Other - Retail, Retail

Marysville, WA – Sprinkler systems helps control fire at retail store; Fire started in semi-truck attached outside

Firefighters were called to the Value Village store on State Avenue just after midnight Sunday. A fire was burning in a semi-truck attached to the store and had spread into the building, said Christie Veley, spokeswoman for the Marysville Fire District. Crews went through the store’s roof. It took about three hours to bring the blaze under control. A sprinkler system in the store helped limit the spread of the fire. The store was not open Sunday morning, but employees were working on clean-up and hoped to open in the afternoon. Value Village sells second-hand clothes, furniture and other household items. The Snohomish County fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, and plans to review surveillance video from the store.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Nashua, NH – Middle of night nursing home fire contained by sprinkler system

A fire at the Courville Nursing Home early Sunday sent one person to the hospital and forced more than 50 patients to be relocated to another facility, authorities said. One person was taken to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center for evaluation and possible smoke inhalation, according to the fire department. Fire crews responded to 22 Hunt St. just before 2 a.m. and found a fire in one of the patient rooms on the second floor. Staff already had removed two patients from that room. The fire was contained by the activated sprinkler heads. Fire crews put out the remaining fire.

Second-floor patients were removed from the fire area and sheltered in a safe location until areas could be ventilated and water removal efforts completed, according to the fire department.  “Due to smoke and water damage to several wings of the facility, a coordinated effort of Nashua Fire Rescue, Courville Nursing Home and various ambulance providers, 50-plus patients were relocated to Greenbrier Nursing Home until repairs and cleanup in areas of the facility can be completed,” the fire department said.

The cause remains under investigation. “Sprinklers in this case quickly contained the fire until the arrival of the fire department,” authorities said.

Government/Military

Houston, TX – Terminal fire at Bush Intercontinental Airport suppressed with help from sprinkler system

** BLOG NOTE: Smoke does not cause a sprinkler to activate.  Only heat from a fire **
A spokesman for Bush Intercontinental Airport says a sprinkler system was activated when charging batteries began to overheat and sent smoke into a terminal. Spokesman Bill Begley says the fire alarm in Terminal E was sounded just before 1 a.m. Friday.  Houston police earlier said a small fire occurred in the terminal but Begley says there were no flames. He says the batteries, which were charging in a utility closet, just produced smoke.  There was some disruption because a cleaning crew needed time to clean up the water from the sprinklers.  Police told the Houston Chronicle that flights could be disrupted, but Begley says the incident did not result in any delays.

Other Business

Grand Junction, CO – Sprinkler system activates to help control fire at custom door business

Investigators are trying to figure out what started a fire at a local business Wednesday night. It happened at Alpine Custom Doors in the 2800 block of Chipeta Avenue in Grand Junction, that’s north of I-70B, off of 28 1/2 Road.  The Grand Junction Fire Department said the flames started behind the building, then spread to the exterior of and eventually the inside of the building.  No one was inside at the time and no one was hurt.  We’re told a sprinkler system did go off during the fire.  There’s no word right now on the cause or the extent of the damage.  Officials remind everyone that dangerous burning conditions still exist. During red flag warnings, and Stage 1 fire restrictions all burning is banned.

Place of Worship

Fort Wayne, IN – Sprinkler system saves church from significant damage in late evening fire

A small fire at Love Church on East Berry Street Wednesday night was largely put out by the building’s sprinkler system. Fort Wayne firefighters were dispatched shortly before 11 p.m. to 1331 East Berry Street, when the fire alarm activated.  Fire officials said the building’s fire suppression united put out most of the flames. Once firefighters got into the building they located a small fire in a storage area. Officials said a pile of items on the floor caught fire and put out a lot of smoke.  The fire was quickly contained by crews and the building was ventilated. Officials said had the sprinkler system not activated there could have been major damage to the church.  No one was inside at the time of the fire.  No injuries were reported.  It’s unclear how the fire started.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Columbia, MO – Hallway fire at senior living center suppressed by sprinkler system

The Columbia Fire Department responded to a report of a fire alarm with smoke in a hallway at 3700 Lenoir St (Lenoir Senior Services) on Thursday.  The fire started on the stove of an unoccupied apartment had been extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system when crews got to the apartment. There were no reported injuries and damage was limited to the one apartment. Smoke and water damages are estimated at $15,000.  According to the official release, Assistant Fire Marshal Kyle Edwards investigated the fire and has ruled the fire accidental. The cause was a stove being inadvertently turned on, igniting combustibles being used to pack items for a move. No one was in the apartment at the time of the fire.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Mercer Island, WA – Parking garage fire at retirement facility extinguished with help from sprinkler system

The Mercer Island Fire Department responded to reports of smoke coming from a parking garage of a retirement facility at the 2900 block of 76th Ave. SE at 2:48 p.m. on Wednesday. The building sustained limited damage caused by smoke. Two staff members were taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation, but no residents or firefighters were injured.  As units were in route to the incident, additional reports were received indicating a car was on fire in the parking garage of the building. The alarm was immediately upgraded and additional units were requested. Two staff members tried to extinguish the fire with portable fire extinguishers with limited success prior to the arrival of the fire units. 

Arriving on scene within minutes, firefighters noticed a car fire burning within the garage causing a heavy smoke conditions, but were able to extinguish this fire with no extension beyond the vehicle in the parking garage. The staff, and residents, were alerted to shelter in place and close all windows and doors. The sprinkler system within the structure was activated and assisted with extinguishment of the fire, along with a single attack hoseline.  The four-story retirement facility was occupied with 47 residents and approximately 20 staff members when the fire started. Three Mercer Island, three Bellevue fire units, and three ambulances were used to mitigate the incident.

Other Business

Joplin, MO – Fire at uniform business held in check by sprinkler system; Spontaneous combustion cited as cause

A fire Wednesday night at the Clean The Uniform Co. plant in Joplin is believed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion of some rag materials.  The Joplin Fire Department responded to a 10:18 p.m. report of the fire at 1609 E. Falcon St. and found fire in the center of the floor near an industrial washer and dryer.  The building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system had been activated before the arrival of firefighters, who put the fire out and were on the scene until 11:48 p.m. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.  The Webb City Fire Department also responded to the fire and assisted at the scene.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Moses Lake, WA – Sprinkler system activates to help stop fire at grocery store deli

The Moses Lake Safeway was evacuated Tuesday morning after a fire started in the deli section.

Moses Lake firefighters responded to find heavy smoke coming from the roof vents, according to Assistant Fire Chief Pete Kunjara.

The fire is out and firefighters are assessing the damage. Kunjara said the store’s sprinkler system did activate. It’s unclear if the flames caused damage to the roof.

No injuries were reported.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Davis, CA – Sprinkler limits fire damage in on-campus residence hall; No injuries reported

UC Davis students were displaced from their dormitory Sunday after a stovetop fire triggered the building’s sprinkler system, according to the Davis Fire Department. Officials said burning oil caught fire in a fourth-floor unit at 8th and Wake, 1440 Wake Forest Dr., at about 8 p.m. The fire activated the sprinkler system, which soaked that unit as well as three below it.  No injuries were reported. About eight or nine students were displaced due to the water damage, but the building owner pledged to put them up in hotel rooms until they could return to their residences, fire officials said. Both Davis and UC Davis fire crews responded to the scene.

Simple Share Buttons