Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Reidsville, NC – Arson fire at Food Lion grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Two fires ignited in Reidsville businesses on Saturday, Feb. 18, but officials say there is no connection … Less than 22 hours later, at 11:24 p.m., Reidsville Police, Reidsville Fire and the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to Food Lion in reference to a fire.  Inside, officials found a man actively damaging property.   The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Annie Penn Hospital, according to a news release.

Harris said a suspect broke a window, entered the store, caused damage and used a lighter to ignite paper products on aisle eight, including toilet paper and paper towels. This set off two overhead sprinklers which suppressed the fire.  There was limited fire damage to the building.  The officials arrived at 11:28 p.m. and the situation was under control by 11:37 p.m.

Other Business

Falmouth, MA – Dryer fire at commercial building controlled with help from sprinkler system

Fire and rescue responded with a full structure response to the report of a dryer fire at 263 Grand Ave, the British Beer Co building in Falmouth Heights Tuesday just after 11AM.  The fire was quickly controlled with the help of the sprinkler system in the Inn that shares the building. Falmouth Fire officials were investigating the fire during overhaul.  No injuries were reported.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Rutland, VT – Firefighters credit sprinkler system with extinguishing fire at manufacturing business

State officials say a sprinkler system, designed to suppress fires, might have helped to contain a fire in a city building last week. According to a statement released by the Vermont Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety, the fire was reported on Feb. 16 at Questech Labs, a business within GSM Properties on Park Street in Rutland.

The Rutland City Fire Department responded to alarms at the building about 8:50 p.m. The first of the firefighters who reached the scene said they heard fire alarms sounding and smelled something burning that seemed to be coming from the second floor. There were also light smoke conditions at the scene, the statement said.

Firefighting crew members noticed heavier smoke conditions and the sound of sprinklers dispensing water in the Questech offices on the second floor. Inside, they found two sprinkler heads had activated, which firefighters believed was responsible for extinguishing the fire within the room.  The offices were ventilated by firefighters and the sprinkler system was turned off. Firefighters found no other fire within the offices.

The origin of fire was found next to a shop vacuum cleaner but the cause has not been determined and no estimate is yet available for the damage. However, initial reports indicate damage was limited to water and smoke inside the office.  Rutland Deputy Fire Chief Brad LaFaso said Tuesday that he wasn’t one of the firefighters on scene Feb. 16, but he understood it was a small fire and there were no injuries involved in the incident.

The statement pointed out that GSM Properties is a large industrial building that provides space for Green Mountain Window, the Vermont Food Bank, Stratabond and Tatum’s Totes. The companies, which collectively employ about 85 people, were able to open as scheduled Feb. 17. “This event illustrates the benefits of a properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler system. The fire was contained to the point of origin, which minimized property damage, curtailed the risk to first responders and ensured businesses in the building could open as usual and employees had a place to work,” the statement said.

LaFaso called sprinkler systems “very important.” He said in many fires, the suppression system keeps the fire in check and limits the hazards the firefighters will face when bringing it under control. Michael Desrochers, executive director of the Vermont Division of Fire Safety, said he had been in the business for almost 30 years. Across that span, he has seen many examples that illustrate the importance of sprinkler system.  “ Automatic sprinkler systems that are properly installed and maintained are likely to contain a fire to the point of origin, reducing property damage and loss of life. A properly installed and maintained sprinkler system will prevent flashover from occurring inside the structure, reducing the risk of first responders being injured,” he said.  During a flashover, a number of very hot objects or surfaces can burst into flames in an enclosed area because of the high temperatures during a fire.

Desrochers said a fire department will likely use a lot more water to contain a fire than the amount of water from a sprinkler head. He pointed out that a sprinkler system can have an economic advantage by protecting buildings, many of them commercial, where people work. In a state such as Vermont, Desrochers said, they can also protect buildings with historic value that cannot be replaced.  Many buildings, especially commercial buildings, may require sprinkler systems based on their use, size and commercial materials, Desrochers said.

A call to Questech was not returned on Tuesday. According to its website, the company makes decorative tiles based on hand-carved designs, made of “a proprietary composite that uses premium metal or natural stone” to be used in interior walls.  The company has about 65 employees.

More information about sprinkler systems in Vermont is available online at www.firesafety.vermont.gov.

Other - Residential, Residential

Charleston, SC – Early morning fire at short-term rental property contained by sprinkler system

Firefighters with the City of Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire in downtown Charleston this morning just after 3:30 a.m., according to Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. The alarm company reported an automatic fire alarm at a residential short-term rental property on Spring Street.  Emergency responders from the Charleston Fire Department were dispatched to the alarm and arrived in less than three minutes, according to Julazadeh.

Additional information was provided by a 911 caller advising that a fire had occurred in the kitchen and the incident was upgraded to a structure fire, sending additional resources from Charleston, North Charleston, and Saint Andrews Fire Departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department, he said. Emergency responders arrived to a four story building, that included retail sales on the first floor and a three story rental unit above, as the tenants were self-evacuating.  Responders searched the property, verified the fire was contained by the fire sprinkler system, controlled the water flow from the sprinkler, and ventilated the building. Investigators from the Fire Marshal Division Fire Investigation Team responded to the scene to review the incident.

The home was occupied at the time of the emergency and the residents woke to the sound of the activated fire alarm, he said. Occupants discovered the fire in the kitchen area and noted an activated fire sprinkler, called 911, and utilized a fire extinguisher to further suppress the fire. The occupants then proceeded out of the building as the fire department arrived on scene. Investigators determined the fire originated within the kitchen trashcan and was likely caused by discarded cooking items.

“A number of critical fire safety elements were instrumental in providing for the safety of the occupants and minimizing the damage to the building,” said Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. “First, fire inspections were previously completed as part of the approval process of the rental in order to verify code compliance and maintenance of the fire protection systems. Second, the fire alarm system detected the incident, alerted the occupants, and provided automatic notification to 911. Third, the fire sprinkler system contained the fire and prevented a significant loss to the property or the adjoining properties that are in close proximity. All of these components created a life safety system that prevented injury and minimized the potential loss.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Wisconsin Dells, WI – Apartment fire knocked down by sprinkler system; Fire started outside unit

A sprinkler system kept a small fire from being much worse last Sunday in Wisconsin Dells. Kilbourn volunteer firefighters responded to reports of an outdoor blaze at the three-building Stepping Stones complex on Vine Street near downtown.  Thanks in large part to the main apartment building’s built-in, outdoor sprinkler, plus quick action with a fire extinguisher by a Wisconsin Dells police responder, the fire was mostly out by the time the firefighters arrived.  “By the time we got there the sprinkler system had knocked it down pretty well,” said Kilbourn Assistant Fire Chief Pat Gavinski.  The building occupants were not at home at the time, Gavinski said, and the cause of the outdoor fire is still undetermined but it did start outside.  The built-in sprinkler’s role in controlling and ultimately extinguishing the blaze was certain in the mind of Gavinski and Dells Fire Inspector Jerry Wolfram

Department Store, Retail

Wilmington, DE – Fire at Macy’s Department Store suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire at Macy’s in Concord Mall caused an estimated $150,000 in damages Thursday afternoon, according to fire officials. The blaze was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at the mall on Concord Pike in Brandywine Hundred, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael G. Chionchio in a press release.  Most of the fire damage occurred in a clothing storage area off the main sales floor, but smoke filled the department store, Chionchio said. The fire was suppressed by the building’s sprinkler system, he said.  The Talleyville Fire Company and several neighboring fire companies responded to the fire.  No injuries were reported, Chionchio said. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the origin and cause of the fire.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Huntington, WV – Arena fire controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries and no events canceled

Firefighters responded to a fire Friday morning at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington. Crews were able to quickly put out the fire, which started in an administrative office. The sprinkler system helped in the fire.  About 15 to 20 employees were in the building at the time.  No one was reported hurt in the incident.  Events at the arena will continue as normal.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Armstrong, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system douses fire; Assist firefighters in controlling fire in commercial building

There was very little sleep for Armstrong-Spallumcheen firefighters. The volunteer firefighters were first called to a blaze in downtown Armstrong Wednesday night and then to a fire at a Spallumcheen farm early Thursday morning.  “Our crew did a terrific job,” said Ian Cummings, fire chief.  The first call came in at 10:21 p.m. Wednesday at the Rose Valley Square on Pleasant Valley Road in Armstrong.  “The sprinkler was activated and there was smoke in the building,” said Cummings.   It’s believed spontaneous combustion caught some oily rags on fire, but the sprinkler was able to douse the flames.

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