Residential, Single Family Home Novato, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes garage fire in million dollar home under construction April 10, 2017 viking210 A fire sprinkler extinguished a fire sometime Thursday or early Friday that would have destroyed a Novato home worth more than a million dollars, fire officials said. The fire occurred between the time construction workers left the home in the 100 block of San Domingo Way Thursday and Friday morning when the general contractor stopped by. Firefighters went to the three-story home at about 6:45 a.m. Friday to check whether any fire was left in the walls or other concealed places. Firefighters used thermal cameras and found the fire was indeed extinguished. “The home would have been a complete loss” if not for the sprinkler, Battalion Chief Bill Tyler said in a statement. Fire officials believe the fire started when rags used to do some staining in the home Thursday spontaneously ignited in a bucket in the garage. The home is under renovations and no one was in the home when the fire occurred. The sprinkler system had been connected to a water supply three days before the fire, according to fire officials. The sheet rock in the home was damaged by smoke, but the structural part of the home was not damaged, fire officials said. According to Tyler, when the fire sprinkler contractor came to replace the sprinkler head that had activated the general contractor gave the sprinkler contractor a bear hug and said, “Thank you! Your sprinklers saved the house.”
College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential, School / University Glassboro, NJ – Fire in university residence hall put out by sprinkler system; No injuries reported April 9, 2017 viking210 Residents of Mimosa Hall were forced to evacuate their dorms shortly before noon on Friday, after a fire started in a dorm on the first floor of the residential hall, according to a Rowan Alert sent to students across campus. Firemen from Washington, Harrison and Glassboro townships and other first responders quickly arrived at the scene to contain the fire while residents waited outside. Students were notified at the time by a mass text sent out by the university. No one was harmed during the initial fire. Rowan spokesman Joe Cardona said that when he left the scene, firefighters still hadn’t determined the cause of the blaze. “When you look at the room, it’s like whatever the fire was down on the ground in the corner,” Cardona said. Cardona also said the sprinkler system activated and put out the fire, which caused water damage to the first floor of Mimosa hall and the six students in the dorm where the fire started will be temporarily relocated until rooms are cleaned. Freshman history major and resident of Mimosa, Julianne Tarrant, said while she was not in the building at the time of the fire, she had heard that the fire may have been caused by a box fan in the window of the dorm. Madison Klunk, an undeclared freshman living in the building, said the evacuation order was a major hassle for her. “My aunt’s here to pick me up, and I can’t get in the building to get any of my clothes,” Klunk said. “So I’m going to have to leave and come back later and get it, and that’s an issue.”
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Salem, VA – Overnight fire at tire manufacturer controlled with help from sprinkler system April 9, 2017 viking210 A fire at Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem early Friday morning damaged part of the facility. Salem Fire & EMS went to the building in the 1500 block of Indiana Street about 2 a.m., according to the department. All employees inside the facility were safely evacuated. The fire started at a mixer machine in the plant, according to a statement from the company. The sprinkler system was triggered. The type of rubber that caught fire causes a lot of smoke, the company said. The first crew arrived within six minutes of the call and found heavy fire coming from one side of the building. The two-alarm fire also required assistance from Roanoke Fire-EMS and Roanoke County Fire & Rescue. The first firefighters on scene were able to get the fire under control within about 30 minutes. The fire was contained to one part of the building, which sustained significant damage from the fire. Damage from the fire required extensive salvage and overhaul operations. An estimate of the damage was not available Friday morning. The plant was shut down at 4 a.m. and most areas of the plant resumed operations Friday morning, the company said. About 32 people from fire and rescue agencies responded to the call. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Salem plant manufactures passenger, high-performance and light-truck tires and is one of Salem’s largest employers.
Other Business Mesa, AZ – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in commercial building fire April 6, 2017 viking210 Fire damaged a portion of a commercial complex in Mesa on Wednesday morning, Mesa fire officials said. The fire occurred in the 1700 block of West Baseline Road, just east of Dobson Road, said Deputy Chief Forrest Smith of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department. Two suites in the complex were damaged in the fire, which forced the evacuation of several other businesses, Smith said. Firefighters had the blaze under control in 22 minutes, Smith said, adding that a sprinkler system helped stop the fire from spreading to other suites. “These are important and why fire departments advocate for buildings to be sprinklered,” he said. “They certainly can save lives and property.” Crews from the Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe fire departments also responded.
Fire / Police Station, Government/Military Burbank, IL – Fire in locker room of police station controlled by building’s sprinkler system April 5, 2017 viking210 No one was injured when the southwest suburban Burbank Police Station caught fire Sunday night. A small fire broke out about 7:25 p.m. in a locker room on the lower level of the police station, according to a statement from Burbank police. The Burbank Fire Department, as well as several other area fire departments, responded to put out the fire, which was confined to a couple of lockers. Police said the building sustained heavy smoke damage, some fire damage and water damage. The fire was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system. An early investigation suggests that the fire originated near an electrical outlet within a locker and does not seem to be suspicious in nature, police said. No injuries were reported, and no prisoners were inside the building at the time of the fire. Neither the communications or emergency operating systems were affected, so the fire will not impede police functions, police said
Food Processing, Manufacturing Kent, WA – Fire in deep fryer at food processing plant contained with help from sprinkler system April 5, 2017 viking210 A fire that broke out at a food processing plant in Kent Friday night was accidental, a Puget Sound Fire investigator says. The fire was reported around 10:50 p.m. and started in a deep fryer, Kyle Ohashi with the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority said. Firefighters arrived to find flames reaching to the top of the two-story building. An automatic sprinkler held the fire in check until firefighters were able to put out the flames, Ohashi said. 70 employees were evacuated from the building. Ohashi said the company determined that everyone escaped safety. No injuries were reported. At least a portion of the plant will be shut down for an undetermined period of time while crews clean up the scene, Ohashi said.
Other Business Houston, TX – Sprinkler system suppresses high-rise fire on 25th floor; No injuries April 4, 2017 viking210 An electrical short in a water cooler sparked a one-alarm fire Sunday morning in a Houston high-rise. Responding fire crews swarmed a tower in the 2000 block of West Loop South just after 9 a.m., according to Houston Fire Department spokesman Ruy Lozano. But by the time firefighters got up to the 25th floor, the sprinklers had mostly extinguished the blaze and created “cold smoke” clinging to the floor. “Smoke typically has a high temperature and rises, but because it was cooled by the sprinkler head it hugs the floor,” Lozano explained. “It is a typical phenomenon to see in high-rise firefighting when sprinklers extinguish fires.” Firefighters would typically clear out smoke through roof hatches. But given the stormy weather and low smoke, that approach didn’t work Sunday morning so crews were still on scene by noon, trying to find other ways to evacuate the smoke. The building was mostly empty at the time of the fire, although custodial staff and security were evacuated. No one was injured. Arson investigators are still making an official determination on the cause of the fire, but Lozano said there is no reason to believe it was set intentionally.
Department Store, Retail Northridge, CA – Trash compactor fire at Kohl’s store limited with help from sprinkler system April 4, 2017 viking210 Los Angeles firefighters doused a dumpster fire on Saturday morning that broke out behind a Kohl’s store in Northridge. The blaze began at 8:18 a.m. at a combination compactor-dumpster that spanned the outside and inside of the Kohl’s store at 8800 Corbin Ave., said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. It took 34 firefighters 21 minutes to snuff it out. A fire sprinkler system helped lesson the damage to store equipment and its loading dock, Humphrey said. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire and damages were under investigation.
Apartment Building, Residential Halifax, NS, Canada – Suspicious fire in common area of 12-story apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system April 3, 2017 viking210 Police are investigating two suspicious fires in just 10 days in a common room of a Dartmouth apartment building. The first fire was reported on March 18 at 5:37 p.m. A Halifax Regional Police news release says someone lit something on fire in the common room at Alderney Manor on Alderney Drive. The sprinkler system was activated and the fire extinguished. On Tuesday, there was a second fire in the same common room around 12:44 p.m. Police say some residents of the building tried to put it out but couldn’t and had to call the fire department. No one was injured in either case. Police say investigators are looking into whether the fires are related and ask anyone with information about these incidents to call police at 902-490-5020. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail Bozeman, MT – Electrical equipment fire at Target store held in check by sprinkler system April 3, 2017 viking210 Target had an unexpected mid-day closure yesterday afternoon, after a small fire started from malfunctioning electrical equipment. An electrical problem, also affecting other stores in the area, may have occurred as a result of the Baxter Lane rollover. There were no injuries and the sprinkler system clicked on immediately. It was contained to the entrance of the store.
