. was put out by sprinklers last Thursday evening, fire officials said. Firefighters found out about the fire about 4:40 PM and found the fire in one of the apartment’s kitchen, Capt. Ted Kolosky said.

The building was evacuated and no one was injured. The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, Residential

East Hampton, NY – Fire at boarding school extinguished by sprinkler system

The fire that broke out at the Ross Upper School on Wednesday night appears to have been caused by a dryer that caught on fire in the laundry room at the Center for Well Being, according to a report in 27east. The fire, which caused minor damage to the laundry room, was extinguished by automatic sprinkler system in the building, according to the report.  Members of both the East Hampton Fire Department and the Bridgehampton Fire Department blew the fire smoke out of the building’s basement and outside using large fans, 27east.

A fire broke out at the Ross Upper School campus in East Hampton on Wednesday night, according to a report in The East Hampton Star. Police responded to the school on 20 Goodfriend Drive at about 10:15 p.m. and put out a fire in the basement laundry room at the Center for Well Being, according to the report.  The fire was put out by about 10:40 p.m., The East Hampton Star reports.

 

 

 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Hampton, VA – Early morning fire at InTown Suites Hotel controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuires

Hampton firefighters battled a fire at a hotel on W. Mercury Blvd. early Friday morning. The hotel, which had at least 105 registered guests, was evacuated as a result of the fire. Crews found alternative accommodations at area hotels for the displaced guests, and even provided transportation for guests who were unable to drive themselves to the new location.

Friday afternoon, fire investigators determined the cause of the fire was unattended cooking in one of the rooms. Firefighters say the fire started on the second floor of the InTown Suites, and was contained to that area. The hotel guests were evacuated due to safety reasons. Dominion Power turned off power to the building as a safety measure and will determine when it is safe to turn it back on.

According to Asst. Fire Chief Maurice Wilson with the Hampton Fire Division, crews responded to the InTown Suites in the 2100 block of W. Mercury Blvd. around 3:30 a.m. after receiving notice of a fire alarm. “I opened the door it was just pure fire,” resident Eddie Rife said. “It was on fire and we couldn’t do anything about it so we just started getting everybody out.”

Eddie Rife said he ran from floor to floor with hotel workers trying to get people out. But, he found a woman in a wheel-chair other people forgot. “I ended up running into her room grabbing her putting her in her wheelchair,” he explained. “I tried to go down the elevator but it was too smokey and the elevator was out so I have to take her by the steps.”

Firefighters arrived to find the fire on the second floor in room 221. Wilson says the sprinkler system activated which helped firefighters bring the fire under control in about 10 minutes.

When the sprinkler system went off, it also leaked water into a few first floor rooms and caused smoke and water damage. Wilson says the hotel was evacuated and two people complained of smoke inhalation. Both were evaluated on the scene and didn’t go to the hospital.

According to Wilson, no one has claimed to be staying in the room where the fire started.

InTown Suites released this statement about the fire:

“ InTown Suites is aware of a small and isolated fire that occurred this morning in one of our rooms. Our fire suppression systems worked as designed and the fire was quickly extinguished.  According to Hampton fire officials, no persons required medical attention as a result of this incident. The safety of our guests is of utmost importance and we thank the Hampton Fire Department for their quick response.   We are working with authorities and local contractors to fully restore services and will continue to make as our guests as comfortable as possible while we resolve this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Fire officials credit sprinkler system in extinguishing apartment blaze

Officials with the Rochester Fire Department are crediting a “sprinkler save” with extinguishing a fire inside an unoccupied apartment Thursday evening. Firefighters were sent at 5:54 p.m. to 2804 Second St. SW in response to a sprinkler alarm — sent by facilities when the sprinklers have been activated.

When they arrived, the apartment was full of smoke, said Deputy Chief Vance Swisher, but the flames had already been extinguished, thanks to the sprinklers. A preliminary investigation indicates a lamp that had been left on fell onto some combustible materials in a children’s bedroom, he said. The ensuing fire activated two sprinkler heads, putting out the fire before it could spread.

“It could have been a significantly larger fire,” Swisher said, “and certainly done more damage to the building.” The residents of that apartment were unable to stay there because of the water damage, he said, and the apartment below it may have sustained some damage, too.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Jackson, TN – Machine fire at automotive parts manufacturer suppressed by sprinkler system; Plant reopens next morning

The Jackson Fire Department was called to a fire at the UGN plant Monday after an injection mold machine malfunctioned and caught fire. According to Capt. David Thompson, damage from the fire was contained to the machine itself and its exhaust system. There was minimal damage to the plant, he said.

“It could’ve been [worse],” Thompson said. “If they didn’t have a good sprinkler system, the exhaust goes all the way up to the ceiling so there could have been a fire on the roof real quick. “Everything went the way it was supposed to,” Thompson said.

Thompson said UGN, which makes car parts, had to be shut down for the night, but is expected to be reopen this morning.

Apartment Building, Residential

Berkeley, CA – Sprinkler extinguishes kitchen fire in fourth floor apartment; No injuries

The Berkeley Fire Department responded Monday to an apartment fire on University Avenue.  Interim Berkeley Fire Chief Avery Webb said the fire department received a report just before 10:40 a.m. of a water-flow alarm from the fire suppression system at 1122 University, just east of San Pablo Avenue.

The city dispatched a single-alarm assignment for a possible structure fire.

When firefighters got to the 5-story building — four stories of residential over ground-floor commercial — they found light smoke on the fourth floor, and water flowing from under an apartment door. 

Webb said firefighters used forcible entry to get into the apartment. They encountered heavy smoke inside the apartment and an activated fire sprinkler head.

The fire had occurred on the kitchen stove, Webb said, but was extinguished by the activated sprinkler.

The fire was confined to the stove top, and smoke affected a small portion of the building. But water from the fire sprinkler affected the fourth floor and all floors below it, causing the majority of the building damage, Webb said.

Webb said damage was estimated to be approximately $100,000. No injuries were reported.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Casa Grande, AZ – Electrical fire at Victoria’s Secret store extinguished by sprinkler system

The Victoria’s Secret store at The Promenade at Casa Grande has closed temporarily after a small fire erupted last Wednesday morning.  A store associate said it was an electrical fire.  The sprinklers had extinguished the fire by the time the Casa Grande Fire Department arrived at about 8 a.m. 

Signs posted in front of the store indicate the damage could take up to two weeks to repair. Much of the merchandise has been removed as some of the walls and flooring are renovated. The store is expected to undergo a “complete make-over,” according to the associate.

Security guards are monitoring the area 24/7 until the store opens again. Residents who call the store at 421-1372 will hear a pre-recorded message indicating the location is temporarily closed with no scheduled date to re-open.  

Residential, Sorority / Fraternity

Philadelphia, PA – Early morning fire at Psi Upsilon fraternity contained by sprinklers; Arson is possible cause

A “possible arson” was reported at the Psi Upsilon — also known as Castle — fraternity house at 4:04 a.m. on Friday, Division of Public Safety Chief of Fire and Emergency Services Eugene Janda said. Upon arrival, evidence of an active fire was found, along with indications that the built-in sprinkler system had managed to contain the blaze. The Philadelphia Fire Department said that by the time firemen arrived, the fire had been put out. Janda said they believe an open flame met with combustibles caused the fire to spread.

The house — located at 250 S. 36th St. just off Locust Walk — had its alarm system go off. The Philadelphia Fire Department, Penn Police Departmentand Penn Fire and Emergency Services were all alerted immediately, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s office was notified along with the Philadelphia Police Department. Alongside DPS, both departments will be working on an ongoing investigation into what was described by Janda as a “possible arson.”

Castle President and Wharton senior Michael Pozzuoli declined to comment on the fire.  Janda was quick to point out the effectiveness of both the alert and sprinkler systems in this instance, mentioning that without the systems, this could have been a “totally different story.”

Just a few weeks ago, on Sept. 24, Phi Gamma Delta’s off-campus house experienced a fire when a dryer went in flames while a resident was doing laundry.

Implementation of the sprinkler systems in Greek houses began in the 1960s and 1970s. The systems were so effective that by the early 2000s, Penn had spent at least $32 million ensuring that all 14 residential buildings on Penn’s campus had them in place. “Everyone has a sprinkler over their heads at night,” Janda said.

Janda emphasized safety measures that can be taken to avoid potential disasters. “Get up, get out, and account,” is the main thing to remember in case of a fire, he said. “Account” refers to checking on the status of fellow residents and reporting any missing persons to responding emergency personnel. Greek houses in particular are encouraged to have a coherent, established plan in case of emergency. Though this may not be the most exciting topic to bring up at the next chapter, Janda knows it very well might save a life.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Amherst, MA – Fire at Eric Carle Museum is extinguished by sprinkler system; Damage contained to water heater closet

The water heater closet at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book art Tuesday caught fire but was doused by the sprinkler system before the fire spread to the museum. Fire Chief Tim Nelson said combustibles like plastic buckets and brooms were stored around the heater, which shorted out and then the combustibles caught fire.

“It’s a good thing the sprinkler head was in the closet,” Nelson said. He said people forget that a water heater closet is for the heater, not general storage. He said the museum was allowed to reopen to staff and that fire crews got most of the smoke out, however, he said the smell of burnt plastic lingered.

According to the museum’s Facebook page, the museum is closed for the day. The heater will need to be replaced, Nelson said. “The sprinkler did what it was supposed to do,” Nelson said. “If they followed good housekeeping practices, we wouldn’t have been there at all.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Philadelphia, PA – Sprinkler system activates to help contain fire at iconic welcome center in Fairmount Park

Crews were sweeping up shattered glass Tuesday morning, cleaning up after a fire at the Fairmount Park Welcome Center at 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The iconic building was built in 1960 and is known as an example of mid-20th century modern architecture.

“It’s a rather unusual architecture style in Center City,” said Mark Focht of Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation Department, “but goes with the Penn Center office buildings that surround it. It’s a unique, iconic building.”

Arthur Shinholster says he was in Love Park with his friends when the fire broke out just after 3 a.m. He called 911. The building’s alarm and sprinkler system activated. Smoke was coming from the basement.

“It was a whole bunch of smoke coming out of it,” Shinholster told Action News. “It was coming from underneath. No sooner I pulled over but Michael Nutter, Mayor Michael Nutter, pulled up. I was calling the fire department, and his crew was calling at the same time.”

40 firefighters were able to get the fire under control within 15 minutes. Officials say the worst of the damage is in the basement, though firefighters were forced to break about 20 windows for ventilation.

You can see windows broken out,” said Philadelphia Fire Department Capt. William Dixon. “There’s obvious damage, smoke and water damage throughout the building.”

“We are coming up into our very busy season with the Holiday Village here in Love Park,” said Focht. “So we will figure out over the next 24 hours how we will utilize building over next several months.”

The welcome center was already set to be closed in April for extensive renovations.

James Cuorato, President and CEO of the Independence Visitor Center, says the welcome center is an important satellite location.

The hope is to get it back up and running as soon as possible.

 

“We have a big weekend coming up with the Temple-Notre Dame football game,” said Cuorato. “We are anxious and hopeful to get it back and running by then.”

 

The fire marshal is working to determine what caused the blaze.