Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Port Deposit, MD – Fire at restaurant in historic building contained by sprinkler system July 12, 2015 viking210 Investigators are blaming an electrical malfunction for a fire inside a Port Deposit restaurant and bar on Thursday morning, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. “The sprinklers contained the fire to the area of origin. Without a doubt, it stopped the fire from spreading,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver J. Alkire said. About 30 firefighters with volunteer fire companies from Port Deposit, Perryville and Rising Sun rushed to Joe’s Grog House at 26 S. Main Street about 9:20 a.m., after smoke alarms inside the business activated, fire officials said, adding that the business was not open at the time. “There was smoke showing when we arrived,” said EMS Chief Wayne Tome of the Water Witch (Port Deposit) Volunteer Fire Company. It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to bring the fire and heavy smoke under control, which involved ventilating the building with fans, Tome said. Alkire determined that the blaze started inside a section of the actual bar, where patrons stand or sit and order drinks and food, he said. Alkire concluded that wiring inside that bar wall had malfunctioned, sparking the fire, he added. That section of bar is near one of the establishment’s front doors. “The fire has been ruled accidental due to an electrical failure,” Alkire said. He and Tome both noted that a sprinkler system inside Joe’s Grog House activated and prevented more extensive damage. Joe’s Grog House occupies the first-floor of an historic three-story building, Alkire said, adding that 16 tenants live in seven apartments on the second and third floors of that structure. “Electricity was restored to the building, and no tenants were displaced as a result of the fire,” said Alkire, who noted that the volunteer firefighters quick response after the smoke alarms alerted also was a key factor. Tome echoed Alkire, remarking, “The sprinklers definitely held the fire in check until we could get there. That’s why sprinklers are so important.”
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Huntsville, AL – Sprinklers quickly extinguish fire at extended-stay hotel July 7, 2015 viking210 2 Comments Huntsville fire officials evacuated an extended-stay hotel Sunday afternoon. Crews were called to the InTown Suites on The Boardwalk around 2:30 p.m. after a report of a small fire. The sprinkler system had deployed by the time firefighters arrived. Hotel guests were evacuated and no injuries were reported. Guests were allowed back inside around 7 p.m. to collect belongings; the hotel’s owners have arranged for alternate accommodations. InTown Suites issued this statement Sunday night: “A small fire occurred in a room this evening at our Huntsville, Alabama location. Thankfully, there were no injuries. The fire was quickly extinguished by sprinklers, but water from these systems entered the main electrical room of the hotel. Therefore, electrical power has been disconnected until we can inspect and repair any issues. We are working hard to restore service as quickly as possible, and are relocating guests to nearby hotels. We sincerely appreciate the assistance provided by the Huntsville Fire Department and the American Red Cross. The safety and security of our guests and employees is our primary concern and we are thankful the systems in place worked as intended.” A cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Valdosta, GA – Sprinklers contain hotel fire caused by suspected meth lab June 28, 2015 viking210 A man and woman have been arrested after a fire broke out in a room of a Valdosta motel Wednesday, and police are saying the pair was attempting to make methamphetamine. At 12:02 p.m., the Valdosta Fire Department responded to the InTown Suites located at 1558 Baytree Road after receiving a fire call from Lowndes 911. Firefighters on the scene located and extinguished a fire located in the bathroom of room 243. The fire was contained by the building’s sprinkler system, and no one was injured. Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, investigation of the incident was turned over to the Valdosta Police Department, according to VFD Captain James Clinkscales. Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, the motel was evacuated. The Lowndes/Valdosta Convention Center, the Wood Valley Community Center and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel provided shelter and refreshments to more than 30 evacuees. Residents were allowed to return to the motel later Wednesday afternoon, with officials saying the damage was isolated to the one room. The Lowndes County Narcotics Unit assisted the Valdosta Police Department with the removal and disposal of chemicals found in the room.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Sunnyvale, CA – Hotel dryer fire extinguished by sprinkler system June 27, 2015 viking210 A dryer in a hotel caught fire and spread in the laundry room. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system by the time Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety fire personnel responded. The smoke was cleared from the building, and it was determined that no one was injured. Compiled from Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety reports. Fire– June 15, 2:36 p.m. S. Sunnyvale Avenue.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Chesterfield, VA – Sprinkler limit fire spread after suspicious explosion at hotel June 26, 2015 viking210 Investigators are trying to figure out what caused an explosion at a Chesterfield hotel early Tuesday morning. The call came in around 4:30 a.m. for a fire alarm at the InTown Suites in the 11500-block of Green Spring Road, between Koger Center Blvd and Robious Road. Chesterfield County Fire and EMS tell us they found signs of an explosion, and some residents report the building shook. Most people were asleep when it happened, but not Brendon Chandler. “Just a big explosion and then the window just ended up in the parking lot,” remembers Chandler. He was smoking a cigarette when all of a sudden in the room above his, “The window just shot right out!” And, that’s when guests say chaos erupted. “I just heard the fire alarm go off and I heard a whole bunch of people running outside. The next thing you know, I’m waking up and just everybody’s going outside,” says resident David Rivenbark. Chesterfield Fire says the explosion happened in a room on the third floor. The blown-out window and melted plastic from the fire was evident from the outside. That fire activated the room’s sprinkler system. Some second floor rooms sustained water damage from those sprinklers. A Hazmat team was brought in and tests found no hazardous materials in the room, but investigators are calling the situation “suspicious” and say the room’s occupant was no where to be found. One guest told NBC12, she heard footsteps before the fire alarm went off. “[Someone was] hightailing it down the hall. We’re right in front of the elevator near the stairwell, and I heard the stairwell door fly open and hit the wall,” she says. Now police want to talk to that person. No one was injured by the explosion, but two hotel guests were later taken to the hospital for unrelated injuries. Police and the Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Fairview Heights, IL – Sprinklers contain early morning fire at popular restaurant June 26, 2015 viking210 Lotawata Creek, a popular Fairview Heights restaurant, was damaged in a fire Saturday morning, Fairview Heights firefighters said. Chief Bryan Doyle of the Fairview Heights Fire Department said they got the alarm call just before 7 a.m. He also said they were flooded with 9-1-1 calls from the hotel nearby when smoke started coming out of the building. Doyle said the security footage showed the fire burning for about an hour before the alarm went off. Additional fire departments — Collinsville, O’Fallon and French Village — were called in to assist on the fire when it reached the ceiling of the restaurant . Doyle said the sprinkler system was what kept the building from being a total loss. He said he thought the building would be able to open anywhere from two to four weeks. Doyle called for the Illinois Fire Marshal to investigate the fire to find a cause for the insurance company, he said there was no foul play suspected.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Santa Monica, CA – Fire at popular Santa Monica Pier restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system June 23, 2015 viking210 Walking into The Lobster restaurant, past the full bar and into the dining area that overlooks the Santa Monica Pier, it’s almost impossible to notice the area where a fire in the kitchen spread to a booth early Saturday morning. A white sheet temporarily covered the area earlier this week, the only visible reminder of the incident. The Lobster, a fresh seafood restaurant off Ocean Avenue next to the mouth of the Santa Monica Pier,reopened Monday after a two-day closure. The fire is believed to have sprouted from a kitchen stove and leaped the wall it shared with a booth on the other side, catching the booth afire and splintering its glass headboard mounted on the wall. The fire lasted from 6:13 am to 6:33 am before the restaurant’s sprinkler system put out the short-lived flames. “We are still under investigation,” said Lynne Thomas, Marketing Director and Director of Community Events at The Lobster, “but as of now we believe that it was a heat fire that fortunately only sparked the booth.” The restaurant’s cleaning crew was the first to notice the fire Saturday morning, immediately reporting it to the Santa Monica Fire Department, who shortly thereafter arrived on the scene,spraying a fire extinguisher that killed the dying embers. “We were very happy it wasn’t worse and very happy no one was hurt,” Thomas said. Both the stove and the booth were removed earlier this week. The Fire Department is investigating how the fire started. The incident closed the Lobster for two days while they fixed up the damage and charred areas. “We were closed Saturday and all day Sunday,” said Thomas.“We were pretty much working around the clock to try and get open again…and reopened Monday. “It was hard because so many people had reservations. It was graduation weekend and it was really sad for us not to be able to reopen. We were doing what we could to get open as soon as we could,” she said.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Falls Church, VA – Fire at bakery contained with help from sprinkler system June 20, 2015 viking210 The fire happened at Jenin Pastry at 5820 Seminary Road in Falls Church around 9:20 p.m., according to officials. When crews got to the scene fire was coming from the back of the two-story building. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and were able to put out the fire quickly. The sprinkler system went off, which helped the fire to stay in the kitchen area, Fairfax County officials said. The smoke alarm was also activated. Nobody was injured in the fire. The fire is still under investigation, however has been deemed as accidental. Officials say the hot stove cook top was too close to the shelf and caught on fire.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Guelph, ON, Canada – Fire at Staybridge Suites hotel suppressed by sprinkler system June 15, 2015 viking210 Guelph firefighters say well trained staff and working sprinklers saved a fire from getting out of control in a Guelph hotel room. Officials say the fire was sparked by materials left near a hot plate at the Staybridge Suites off Highway Six. A father was staying in the first floor room with his children. They returned to the room on Saturday to find it full of smoke. “The sprinkler system actually did what it was supposed to. It was fully functioning and it actually saved that room and probably saved a huge part of that building as a result of that,” said Tony Sabatini, chief fire prevention officer with the city of Guelph. Part of the hotel needed to be evacuated. Damage is estimated at around $35,000.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Tallahassee, FL – Restaurant fire caused by malfunctioning burner halted by sprinkler system June 10, 2015 viking210 A popular Midtown restaurant is closed as a result of a fire. The Front Porch opened its Thomasville Road location in early 2013. The restaurant, known for its locally-sourced seafood dishes in an upscale atmosphere, posted a Facebook message to its customers on Monday morning. “We are very sad to announce that our beautiful restaurant suffered a small fire last week and we will be temporarily closed until further notice. Please continue to check back, as our Facebook page will be updated when we have a re-opening day in sight. We appreciate your loyal patronage and can’t wait to serve you all again soon!” Restaurant owners could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The Tallahassee Fire Department arrived at 8:52 p.m. May 30 in response to a fire, the incident report states. Investigators estimate damages at $35,000. No one was injured during the fire and the building was already evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. The internal sprinkler system went off as a result of a malfunctioning Butane burner, according to employee statements in the report. “The burning fuel from the burner was enough heat to activate the sprinkler head directly above it,” the report said. Investigators believe the fire was caused by a leak in the burner’s gas bottle. The report stated no actual fire damage to the building, and all content and structure damage was caused by the water from the sprinkler system.
