Category Archives: Other Business

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Nantucket, MA – Sprinkler system helps knock down landfill fire

A construction debris fire this morning at the town landfill was slowed by a new sprinkler system, Nantucket Fire Chief Mark McDougal said.

“Having a system that activated right away saved us a lot of time and effort,” McDougal said.

Fires at the town landfill have, in the past, taken hours and even days to douse but a new building for the construction and building debris that included the sprinkler system made a big difference, he said.

“This wasn’t a big one,” McDougal said about the fire. No one was injured.

The fire department was called at around 9 a.m. to the town property at 188 Madaket Road, McDougal said. The fire started in the far right corner of the building, and the cause has not yet been determined, he said. Possible causes include oily rags, discarded smoking materials or internal combustion, he said.

The fire department was on the scene for two and one-half hours.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Seattle, WA – Sprinklers activate to help limit damage in arson fire

The Seattle Police Department’s Arson Bomb Squad is investigating after the alley entrance door to gay dance club Neighbours was set on fire Friday morning.

Seattle Fire arrived to the scene just after 11:30 AM to find water pouring from the back of the Broadway nightclub after the venue’s fire sprinkler system was activated by the small fire.

The club’s alley doors were burned in the fire but there was no other damage reported beyond the flooding. There were no reported injuries. The club has not announced any closures related to the fire.

The Seattle Fire Marshal has determined that the door fire was intentionally set. SPD is now investigating the incident.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Lexington, KY – Truck fire inside FedEx facility suppressed by sprinkler system

FedEx was forced to suspend operations after a panel truck caught on fire inside a building. Lexington Fire officials say it happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday. The panel truck was inside the building when it caught fire to the engine and set the sprinkler system off.

When firefighters arrived the sprinklers had contained the flames. The truck is totaled and FedEx was forced to cease operation until the scene is cleared. The truck was empty, except for a couple of boxes that didn’t catch fire. No one was hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fire officials are ventilating the building to get the smoke out. The truck will be towed.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Newnan, GA – Potential arson fire at pilates studio controlled by sprinkler system

Authorities with the Newnan Fire Department and the Newnan Police Department are investigating a suspicious fire that severely damaged a Newnan business early Tuesday.

The fire started about 4:20 a.m., shortly after someone was seen banging on the door of The Pilates Loft on Field Street, located in the historic cotton mill, witnesses told detectives. According to Sgt. Brent Blankenship with the police department, witnesses said they saw a Caucasian person carrying a red container, possibly a gasoline can, and they thought they saw the person pour the can around the business. The person then fled in a white vehicle, and flames soon appeared inside the building.

The fire inside The Pilates Loft did not last very long because the sprinkler system in the building kicked on quickly from the heat. By the time the Newnan Fire Department arrived, the fire was mostly contained and firefighters were able to quickly control the fire, but the business sustained heat and smoke damage.

During the investigation, detectives found one of The Pilates Loft’s windows had been shattered, which is possibly where the suspect poured the can into the building, Blankenship said. Because of this, authorities are treating the fire as an arson investigation. According to Blankenship, witnesses said the person may have been a man, but detectives are not certain of that at this time.

Evidence gathered by authorities is also being sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab to determine if an accelerant was used to start the fire, Blankenship said. If so, the crime will be considered arson.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Eden Prairie, MN – Sprinkler system contains fire at business with hydrofluoric acid

Six firefighters were taken to a hospital after they were exposed to hydrofluoric acid on Wednesday, July 15, during a business fire call in Eden Prairie. Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen said the call of a commercial building fire at SVT Associates, 7620 Executive Drive, came in around 4:37 p.m. and the first arriving engine and chiefs got there in less than five minutes. The fire was in one room of an office space occupied by the company.

“The fire sprinkler system was holding the fire in check and fire crews were able to make short work of the remaining fire. After the fire was knocked down and as overhaul was beginning several firefighters began to experience symptoms consistent with a chemical exposure,” he said. “Five firefighters from EP and one from Bloomington were transported to Methodist Hospital where it was determined they had been exposed through their skin with hydrofluoric acid.”

Esbensen said the acid is commonly used in metal etching and stripping. All six firefighters were treated and released by 11:30 p.m. the same day. They have since returned to duty.

There was some loss of equipment as a result of the chemical exposure. Turnout gear that was exposed to the chemical will not be able to be cleaned and there are 13 sets that need to be replaced. Additionally the department is waiting to hear what parts of the self contained breathing apparatus can be cleaned as well as other tools. The department doesn’t have exact replacement costs yet on the gear, but the estimate is around $50,000, Esbensen said.

“There are other items that were impacted but we haven’t determined the best course of action on those yet,” he said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system contains HazMat fire at business

The Virginia Beach Fire Department HazMat teams responded to three separate HazMat incidents Thursday.  Around 2 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to a reported commercial fire at a business in the 2700 Block of Sonic Drive.

Crews found smoke showing from the warehouse area of the business that contained cleaning chemicals. The fire progressed to the ceiling, and sprinkler heads in the building activated to contain the fire. The fire involved cleaning solvents (mineral spirit) and floor wax. HazMat crews monitored the business and surrounding area to ensure the water run-off and atmosphere was not hazardous.

Fire officials said the building suffered minor to moderate fire damage.  There are no hazards to area businesses and no one was injured.  The fire was ruled accidental and unintentional.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Louisville, KY – Sprinkler system credited with controlling fire at recycling plant

A three-alarm fire at a recycling center in Louisville is now under control.  Employees called 911 just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, after failing to extinguish a fire at Recycling Management Resources, or RMR, in the 500 block of Industry Road.

The sprinkler system is being credited for making what could have been a potentially bad situation controllable. Officials said that the fire could have been much worse considering the large inventory of cardboard and other paper products inside.

At the height of the blaze, more than 80 firefighters were working to put it out. There were 18 employees in the building at the time of the fire, but no injuries have been reported. The fire is under control, but fire crews said they will stay on the scene throughout the night.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Other Business

Pottstown, PA – Sprinkler system activates to help save auto restoration business from overnight fire

Seven fire companies responded to an early-morning alarm at the Eastwood Co. warehouse on Robinson Street Thursday for a blaze at the auto restoration supplier.  Pottstown Fire Chief Richard Lengel said the alarm sounded at 4:52 a.m. when the sprinkler system at the business  tripped.

The fire was caused by a malfunction in the conveyer system, although it’s not exactly clear how that happened, Lengel said. All four of Pottstown’s fire companies — Goodwill, Empire, North End and the Phillies — responded to the scene as did Sanatoga, West End and Limerick fire companies from neighboring communities, Lengel said.

New Hanover and Ringing Hill were on call while the fire was being fought. The fire itself was “not very big, it was under control by 5:21 a.m.,” Lengel said.  The primary problem for firefighters was finding the flames.  “The sprinkler did its job, so the place was filled with smoke and we had a hell of a time finding the actual fire,” Lengel said. 

Because of all the automotive restoration products in the building, and the chemicals they contain, Lengel said the firefighters used air masks for the first hour as a precaution.  Estimating the damage is difficult, Lengel said, because he does not know the value of the conveyer system, “which may be computerized, I couldn’t be sure” and because of the amount of water damage done to very specialized automotive products.

 “But without the sprinklers, we wouldn’t have a building, and we would still be there now, and tomorrow and maybe the next day,” Lengel told The Mercury Thursday evening. “I’m serious, that’s a high-rack warehouse in there and who knows how long some of that stuff might have burned.” 

Eastwood Co., a supplier of auto restoration materials started out in Philadelphia in 1978 and has since made its headquarters just off Shoemaker Road in Pottstown. 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cleburne, TX – Sprinklers help extinguish fire caused by welding in paint booth area

A Saturday fire at Greenbrier Rail Services caused minor injury to one worker. Cleburne firefighters responded at about 4 p.m. to the 100 block of Park Street on reports of a structure fire.  Firefighters used about 2,500 gallons of water extinguishing the fire, which was also in part extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

 Firefighters arrived to find heavy black smoke emitting from a building used to paint rail cars.  All employees exited the building before firefighters arrived. A contractor was installing “fall protection” in the paint booth area, according to reports, a process that requires welding. One of the employees was on a scissor lift welding when the fire started, a fire apparently sparked by a spark that came into contact with air filters in the paint booth.

The man on the scissor lift told firefighters the fire spread so fast that he was unable to access the scissor lift’s controls. The man climbed down the side of the scissor lift to escape suffering minor burns in the process. The man was treated on scene and not transported to the hospital.

Another employee standing watch on fire guard told firefighters that the fire spread so quickly that he was unable to extinguish it with an extinguisher.

 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Alexandria, VA – Sprinkler system controls fire at historic Gadsby Tavern Museum

A fire started Monday morning in the attic of Gadsby’s Tavern, according to the City of Alexandria. The City charactered the blaze as a “small fire.” The museum’s sprinkler system discharged and the fire was quickly extinguished by the Alexandria Fire Department and City staff.

The Museum’s 1792 building, including Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant, was affected by the water from the sprinkler system. City staff are following the Museum’s disaster plan to minimize damage to the building and its collection.

The Museum and the Restaurant will open to the public for regular operations on Tuesday, June 30; however, Tuesday evening dance classes at the Museum will be cancelled.

Gadsby’s Tavern is known as a historic treasure. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was the center of social and political life in Alexandria and the new Federal City of Washington. The tavern served as the premier gathering place for residents, including George Washington, and visitors to eat, drink, learn, and influence history. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is located at 134 N. Royal St. in the heart of Old Town Alexandria.