Category Archives: Other Business

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Mesa, AZ – Single sprinkler prevents fire from spreading at large business complex

A sprinkler system kept a fire from spreading through a large Mesa business complex Monday morning. Crews from Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix and Chandler responded to the fire near Broadway and Alma School roads at around 6 a.m.

The fire started in an area of the building that was packed with auto parts. Firefighters were able to gain control of the fire pretty quickly thanks to a working sprinkler system. “We know that sprinklers of course save lives but we also know, importantly for a business, that it saves a building and a business in itself,” said Deputy Chief Forrest Smith with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department.

Smith said it appeared that one sprinkler head kept the fire in check. Officials said hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise and property were saved. No injuries were reported.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Waynesboro, VA – Sprinkler system activates to keep fire small at Moose Lodge

Waynesboro Fire Department Deputy Chief James Bradley said the alarm company called the fire department around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“It started in the bar area,” he said. “It’s a sprinkler building, so it was a relatively small fire, but there was a considerable amount of damage.”

This is the second time a fire has damaged the building. The first fire was in 1978, Kochis said.

She said the employees left the lodge around 11 p.m. and no one was there when the fire started.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire within 30 minutes, but remained at the scene until 3 a.m., clearing the building of smoke.

The damage is covered by insurance, and Kochis said they may be unable to open for a week or two.

“We always have bingo every Sunday afternoon with at least 110 people and sometimes 120 or 130,” Kochis said. “It just depends on what is going on, but we won’t have bingo this Sunday.”

Bradley says the fire remains under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cumberland, RI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at business caused by charged batteries

Charged batteries shipped to a company that refurbishes electronic equipment “heated up to ignition temperature” and started a fire in the Cadillac Mills complex Thursday, Cumberland Fire Chief Kenneth A. Finlay said.  The fire, at Aztek Technologies, 30 Meeting St., Cumberland, was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system before firefighters arrived, Finlay said.

Firefighters were called to the mill, which has entrances on Meeting Street and Titus Street, at 5:16 p.m. Thursday. They found only smoke, water and a 24- by 36- by 18-inch cardboard box of batteries where the fire apparently started.  Some of the company’s product near the box of batteries had been damaged, he said.

Usually the company receives shipments of batteries that haven’t been charged, but the box contained live batteries, which Finlay attributed to a packing error. Employees of the many businesses in the mill complex evacuated when the alarm sounded, including 10 from Texcel Industries, which makes military and camouflage webbing.  No one was injured.

The building sustains some water damage because firefighters had trouble turning off the sprinkler system, Finlay said.

Firefighters from the Saylesville fire company in Lincoln assisted with a ladder truck.

 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Carbondale, CO – Suspected arson fire at non-profit organization is suppressed by sprinkler system

A fire apparently set on purpose at Carbondale’s Third Street Center early Wednesday may be linked to a fruitless bank break-in that also happened overnight. “The fire was suspicious in origin, and we don’t think it was accidental,” said Rob Goodwin, Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District deputy chief.

Linda Taylor, executive director of the Center for Independence, based in Grand Junction, said officials told her that the fire at her organization’s Carbondale office was set on purpose.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was helping Carbondale fire and police officials with the investigation.

In a twist, Police Chief Gene Schilling said authorities think the fire may be related to a break-in at the ANB Bank at 409 Dolores Way.

Here’s how the night unfolded

Firefighters and police responded at 1:30 a.m. to the Third Street Center, 520 S. Third, to find smoke coming from a window on the east side of the building. Audible alarms and flashing lights were going off, and a neighbor had already extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived.

“It was pretty much out, but the building was full of smoke” when the Fire Department got there, Goodwin said.

A couple hours later, at 3:55 a.m., police responded to an alarm at ANB Bank to find glass broken in both sets of entry doors.

“It appears that a suspect entered the bank but did not take anything,” police said in a statement.

The break-in suspect is described as tall and thin and was wearing black clothing.

At the Third Street Center “there’s more water damage than fire damage,” Goodwin said.

“This fire reinforces the fact that fire sprinkler systems really do work,” he said. “Having a sprinkler system in place prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the Third Street Center and causing further damage.”

The fire did not spread beyond the center’s office, but it was unknown when the nonprofit will be able to reopen.

No one was injured, and no loss amount had been determined.

Office Building, Other Business

Decatur, IL – Sprinkler system controls laundry fire at downtown commercial building

The Decatur Fire Department says firefighters responded to a small fire at a building in downtown Decatur Tuesday morning. The Decatur Fire Chief tells WAND News that crews responded to a fire in the laundry room on the basement floor of One Main Place. The fire chief says the building’s sprinkler system helped keep the fire under control until crews arrived, at which point the fire was extinguished.

The fire chief also says smoke caused from the fire resulted in the evacuation of everyone in the building. West Main Street was also temporarily closed off while crews responded to the scene.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Export, PA – Sprinkler system halts spread of fire at Westmoreland Country Club

A fire in a laundry room at Westmoreland Country Club early Tuesday caused minimal damage and did not curtail any activities, a club official said.

Controller April Jeroski said no one was injured in the blaze reported at 12:39 a.m.

“It was totally contained to the laundry area. The rest of the club is operational,” she said.

Claridge fire Chief Bob Bankosh said some smoldering towels were found near an electrical box.

A fire suppression sprinkler system kicked in, preventing further spread of smoke or fire, he said.

Bankosh said the fire has been ruled accidental.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Orleans, MA – Sprinklers assist firefighters in controlling challenging recycling plant fire

Firefighters from the Lower Cape and Mid-Cape areas were tied up for hours after a pile of mattresses caught fire inside a recycling plant Saturday.

Around 1 p.m., rescuers responded to the Daniels Recycling Center building on Giddiah Hill Road after employees at the plant unsuccessfully tried to squelch the nearly ceiling-high pile of mattresses set to be recycled, Orleans Fire Chief Anthony Pike said.

The cause of the two-alarm fire was unknown, Pike added.  Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus entered the warehouse and mostly knocked down the fire, which didn’t appear to damage the building, Pike said.

But because the mattresses and other debris were so compact, workers from the plant took front-end loaders and pulled pile after pile of the debris out of the building to the edge of the plant’s parking lot to be hosed down, Orleans Deputy Chief Geof Deering said.

The Red Cross was on scene with drinks and snacks for the rescuers, and one firefighter was being evaluated for exhaustion, Dennis Deputy Chief Robert Brown said.

The sprinkler system in the warehouse worked to help keep the fire from spreading, Pike said. Fire crews from Dennis, Eastham, Brewster, and Harwich aided Orleans at the scene. Crews from as far as Yarmouth were called in to cover the responding departments’ empty fire stations.

 

Other Business, Place of Worship

Amherst, NY – Sprinkler system activates to contain church arson fire

A Molotov cocktail was thrown into a chapel early Saturday morning in Amherst. Amherst Police say that around 5:30 a.m. they responded to a fire alarm at the Chapel at Crosspoint. When they arrived they found that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown through a glass door and started a fire. A sprinkler system contained the fire.

Damage was estimated to be $10,000. Amherst Police and the A.T.F are investigating the incident, including checking security cameras belonging to the Chapel and nearby businesses. Anyone with information is asked to call (716) 689-1364.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Portland, OR – Early morning fire at commercial laundry business controlled by sprinkler system

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a fire in a commercial laundry at 14321 N.E. Whitaker Way early Sunday. No one was injured in the fire, although additional resources were called in because of the potential for a large fire load due to the number of garments, towels, and chemicals — including detergents and cleaners — in such a business.

According to PF&R, initial reports at 6:12 a.m. were that smoke and flames had been seen inside the building and employees had evacuated it. Additional calls came in from neighboring businesses with reports of heavy black smoke coming from the roof. 

When firefighters arrived at the UniClean building, they quickly gained access to it and began searching for the area of the fire. A second alarm was called because of the size of the structure and the nature of the business.

Within minutes of arrival, crews were able to locate the area of the fire in the southwest corner of the building. The sprinkler system had activated and played a key element in keeping the fire at bay until fire fighters were able to gain access and knock it down. 

Truck crews were able to ventilate the building efficiently by removing the sky lights on the roof of the building.

A PF&R Investigator determined has the fire to be accidental, caused by a laundry bin full of oil soaked rags that had a chemical reaction. This type of fire can occur when an oil soaked towel or rag is slowly heated to its ignition point through oxidation.

No damage estimate was immediately available. Additional resources that responded to the fire included: eight Engines; four Trucks; one Squad; one Investigator; five Chiefs; and one Rehab rig.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system controls fire at go kart race track

Pole Position Raceway remains open after fire — Firefighters are investigating a blaze that occurred at the Las Vegas branch of Pole Position Raceway on Saturday evening. There is a second Pole Position location in Summerlin. Thirty-nine firefighters arrived at 4175 S. Arville St. to find smoke, according to the Clark County Fire Department.

The building’s sprinkler system held the fire in check until crews were able to extinguish it. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. A damage estimate was not immediately available, but the business remains open.