All posts by viking210

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Norfolk, VA – Overnight fire at Residence Inn controlled by sprinkler system

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Guests at a Norfolk motel were forced from their rooms overnight because of fire. Crews were called to the Residence Inn at 227 W. Brambleton Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities say there was fire in a laundry cart on the third floor. The sprinkler system had gone off before firefighters arrived. Some guests on the second and third floors were relocated to other rooms.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Mishawaka, IN – Factory fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Mishawaka firefighters are crediting a sprinkler system for extinguishing a fire at a factory Tuesday afternoon. Crews were called to Sampson Fiberglass in the 2400 block of Home Street around 3 p.m.

One worker suffered minor smoke inhalation, but did not seek medical treatment at the scene. Dispatch did confirm, however, that one patient was later transported to the hospital nearly two hours after the incident. A fire investigator is on the scene searching for what started the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Waipahu, HI – Kitchen fire in high-rise apartment building extinguished by sprinkler

Unattended food on a stove caused the evacuation of the high-rise building Tuesday night.  The fire was reported at 9:36 p.m. at the Plantation Town Apartments located at 94-979 Kauolu Place.

Seven fire companies staffed with 23 personnel arrived at 9:42 p.m. to find residents leaving the 12-story apartment building. Firefighters discovered the kitchen fire had been extinguished by an activated fire sprinkler.  The activated sprinkler system caused significant flooding to ten additional units.

Paramedics treated a resident injured evacuating the building and took the resident to the hospital.  The fire was isolated to the kitchen area of a fourth floor unit.  Damage is estimated at $5,000 to the structure and $2,000 to its contents.

The water damage had not been evaluated Tuesday night.  No other injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lexington, KY – Sprinkler system confines apartment fire to attic; No injuries

A passerby spotted smoke coming from the roof of a building at the Forest Creek Apartments on Appian Crossing Way and called 911 around 6:30 a.m.  Everybody made it out of the building safely.

Firefighters say the fire started in the attic and sprinklers confined it there until crews arrived. The fire did not cause much structural damage, but some of the residents’ belongings did sustain some water damage. Officials say 12 families live in the building, but the fire only impacted two.

Firefighters say it appears the fire was likely caused by an electrical problem. They say the sprinkler system likely saved the building.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rapid City, SD – Sprinkler stops fire on apartment balcony from spreading into unit

A Saturday fire that started on an apartment unit’s balcony was stopped almost completely before it entered the unit, thanks to a sprinkler that activated in a bedroom.

According to a press release from the Rapid City Fire Department, at 12:34 p.m. Saturday, firefighters went to the Homestead Garden Apartments at 4831 Homestead St.

Everything on the balcony was damaged, the release said, the windows between the balcony and bedroom were broken, and the window blinds were melted.

But the sprinkler in the bedroom doused the fire before it could cause more damage, and there were no injuries. No cause had been determined as of late Monday afternoon.

Apartment Building, Residential

Vancouver, BC, Canada – No injuries in early morning apartment blaze after sprinklers successfully activate

More than 40 residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside were displaced from their homes Saturday after an early morning apartment fire.

Capt. Jonathan Gormick, a spokesman for Vancouver Fire and Rescue, said staff with emergency social services were working with the residents to find them accommodation until they can return to their apartments, likely next week.

The fire broke out in the attic of the apartment complex on East Cordova Street at around 5 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames on the roof. Gormick said the building’s sprinkler system was activated and all the residents escaped unharmed.

Firefighters put out the fire before it damaged any of the suites, however he said many of them sustained water damage from the sprinklers. The cause of the blaze is unknown and firefighters continue to investigate.

 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Portland, OR – Early morning fire at commercial laundry business controlled by sprinkler system

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a fire in a commercial laundry at 14321 N.E. Whitaker Way early Sunday. No one was injured in the fire, although additional resources were called in because of the potential for a large fire load due to the number of garments, towels, and chemicals — including detergents and cleaners — in such a business.

According to PF&R, initial reports at 6:12 a.m. were that smoke and flames had been seen inside the building and employees had evacuated it. Additional calls came in from neighboring businesses with reports of heavy black smoke coming from the roof. 

When firefighters arrived at the UniClean building, they quickly gained access to it and began searching for the area of the fire. A second alarm was called because of the size of the structure and the nature of the business.

Within minutes of arrival, crews were able to locate the area of the fire in the southwest corner of the building. The sprinkler system had activated and played a key element in keeping the fire at bay until fire fighters were able to gain access and knock it down. 

Truck crews were able to ventilate the building efficiently by removing the sky lights on the roof of the building.

A PF&R Investigator determined has the fire to be accidental, caused by a laundry bin full of oil soaked rags that had a chemical reaction. This type of fire can occur when an oil soaked towel or rag is slowly heated to its ignition point through oxidation.

No damage estimate was immediately available. Additional resources that responded to the fire included: eight Engines; four Trucks; one Squad; one Investigator; five Chiefs; and one Rehab rig.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Halifax, NS, Canada – No one injured after sprinklers activate in fire on seventh floor of mental hospital

The Nova Scotia Health Authority says it could take weeks to rebuild two floors damaged after a small fire at the Abbie J. Lane building of the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

The fire started at around 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday in a patient’s room, said Everton McLean, a spokesperson for the health authority. 

The fire was contained and no one was injured, but it triggered the sprinkler system and the water damaged all units on the sixth and seventh floors. Patients needing mental health care are treated on those floors. 

McLean says it will take a while to repair the rooms. 

“In those situations where we get water into the drywall, it causes issues because you have to replace drywall,” he said Thursday.

“It depends on the level of damage when maintenance crews find when we get in there, but right now we’re thinking it’s going to be several weeks.”

Most of the patients were given temporary accommodations at the Abbie J. Lane building on Wednesday night. Others were relocated to other sites at the Nova Scotia Hospital on Thursday morning.

Their families were notified, the health authority said, adding that new patients may be admitted outside the immediate area because of reduced bed availability at the Abbie J. Lane building.

The health authority says it is working to maintain services for new and existing patients.

Meanwhile, McLean says an investigation is underway to determine how the fire started. 

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Rockford, TN – Sprinkler system activates to help limit damage in fire at manufacturing company

Three area fire departments responded to Rockford Manufacturing Co. Friday morning to battle a blaze at the plant. The cause of the fire, which was contained to one building, is under investigation, firefighters said. No one was injured.

The Blount County Fire Department responded to the plant, located at 3901 Little River Road, Rockford, at 10 a.m. The Alcoa and Maryville fire departments later responded to assist. Blount County Fire Lt. Johnny Leatherwood said the fire started in the basement of a large building toward the back of the plant. Firefighters arrived to find several large metal hoppers, or storage containers, on fire. Technically, it was the material that was inside the hoppers that was burning, Leatherwood said.

“I’m not sure what they had in these hoppers; it just looked like dust to us,” Leatherwood said. The hoppers were located in the basement of the building, and the fire ended up spreading to the upper floor, where it burned inside a wooden cabinet.

While the fire was contained to that cabinet on the second floor, Leatherwood said, there was still heavy smoke. “Of course we had smoke all up in the second floor, and then they had quite a bit of water damage,” Leatherwood said.

Several other items were being stored in the basement where the fire started, and were covered in water when the sprinkler system went off, Leatherwood said. The Blount County Fire Department had about 19 firefighters on scene. The Alcoa Fire Department sent seven firefighters, and the Maryville Fire Department sent five.

The Blount County Rescue Squad provided water and food for firefighters as they battled the blaze. Rural/Metro Ambulance Service was also on scene. Leatherwood said the fire was under control by around noon, though it wasn’t completely out until around 2 p.m.

Firefighters cleared the plant at 3:35 p.m. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. The Rockford Manufacturing Co. issued a statement thanking the quick response from fire, police and other emergency services.

“There was a fire today at Rockford Manufacturing Co.,” the statement read. “Thankfully, no one was injured. We wish to express our appreciation for the quick and professional responses by the Blount County Fire Department and the Blount County Sheriff’s Office. We also want to thank Rural/Metro Ambulance for arriving as a precaution, although no treatment or hospital transport was required. We also appreciate Maryville Fire Department, Alcoa Fire Department, and the Blount County Rescue Squad for responding under mutual aid agreements.”

Leatherwood said the fire apparently won’t keep the plant closed past this weekend. “They said they hope to be back up and running by Monday,” Leatherwood said.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Wichita, KS – Sprinklers keep fire from spreading at hospital

(** Blog Note – Sprinklers do not activate by smoke; Only the substantial heat from a significant fire **)  Fire crews responded to Via Christi St. Francis hospital Sunday evening after smoke from a trash dumpster fire caused sprinklers to go off at the facility.  Dispatch reported smoke on the south side of the hospital where the trash dumpster is located. The fire did not spread to the building. 

Wichita Police provided traffic control near the scene. Roads were not closed, but part of Santa Fe was partially blocked near the hospital.