Category Archives: Other Business

Pikeville, KY – Theater fire caused by pyrotechnics is put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

Firefighters were called to a small fire Saturday afternoon on the stage at Jenny Wiley Theatre.  Pikeville 911-Public Safety Director Paul Maynard says the fire occurred after a malfunction during a test of the venue’s pyrotechnics. The fire was contained to a portion of the stage, and the building’s sprinkler system worked as designed to put it out. The burnt portion of the stage was removed from the building. The theater sustained some smoke and water damage.

No one was hurt in the incident. Jenny Wiley Theatre released a statement about the incident, saying the fire occurred during preparations for the opening the youth program’s production of “The Tempest.” The statement said while the fire was minor, it did destroy the set for the production. The theater requested donations to offset the cost of repairs.

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler systems assists firefighters in suppressing office building fire

A sprinkler system and quick response by firefighters limited damage from a fire to an office building Saturday in San Diego, authorities said. At about 5:15 p.m. a passerby noticed flames coming from the side of a building at 9449 Balboa Avenue, fire officials said. It went to a second alarm at 5:31 p.m. and the flames were out within 20 minutes.  Fire damage was confined to the third floor exterior deck and water damaged a couple of law offices next to the deck, firefighters said. No injuries were reported, they said. The fire was caused by discarded smoking materials, officials said.

Quincy, IL – Fire in pool pump room at community center extinguished by sprinkler system

A chemical fire Friday that led to a temporary evacuation of the Kroc Center was the first fire in the building’s six-year history. An automatic fire alarm went off around 9:30 a.m. at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center, 405 Vermont, and employees immediately began evacuating patrons as a precaution. When the fire was confirmed, the automatic alarm was upgraded to a general alarm and multiple fire trucks responded.

“Every time we show up, and we see that a proper evacuation has taken place, it takes a lot off our shoulders,” said Quincy Fire Department Capt. Mark Bigelow. “Then we get down to the business of extinguishing the fire and controlling it.” The fire, believed to be chemical in nature, broke out in a pump room near the swimming pool area, Bigelow said. The cause is still being investigated, but Bigelow said construction equipment in the pump room, like propane tanks, may have been involved. No construction was being done at the time.

Bigelow said damage will likely be minimal. Most of the equipment in the pump room is designed for moisture, he said. The fire was extinguished by a sprinkler. “Another win for automatic sprinkler systems,” Bigelow said. No injuries were reported.

Carolyn Carpenter, Kroc Center marketing manager, said the facility regularly practices fire drills with its employees.

Several dozen people were left outside for about 30 minutes in the single-digit temperatures because of the evacuation. Staff members began transporting some patrons to the Salvation Army Family Store, which is used as a warming center. Patrons who were evacuated from the pool were outside in swimsuits and shoeless. Staff members began loading them into vehicles and handing out blankets and socks.

“Everybody here did an outstanding job,” Bigelow said.

As soon as firefighters cleared the building, patrons were allowed to return but remained in the Kroc Center’s Worship Theatre while the investigation was conducted.

Bigelow said that while the department has responded to the Kroc Center many times for false alarms, he believes this was the first actual fire.

Garden City, ID – Early morning fire at commercial laundry business contained by sprinkler system

The Boise Fire Department responded to a fire at at a commercial laundry facility in Garden City last Wednesday morning at 5:30 a.m. on the 5200 block of North Sawyer Avenue. The fire department says the business is still in service thanks to a fire sprinkler system in the facility, which limited the spread of the fire and kept it in the area the fire started. The fire was under control in about 30 minutes. The cause of the fire was ruled an accident, according to the fire department.  Two firefighters were injured while responding to a fire.  One firefighter suffered an ankle injury and the other suffered a back injury.

Arcata, CA – Sprinkler system controls fire at mixed-use building; $27 million of property saved according to owner, no injuries

A little after 2 a.m. a fire broke out in a business in the 900 block of I Street in Arcata. According to Sean Campbell, Battalion Chief for Arcata Fire District, “Once the bars got out, someone set off a firework…The [illegal] mortar shot up through a gap in the building.” Multiple callers notified 911 operators that there was a fire in a multi-business structure. “Mutual aid was called for,” Campbell explained.

Campbell said the mortar caught items in a loft on fire. “Thankfully,…the sprinkler head got it in check and prevented a major loss of that building,” he explained. “It knocked the fire down.” However, the firefighters still had to deal with getting to the ignition point and completely extinguishing the flames. “They had to force through multiple doors,” Campbell said. Then, they had a further problem. “The challenging thing is it was up on a loft,” he explained. The firefighters were able to locate the problem and get a hose up to the problem area.

“The damage from the fire was $3400,” Campbell said. However, if the fire hadn’t been slowed by the sprinkler system and stopped by the fire crews a building and its contents worth approximately $27 million could have been destroyed, he pointed out. A press release with more information is expected shortly.

UPDATE 10:37 a.m.: Press release from Arcata Fire:

t 2:04 AM Arcata Fire District was dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 933 I Street, Arcata. The first engine to arrive was out of the Arcata Fire Station and reported moderate gray smoke in a large commercial mixed-use occupancy. The crew began forcing entry through multiple doors trying to access the fire.

The second engine from Mad River Fire Station arrived and supported the first engine with a fire attack. Once the fire attack team made entry, they reported smoke throughout the business and advised the incident commander that a sprinkler head had activated.

A third engine from McKinleyville Station arrived and began searching the business for occupants. This was a priority because the building is attached to a winery and there were occupants in the winery.

The fire was located in a loft area above Humboldt Juice Bar. The fire attack team had to use ladders to gain access to the loft. They were able to deploy a hose line to the fire and complete extinguishment.

Battalion Chief Sean Campbell reported, “This was our second commercial fire in less than 24 hours. We had the potential to burn down two complete city blocks during our shift but thankfully we were able to prevent that from happening. Our firefighters did an amazing job working with our mutual-aid partners to avoid another disastrous conflagration.”

The estimated loss to Humboldt Juice Bar and Humboldt Machine Works is $3,400 and the estimated save to the businesses is $2,760,973. The saved value for the immediate exposure business to the north (The Griffin) $710,482. These values do not account for lost sales revenue, lost sales tax, or lost employment.

Fire Chief Justin McDonald reported, “Once again, I am proud of my team. I have to attribute this success to the dedication of our firefighters. They work hard to be the best at what they do and it showed during these two incidents. This incident resulted in a 99% save ratio, which is an A+. Although some of this success is attributed to the sprinkler system, these fires still require firefighters to complete extinguishment and conduct salvage operations. The save ratio is based on Value Saved divided by Total Value (minus Loss). We attribute this to good work and a great relationship with our Mutual-Aid partners.”

This incident was caused by an illegal firework being set off in front of the business. Arcata Fire is working with Arcata Police to identify a suspect in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Arcata Fire or Arcata Police.

“There were hundreds of witnesses in the area when the fireworks were ignited. We hope someone will come forward and help us identify the suspect responsible for this fire.” Stated Chief Campbell.

A total of thirty-one firefighters and three volunteer support personnel managed this incident. Arcata Fire District would like to thank Westhaven, Cal Fire Trinidad, Blue Lake, Humboldt Bay, Samoa, and Fieldbrook Fire for their support and hard work.

Sparks, NV – Possible arson fire at trailer rental business held in check by sprinkler system

Fire crews are investigating to determine the cause of a fire inside “Prime Trailer,” a store that rents out trailers in the 1500 block of South McCarran Boulevard and Greg Street.  It broke out around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 23, 2018. It was initially called in as a fire alarm activation, so a crew from the Sparks Fire Department was sent to the scene to investigate.

Upon arrival the crew saw smoke coming out of the roll-up door and upgraded it to a second alarm fire; and backup was called. Additional crews arrived and entered the building, finding a fire inside. Fire officials say the fire was held in check thanks to a working sprinkler system. The fire is out now but investigators are calling it suspicious and say it may stem from a burglary at the business.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation but our indication is that it might have been a burglary because there were signs of forced entry prior to our arrival,” said Battalion Chief Derek Keller from the Sparks Fire Department.

Muscatine, IA – Sprinkler systems keeps banquet hall fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A Muscatine banquet hall was damaged when a fire started in the ceiling.  Firefighters responded to Rendezvous Banquet Hall and Catering on Lucas Street around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 6th.  Fire crews saw smoke coming from the ceiling area, as well as fire and smoke coming from the roof. The building’s fire sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading.  Crews were able to knock down the main fire within a few minutes of arrival, and another crew worked on the roof.  According to Fire Captain Gary Ronzheimer, the fire caused significant damage to a rooftop HVAC system and a portion of the inside of the building. Losses are estimated at $20,000.  No one was injured.

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system saves laundry business from further fire damage; Business remains open

Firefighters responded to flames at Mega Coin Laundry last Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say the fire began in a dryer and after the clothes were removed from the machine, the smoke set off the sprinkler system. Those with the Rochester Fire Department say they were able to shut down the sprinkler system after forcing entry on a door, but Mega Coin and two other businesses experienced an estimated $10,000 in water damage to floor and carpeting. No one was injured, and officials say Mega Coin Laundry will be able to remain open.

Duluth, MN – Fire at convention center is put out by sprinkler system

The Duluth fire department responded to a call at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on Tuesday night. Assistant Fire Chief Chris Martinson says crews arrived to smoke in the lower part of the DECC. It turned out to be just a small fire in a garbage can down in the wood shop. Martinson says it isn’t clear yet what started, but added that a sprinkler did get set off and that’s what extinguished the fire. There was no damage, just water on the floor to be mopped up.

Winnetka, IL – Dryer fire at community fitness center controlled by sprinkler system

A fire last week at the Winnetka Community House fitness center was apparently caused when towels in a fitness center dryer caught fire, Community House and fire department officials said Tuesday. The fire shut down the fitness center for several days, Winnetka Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said, and parts of the building at 620 Lincoln Ave. sustained water and smoke damage. However, the blaze was contained in the laundry room and fitness center area, largely thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, he said.

“The sprinklers kind of held it in check until we got there,” he said. “The system did its job, which I think was what made a difference in saving the building.” Paramedics took a maintenance worker who discovered the fire to Evanston Hospital for observation after he was briefly overcome by smoke inhalation, Berkowsky said. Bob Thomas, Community House executive director and president, said the fitness center is expected to reopen Wednesday. He also said the maintenance man, who attempted to put the fire out with an extinguisher, is doing well. Berkowsky said Wilmette, Glencoe, Northbrook, Northfield, and Highland Park personnel assisted in putting out the fire.