All posts by viking210

Lincolnshire, IL – Christmas day fire at restaurant controlled by sprinkler system

No one was injured, but many Christmas dinner plans were altered by a small kitchen fire at Wildfire Steaks, Chops & Seafood restaurant in Lincolnshire around 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Amherst, NY – Sprinkler system quickly contains Christmas night fire at nursing home

Three people are recovering Friday morning after a small fire at a nursing home in Amherst Thursday night.  Catholic Health officials said an overheated motor on an electric wheelchair sparked a small fire.Fire crews arrived at Saint Francis nursing home in Amherst around 9 p.m. Thursday.  They said smoke started pouring from a wheelchair in a vacant room.  The sprinkler system kicked in, and the fire was quickly contained. Neighboring fire companies were called to help move the patients.  Medical personnel checked out 45 people. Two patients and one worker were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. “Most of the residents were not affected by the smoke, but the ones in that area were moved to another part of the building,” JoAnn Cavanaugh, Catholic Health Director of Public Relations. “We have other empty beds in the facility that they will spend the night until we can clear out the rooms from the water and the smoke.”

Piscataway, NJ – Arson fire at Rutgers University put out by sprinkler system

The investigation determined that a former student set fire to a 30-foot section of the hallway and the adjoining classroom on the second floor of the ARC Building at 1:03 p.m. on Dec. 20. 

The fire was extinguished by an overhead sprinkler, but damaged portions of the hallway and the classroom.  The flash fire also set off an alarm, forcing the evacuation of 210 students who were taking a final exam in a first-floor auditorium located beneath the burning hallway.  No one was injured.

 

Chicago, IL – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) High-rise condominium fire controlled by sprinklers

*** No Media Coverage – Contractor Reported ***   – A grease fire on an electric stove in an interior one-bedroom condo on the 23rd floor started on Saturday evening (12/20/14).  The owner attempted to extinguish it with a towel, but it didn’t work.  A sprinkler operated and controlled the fire. The building is located at 1629 S Prairie in downtown Chicago ( Adler Place, formerly called 1600 Museum Park)

Richmond, VA – Christmas eve fire at clothing store extinguished by sprinkler system

Avenue, a women’s clothing store, was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after Henrico Fire crews responded to a fire inside the store located at 9077 Staples Mill Road.  Henrico Fire Battalion Chief Eugene Gerald said it appeared the fire started at about 1:04 p.m. in the “main part” of the store.  The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

“Inside the Avenue clothing store fire crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the stores sprinkler system,” Henrico Fire spokesman Danny Rosenbaum said.”  No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

“The fire is currently under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office,” Capt. Rosenbaum said.  Management at Avenue clothing store said they hoped to re-open the store on Friday.

Corbin, KY – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Approximately 30 residents at a downtown Corbin apartment building were forced to evacuate the building just before Midnight Tuesday when a fire was sparked in a storage room.  Corbin firefighters were called to Cooper Health Apartments at the intersection of Main and Gordon streets when a fire alarm was activated.

Battalion Chief Larry Jones stated the fire was sparked in a small storage room off of the main office on the first floor by some type of electrical malfunction.  Corbin Fire Chief Barry McDonald said a sprinkler head broke off sending water pouring onto the fire, extinguishing it.

The sprinkler system had to be shut down because of the broken sprinkler head. With the system down, maintenance personnel had to establish a fire watch until it could be repaired.

Ferndale, MI – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at auction business

A fire at a large commercial building is being investigated by the Ferndale Fire Department and the county’s arson squad, but may have been started by a careless smoker.  The fire broke out early Monday afternoon at Assets Now Auction, 1450 Academy, south of Nine Mile Road near Wanda.

“It’s looking like a careless smoker may have started the fire,” said Ferndale Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan, “but we won’t know until we finish analyzing the surveillance video from the business.”  Fire broke out in the paper products area and firefighters were called to the building about 12:45 p.m.  Sullivan said the building has a sprinkler system that helped stop the fire from spreading into a large blaze.

Ferndale Fire Marshal Brian Batten said the building covers about 30,000 square feet. Fire officials estimate the fire caused about $20,000 in damage from smoke and water.  “There was no structural damage to the building,” Batten said.

Lafayette, LA – Fire in campus residence hall extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A fire in a University of Louisiana at Lafayette residence hall at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, was contained to a data equipment closet on the third floor.  Campus police were called to Baker Hall after a fire alarm company said that an alarm was activated there.

The sprinkler system in the data equipment room was activated prior to the fire department arriving.   No injuries were reported and everyone was evacuated safely.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fairbanks, AK – Sprinkler system douses overnight fire at popular outfitter/retailer

A fire that broke out in the basement of Prospector Outfitters early this morning forced the outdoor retailer at 1512 South Cushman St. to close.  The fire started in the building’s basement in the boiler room shortly after 1 a.m., according to Fairbanks Fire Department Assistant Chief Ernie Misewicz, setting off the sprinkler system, which doused the fire before crews arrived on scene.

Firefighters put out a minimal amount of smoldering inside the building’s walls and helped clean up some of the smoke and water damage from the sprinklers. Crews from Fort Wainwright, Steese and North Star Volunteer fire departments provided mutual aid to Fairbanks Fire Department.  Misewicz speculated the fire may have been caused by a boiler malfunction. He said the Prospector was closed Sunday morning while staff attempted to clean up the damage to reopen.

*** Note from Blog Editor — Smoke cannot activate an automatic fire sprinkler system, but rather only the substantial heat created early on in the growth stage of a potentially deadly fire. Only the sprinkler(s) closest to the fire will activate. ***