Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Elkridge, MD – Arson fire at motel snuffed out by sprinkler system February 26, 2017 viking210 An Ellicott City man is facing charges in connection with a fire at the Hillside Motel in Elkridge on Wednesday. Dennis Charles Turnbaugh, 26, of the 8300 block of Sunrise Court in Ellicott City, was identified as the suspect in the blaze that broke out around 6:21 p.m., according to police. Authorities said they were called to the 6300 block of Washington Boulevard for a fire that was snuffed out by the sprinkler system. According to police, the damage was minimal, contained to one room. When officials investigated the blaze, they determined it had been intentionally set. Turnbaugh was found soon after and charged with first-degree arson, five counts of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property, officials reported. He was being held Thursday without bail at the Howard County Detention Center. Arrests do not indicate convictions.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Boise, ID – Late night laundry fire at hotel contained with help from sprinkler system February 25, 2017 viking210 The fire, apparently sparked in oil-soaked towels, was extinguished in about five minutes, the Boise Fire Department reported on Twitter. One employee was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, KBOI-TV, Channel 2 reports. The fire was called in 8:50 p.m. at the hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., and was confined to a laundry area that is separate from the hotel building, the fire department reports. A fire sprinkler helped control the spread of the fire, according the BFD.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Harrisburg, PA – Overnight fire at popular downtown restaurant extinguished by single sprinkler February 13, 2017 viking210 A single sprinkler saved a Harrisburg restaurant from a catastrophic fire early Friday, city Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. The fire call came in just before 2 a.m. from the Capitol Gastropub in the 300 block of North Second Street. Only light smoke was in the building when firefighters arrived. Enterline said they found “a small fire in the basement that had been controlled and extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head.” The fire started in a plastic laundry tub filled with cleaning rags, he said. The tub was ruined and there was minor water damage, but that was it, the chief said. The damage totaled about $2,500. The restaurant was able to open without a hitch. “If this business did not have an operating sprinkler system to control the fire, the loss to not only the building but the lost revenue for the restaurant could have easily been in excess of $1 million,” Enterline said. “Fire sprinklers are a proven life safety and property loss reduction system that often comes under fire by the building industry as being overpriced and unnecessary.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Chelmsford, MA – Sprinklers stop spread of fire at restaurant; Neighboring business spare damage February 10, 2017 viking210 A fire at Zesty’s Pizza in North Chelmsford left the establishment with smoke and water damage at early Monday morning. The Fire Department responded to 10 Vinal Square at about 4:40 after a DPW worker reported the fire at Vinal Square Plaza, according to Fire Chief Gary Ryan. The fire was knocked down about an hour later, Ryan said. Ryan said a pharmacy and cleaning business both sustained significant water damage. The owner of the pharmacy is working with his counterparts so that his customers can get the medications they need. “The sprinkler system activated to minimize the fire damage,” Ryan said in an email. “The fire is currently being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.” Ryan also said the department is working with other store owners, investigators and utilities to get the other businesses in the plaza up and running again, although they were not damaged by the fire.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Nashua, NH – Grease fire at café controlled by sprinkler system February 7, 2017 viking210 A Nashua cafe is set to reopen Friday after a fire this week. On Tuesday, a coffee roaster caught fire at the Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, fire officials said. No one was hurt. The restaurant remained closed Thursday for cleanup. It will reopen Friday at 6 a.m., according to the owners. The fire broke at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, triggering an overheard sprinkler that contained the flames, according to Nashua Deputy fire Chief Karl Gerhard. Workers used portable fire extinguishers, furthering containing the fire.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant San Jose, CA – Fire at BBQ restaurant contained with help from sprinkler system February 6, 2017 viking210 A two-alarm fire erupted Wednesday night at a Mi Pueblo Supermarket in East San Jose. Firefighters responding to a report of a fire on the 1700 block of Story Road arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the store’s outdoor restaurant and roof, said San Jose fire Capt. Kevin Stidham. A second alarm was immediately called because of the potential for the fire to spread to other businesses in the strip mall. A build up of grease in the exhaust system of a BBQ pit was pinpointed as the cause of the fire, which spread to the roof, Stidham said. A sprinkler system helped contain the fire. No injuries were reported. Stidham said the store reopened after the county health department determined none of the food was damaged.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Tucson, AZ – No injuries as sprinkler system contains hotel fire started by prayer candle January 31, 2017 viking210 Fire officials say a prayer candle caused a fire in a Tucson hotel room on Monday, Jan. 30. According to a news release from the Tucson Fire Department, fire crews were dispatched to the hotel in the 700 block of W. Starr Pass Boulevard, near I-10 shortly after 8:30 a.m. and the fire was under control by 8:44 a.m. The surrounding area was evacuated as firefighters extinguished the fire in a ground-floor room. The fire department credits the hotel’s sprinkler system with keeping the fire from spreading before the firefighters arrived. There was no one in the room, which is used by hotel staff, when the fire started. No injuries were reported. Fire damage was contained to the one room and Code Enforcement is working with the hotel to determine whether other rooms were affected. Damage estimates have not yet been determined.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Baton Rouge, LA – Fire in mechanical closet of Towne Place Suites hotel put out by sprinkler system January 25, 2017 viking210 The St. George Fire Department responded to a reported fire at the Towne Place Suites, located at 8735 Summa Ave. around 5 p.m. Monday evening. Firefighters observed dense smoke coming from a downstairs maintenance closet. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system. St. George firefighters conducted a thorough inspection to assure the fire had not spread into walls, attic spaces, or voids between floors of the three-story hotel. No additional fire was discovered. No injuries were reported in this incident as hotel staff evacuated guests and employees from the building. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Santa Barbara, CA – Sprinkler system keeps restaurant fire from spreading January 24, 2017 viking210 A working sprinkler system prevented a fire from spreading at a Santa Barbara restaurant early Monday morning. Santa Barbara City Fire officials said three fire engines were sent to the first block of East Anapamu Street at 5:39 a.m. for a report of smoke inside the building. Smoke was seen from outside the restaurant. Once firefighters forced their way into the building, they found the source of the fire to be in the kitchen. Food accidentally left on the stove is believed to be the cause of the fire. The sprinkler system activated and left two inches of water on the floor. Firefighters worked to get the water out of the restaurant. Officials said the smoke and water damage is estimated at $10,000. No injuries were reported.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Derry, NH – Sprinkler system contains fire at pizzeria, protects neighboring businessses January 14, 2017 viking210 A small fire forced the evacuation of several businesses on the Londonnderry/Derry town line Monday afternoon. A fire broke out in a back closet of Juliano’s Italian Pizzeria at 12:33 p.m., triggering the sprinkler system and sounding an alarm among all the businesses in the strip mall, including TNT Fireworks next door, said Londonderry Fire Battalion Chief Mike McQuillen.” They had a storage closet which caught fire,” McQuillen said. “Looks like a light overheated.” The fire was contained to the closet, and the only casualties were some rags, boxes and a shelving unit.” The sprinkler system activated and did its job,” McQuillen added. “When we arrived we were able to extinguish the fire.”The responding fire companies were able to clear the scene exactly one hour after they left the station, at 1:33 p.m.
