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Titusville, PA – Early morning fire at laundry business contained by sprinkler system

The Titusville Fire Department was busy on Friday putting out two fires — one occurred at a Titusville business — the other was on Park Avenue near the intersection of High Street. According to Assistant Chief Joe Lamey, the first fire happened at 5:30 a.m., Friday, at ITU [formerly Farley’s Industrial Laundry] on West Spring Street.

Lamey said an automatic fire alarm went off, and when firefighters arrived on the scene, the water flow alarm [sprinkler system] was on, but no smoke was showing. He said firefighters forced entry into the structure and the building’s interior was full of smoke.

Lamey said Hydetown and Pleasantville volunteers were called to assist. He said one of the overhead bags the laundry uses had a contaminant, possibly an oil substance, that spontaneously combusted.

“The sprinkler system did a great job, but there’s water damage,” Lamey said. “They will have a lot of clean up. There was little damage to the facility and it will probably be ruled accidental.” He said firefighters were on the scene until 8 a.m.

Kent, WA – Early morning business fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Just before 5 a.m. on Thursday, units from Renton Fire Department, Tukwila Fire Department and Kent Regional Fire Authority were dispatched to a commercial fire in the 19800 block of 84th Avenue South in Kent. Initially a small response for an automatic fire alarm, the first unit that arrived upgraded the call to a commercial fire response after confirming smoke was present, according to a Kent RFA media release. The upgrade triggered the addition of more resources.

The building’s fire sprinkler system not only kept the fire in check, it actually extinguished the fire. A manual check along with confirmation from a thermal imaging camera assured there was no more fire. The business used its emergency evacuation plan to get employees outside to safety. A Kent fire investigator determined the fire to be accidental due to failure of a small electrical component. There were no injuries to employees or firefighters. The damage is estimated to be $10,000 and limited to a small area of the business. Employees were able to resume work relatively quickly after the fire was out and the building deemed safe.

Roanoke, VA – Fire that started in ceiling heater at distribution business extinguished by sprinkler system

Crews responded to a fire at a city business on Wednesday. Roanoke Fire-EMS responded at about 9:30 a.m. to a fire at Superior Distribution, in the 900 block of Rhodes Avenue. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire that started in a ceiling heater, according to the fire department. No injuries were reported and the building was evacuated upon the fire department’s arrival.

Saginaw, MI – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at auto repair shop

Saginaw firefighters were dispatched to a fire at the corner of Holland and East Genesee about 5:50 p.m. on Friday, March 18.

The fire occurred at Rick’s Automotive, 1935 E. Genesee, where black smoke could be seen coming from inside of the building when firefighters arrived at the scene.

A sprinkler system that was activated helped contain the fire, according to a firefighter at the scene.

Tumalo, OR – Fire in server room at research facility controlled by sprinklers; Faulty air conditioner identified as cause

A failed air conditioning unit is blamed for a fire that caused $20,000 in damage to the Bend Research facility in Tumalo. Firefighters responded to a monitored fire alarm at 3:30 a.m., Saturday. Crews arrived to find smoke in the hallways and water coming from the sprinkler system. Investigators believe the blaze started in a room containing internet servers, backup systems and the main fire alarm system. Bend Research employees arrived on-scene shortly after fire crews and began the cleanup and repair process. The sprinkler system is credited with stopping the fire from spreading beyond the 100-square-foot room. In a release, Dan Derlacki with Bend Fire says a larger fire or more smoke could have caused millions of dollars in damage to the research facility.

Beaverton, OR – Sprinkler system limits damage in early morning fire at small business

Firefighters extinguished a fire early Sunday in a commercial building in Beaverton. They arrived at the two-story concrete building, located at 10074 S.W. Arctic Dr., about 4:30 a.m. It was filled with smoke but the fire stayed in one room. It took Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue crews nearly an hour to clear out the smoke and water. The building houses several businesses. No one was inside at the time. A fire investigator said blaze started under a shelving unit. Two sprinkler heads activated, limiting the damage.

Corinth, MS – Sprinkler system helps contain fire to dust collector at Kimberly-Clark facility

All four units of the Corinth Fire Department responded to a fire just after midnight Friday at the Kimberly-Clark Professional facility. Corinth Fire Chief Lucky Briggs said the water sprinkler system engaged and firefighters had the blaze under control shortly after arrival.

The fire was described by Briggs as being contained in a dust collector. There was no structural damage to the facility, but significant water damage. “Firemen had it out fairly quickly,” noted the fire chief.

There were no injuries. The fire remains under investigation, noted Briggs. Kimberly-Clark spokesperson Bob Brand said the cleanup operation was underway Saturday and there would be an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

“We are glad no one was hurt,” said Brand. “We will get to the root of the problem and get it fixed.” Brand praised employees for their orderly response to the fire and firefighters for their quick response.

The fire call came in at 12:16 a.m. Saturday and firemen remained on the scene until 2:23 a.m. Assisting Corinth on the scene was one engine and five firefighters from the Farmington Volunteer Fire Department.

KC-Professional is adjacent to the K-C Global Nonwovens Division facility. KC-Professional takes raw material from the nonwovens mill and turns it into finished products ready for consumers.

Lancaster, PA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in four-story commercial building

A sprinkler system knocked down a two-alarm commercial building fire in downtown Lancaster Wednesday night, according to a Fox43 report.  Firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm in a four-story building at East King and North Christian streets at about 7 p.m., according to the report.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke on the upper floors of the building that houses an art store on the first floor and neighbors the Lancaster County courthouse complex. Crews sounded a second alarm in response to the heavy smoke that stemmed to the fire likely ignited in the basement elevator room, the report said.

The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire, which a cleaning crew inside didn’t know had broke out until firefighters arrived, according to the report. The crew made it out of the building safely. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hastings, MN – Sprinklers contain dump truck fire at excavating business

Firefighters stopped what could have been a major fire Saturday, Jan. 9, at DSM Excavating in the 2900 block of Enterprise Avenue. Crews responded at 9:33 p.m., after the building’s fire alarms activated.  According to Fire and EMS Director Mike Schutt, smoke was visible on the south side of the building when firefighters arrived and the automatic sprinkler system was already operating.  Crews entered the building, which was filled with thick black smoke that allowed zero visibility.  Inside, they found a dump truck on fire, which they extinguished.

The dump truck’s engine and cab were totally destroyed, with damage estimated at about $200,000. However, the fire could have been much worse, as there was other heavy equipment parked very close to the engulfed truck. Schutt credited the sprinkler system with saving the rest of the equipment and the building, which would have been a $4 million loss.

“While the firefighters did a fantastic job tonight, much credit goes to the automatic fire sprinkler system and the monitored fire alarm system,” Schutt wrote in an email the night of the fire. “As the fire grew in size, the automatic fire sprinkler system activated, keeping the fire contained to the dump truck and not allowing it to spread. Literally, other dump trucks and heavy equipment were parked within two feet of this fire and had no damage.”

Hastings firefighters were assisted by Hastings police and the Miesville Fire Department. The fire department, which also operates an ambulance service, also responded to two separate medical emergencies and one other fire response for downed electrical lines in Marshan Township while battling the Industrial Park fire. Investigation into the cause of the fire continues this week.

Naperville, IL – Sprinklers assist firefighters in containing fire in storage room at business

The contents of a Naperville business in the 2000 block of Aurora Avenue suffered more damage than the structure following a Saturday afternoon fire, according to a release from the Naperville Fire Department. Firefighters received a call from an employee at 1:05 p.m. stating the fire alarm was sounding and there was smoke coming from a rear storage room, but no flames seen, the release said.

The first arriving fire unit reported nothing showing from three sides of the business, the release said. Upon entry, they found heavy smoke, at which time the alarm was upgraded by the shift commander, bringing more equipment and firefighters.

Extinguishing the fire was difficult due to the size of the structure, however after the deployment of several hose lines and coordinated operations, including the building’s sprinkler system, the fire was extinguished 46 minutes after the initial dispatch, according to the release.

Damage to the structure was moderate, however damage to contents within the structure was extensive due to smoke, fire, and water, the release said. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.

The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by departments from Aurora and Plainfield. Units from Downers Grove and Bolingbrook as well as the Warrenville and Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection Districts provided station coverage for the city during the incident.