Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Bolingbrook, IL – Kitchen fryer fire at McDonald’s extinguished by sprinkler system

A Bolingbrook McDonald’s was shut down due to a kitchen fryer fire Saturday.  The Bolingbrook Fire Department responded to the fire at 3:21 a.m. and evacuated the building, located at 100 N. Bolingbrook Drive. The sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire, according to the Bolingbrook Fire Department.

Once firefighters ensured the fire was out, they ventilated the building. The Will County Health Department was notified and cleanup and repairs are continuing. McDonald’s management expects to have all necessary repairs completed by Wednesday. The store could reopen by Thursday.

Temecula, CA – Hotel room fire contained by sprinkler system; Further damage prevented

Two rooms were damaged and one victim suffered minor injuries after a mattress caught fire at a hotel Friday, Nov. 25. The fire happened at the Quality Inn located in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue, north of Winchester Road in Temecula.

The victim, who has not been identified, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and declined further treatment. It was not immediately known if the victim was an employee or guest of the hotel.  17 Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters from four engine companies and one truck company were dispatched to the hotel at 11:54 a.m., according to Cal Fire Spokeswoman April Newman.

“Firefighters responded to reports of smoke coming from a room,” Newman explained after the fire was contained at 12:03 p.m. “The fire was contained to a mattress by the structure’s sprinkler system.”

The damage to the two hotel rooms was estimated at about $25,000. The hotel’s fire sprinkler system saved the rest of the hotel from further damage, estimated at $6.8 million dollars.

At 12:30 p.m., Newman updated that fire resources were expected to remain at the scene for about one hour for water salvage and mop up operations.  There were no evacuations related to the fire.

Williamsburg, VA – Suspicious overnight fire at Ramada Inn controlled by sprinkler system

Officials in York County say a fire at a Williamsburg hotel is being considered suspicious. The York County Fire Department was dispatched to the Ramada Inn- Williamsburg located at 500 Merrimac Trail at 4:24 a.m.  When crews arrived they found fire in a conference room and two other rooms. The hotel’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading, fire officials said.

The fire was put out quickly and damage was limited to the three rooms. Smoke was found in nearby areas of the hotel. Officials are working to determine the exact cause of the fire, however, at this time the incident is being considered suspicious.  The Williamsburg and James City County fire departments assisted in putting out the flames.

Mississauga, ON, Canada – Restaurant fire kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries

Mississauga Fire is at a scene of a restaurant fire on Shepherd Avenue in the Cooksville area.
Emergency crews responded to a call at approximately 6:11 p.m. for a fire that originated in the kitchen of a restaurant in the area.
The sprinkler systems had been activated and the fire was extinguished by the time the firefighters arrived.
There are no injuries reported.

Ottumwa, IA – Fourth floor hotel fire held in check by sprinkler system

At approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday morning, October 30th, the Ottumwa Fire Department responded to a report of a room on fire at the Hotel Ottumwa. Upon arrival, fire fighters discovered a fourth floor room on fire. Two sprinkler heads had activated, keeping the fire from growing and spreading. An employee of the Hotel Ottumwa, Trevor Medina, heard the fire alarm activation and went to the fourth floor. Medina kicked in the door and pulled a female occupant to safety. The occupant was immediately transferred to the Ottumwa Regional Health Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Ottumwa Police Department personnel assisted with the safe evacuation of the upper floors of the hotel. Ottumwa Fire Chief Tony Miller credits the courageous action of Medina with preventing a tragic ending. 

The hotel sustained smoke and water damage; mostly limited to the original floor of origin with minor smoke damage on the fifth floor. Tenants and guests were allowed to return their rooms shortly after the fire was extinguished and the smoke was removed. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ottumwa Fire Department. 

Irondale, AL – Sprinkler system helps limit hotel fire to one room

Fire crews are on the scene at the Hampton Inn off Grants Mill Road in Irondale.

Irondale and Birmingham Fire Department responded. According to officials, the fire was contained to one room. After the blaze began, the sprinkler system kicked in and helped limit the fire from spreading.

At this time, everyone is still outside of the hotel. The fire is under control now.

Gastonia, NC – Guest and staff safe after sprinkler system helps contain hotel kitchen fire

A small kitchen fire activated the sprinkler system at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel early Sunday morning and all 300 guests had to leave their rooms temporarily, according to fire officials.

The 6:42 a.m. fire did not cause any injuries at the hotel on Remount Road, according to officials.

“There was a small fire in the kitchen that activated the sprinkler system,” said Chris Stowe, a spokesman with Gastonia Fire Department.

About 20 firefighters responded because of the size of the building and number of people involved. The fire was put out in about 10 minutes.

The hotel has 130 rooms and approximately 300 guests were put out of their rooms in the early morning hours, said Olivia Popplewell, general manager of Courtyard by Marriott.

“All of our guests are safe. All of our employees are safe,” Popplewell said.

Guests were allowed to start returning to their rooms around 7:20 a.m.

The hotel was even able to serve a continental breakfast of fruit and yogurt to guests, Popplewell said.

There was a little water damage to the kitchen area, but business was back to normal soon afterward, Popplewell said.

San Antonio, TX – Sprinklers activate when oven causes fire at restaurant south of downtown

An oven was to blame for a fire early Monday morning that damaged a building south of downtown, fire officials said.

When firefighters arrived around 6:30 a.m. at the King William Professional Building in the 800 block of South St. Mary’s Street, they found flames shooting from an air conditioning unit above Francis Bogside Pub.

Fire Chief Charles Hood said the fire was quickly extinguished, but there was significant water damage from the sprinkler system, fire officials said.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Hood said the fire doesn’t appear to be suspicious.

Jackson, MI – Suspicious fire at downtown sports bar contained by sprinkler system

Investigators are calling a fire that damaged Chase Sports Bar in downtown Jackson suspicious. The fire started Sunday night just after 9 p.m. then spread to the back of the building.

“It was kinda like your worst nightmare,” said Owner Randy LeMaster. LeMaster was working at his other bar down Michigan Avenue when he got the call.  “The back next to the walk-in freezer was all up in flames,” he said.

Investigators say the fire started in a storage area outside the bar and just kept spreading. “It started to extend up the back side of the building which was a steel sided building. That presents its own problems because there are gaps between the steel and the brick behind it, so the fire mainly got into that gap space,” explained Deputy Fire Chief David Wooden with the Jackson County Fire Department.

Flames even got into the air ducts, but firefighters say the damage stayed to a back bathroom and the kitchen thanks to a sprinkler that went off. Investigators say they’re treating the scene as suspicious. “When you have a fire that started outside of a building, you don’t have the amount of accidental causes that could have started the fire,” Wooden explained.

Security cameras from both the bar and the apartment building next door could be key to helping investigators, they’re looking over all the video and hope it will show them just how the fire started. “We’re just hoping to see if there was anybody in the area to see if there’s something else we need to follow up on,” Wooden said.

Jackson called in 3 other fire departments through mutual aid because the fire was at a commercial building and there was a high-rise retirement apartment building next door. About 30 residents were evacuated but the fire never spread to the inside of the apartment building.

LeMaster says he’s just happy no one was injured. With significant smoke and water damage to the back of the building, he’s now focused on getting it repaired. But LeMaster is counting himself lucky since the flames didn’t spread to the main bar.

Still with the holidays coming up, he can’t afford to be out of business. “I’ve got a crew lined up to move forward on getting things cleaned up,” he said.  Chase will be closed for at least a month.  LeMaster tells News 10 he has about 30 employees at that bar and he’s trying to keep them busy with cleanup or get them extra hours at his other bar.