Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Libertyville, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at restaurant on Easter Sunday

Four people were injured when a fire broke out at an occupied Libertyville restaurant on Easter Sunday, officials say. 

According to the Libertyville Fire Department, firefighters responded to Austin’s Restaurant at 481 Peterson Rd at 1 p.m. When they arrived, people were already evacuating.

Officials say they found smoke coming from the restaurant and a “possible fire in the bar area.”

The sprinkler system extinguished the fire, but heavy smoke remained through the building.

Three people suffered minor smoke inhalation and were treated on the scene. A fourth person sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center.

Fire, smoke, and water damage all affected the restaurant.

The fire is under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Marshalltown, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at veterans home; No injuries reported

The Marshalltown Fire Department was called to battle a small blaze on the fourth floor of the Dack Building on the Iowa Veterans Home campus Tuesday morning, but thankfully, no injuries were reported.

At 4:41 a.m., the MFD was dispatched to IVH for a fire alarm with smoke observed and sprinkler activation reported, according to a press release. Crews arrived to find light smoke and an active sprinkler in a room on the fourth floor of the Dack building.

One resident had been removed from the room prior to the fire department’s arrival. Residents were also evacuated from the wing and several rooms on the floor below.

Fire personnel, assisted by IVH staff, were able to control the sprinkler and did a brief overhaul of the room. It was found that a small fire involving an overheated electronic device as well as a basket, papers, and a window shade had set the sprinkler off and caused a moderate amount of smoke to spread throughout the wing.

Damage from the fire was contained to the room of origin however water from the sprinkler system contributed to damage on several floors. No injuries were reported. Fire personnel were on scene for approximately two hours and were assisted by the Marshalltown Police Department and IVH staff.

Mayor Joel Greer and Commandant Todd Jacobus were both highly complimentary of the fire department’s response to the situation, with Jacobus opining that the MFD “has a great team.” Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact the MFD at 641-754-5751.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

South Windsor, CT – Sprinkler system activated for laundry fire at business

A fire was found in a pile of laundry at a business in South Windsor early Wednesday morning and the fire marshal is working to determine if the business can reopen.

Firefighters were alerted to the fire at Unitex by the fire alarm. The business on S. Satellite Road is a laundry service.

Crews found heavy smoke in the building. Firefighters said there was no visibility in the building, which made finding the fire difficult, but the sprinkler system was activated.

According to fire officials, the fire was found in a pile of laundry. It was put out quickly and was contained to the area.

The crews aired out the remaining smoke and have overhauled the affected area.

The gas and electricity have been temporarily turned off at the building.

The fire marshal is working to determine if the business can reopen.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Bowie, MD – Sprinkler system activated for fire at condo building; No injuries reported

Four residents and multiple dogs had to be rescued from a burning condo building in Prince George’s County on Monday afternoon.

Prince George’s County Fire and EMS first tweeted about the fire around 1:40 p.m. The fire burned through a condo building in the 15600 block of Everglade Lane in Bowie.

The fire department responded just after 1 p.m. Heavy flames were showing through a second and third floor balcony and spread to the roof.

Percy Jacobs was working on a friends apartment across the street when it happened.

“I heard a loud sound, it sounded like a gunshot,” Jacobs said. “I looked out the window and saw a man leaving. Then I saw the flames on the first floor porch, then spread to second floor, then to the third floor.”

Jacobs said he called 911, then noticed people still inside the building.

“I asked 911, ‘Should I go over there? Should I knock on doors and get people out?’ They said, ‘No, stay where you are,'” he said.

“But that is hard. It’s hard to not help when lives are in danger.”

Fire crews got to the scene within minutes.

Four residents and multiple dogs had to be rescued from two different balconies, but no injuries have been reported.

The American Red Cross is on scene to help the affected residents. As many as 12 families were seeking assistance from the Red Cross. It’s not clear if there were more people displaced who didn’t need their help.

The building was equipped with a sprinkler system.

Eighty firefighters were involved in putting out the blaze.

No other details have been released.

Residential, Single Family Home

Hoffman Estates, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at two-story home; No injuries reported

No injuries were reported after fire broke out in a Hoffman Estates home Sunday morning, causing an estimated $400,000 in damage.

Hoffman Estates fire officials said firefighters called at about 10:04 a.m. to the two-story home in the 2100 block of Colchester Avenue arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the garage.

All the home’s occupants had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived and the blaze was under control within about 20 minutes, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had operating smoke detectors and a residential sprinkler system, although the garage had no coverage.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Harlan, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at lodge; No injuries reported

Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen tells KSOM/KS95 News firefighters responded to a fire in a room at the Cyclone Lodge at 2004 23rd Street on Saturday afternoon.

The call went out at 12:50 p.m. Chief Bissen says upon arrival, smoke could be seen coming from the room door. Mutual aid was requested from the Westphalia and Avoca Fire Departments.  When firemen made entry, they found contents left near the furnace, which caught fire and ignited the curtains. The lodge was evacuated.

Chief Bissen says the room sustained smoke and water damage from the sprinkler system, and the ground floor had some smoke damage.

No one was injured in the fire.

Other - Retail, Retail

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Dollar Tree store

A snack aisle at a Dollar Tree caught fire Sunday evening, destroying a shelf and damaging part of the building’s ceiling. 

The Central Fire Department posted pictures of the fire’s aftermath Sunday. Officials said the operational sprinkler system inside the store prevented the fire from spreading, and the scene was under control shortly after the firefighters’ arrival.

There was no immediate known cause of the fire, but the CFD encouraged anyone with information about the fire to contact the Baton Rouge Fire Department.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Newark, DE – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at shopping center; No injuries reported

Fire damaged a recently renovated grocery store in Newark, filling the building with smoke and activating the sprinkler system late Sunday.

The fire was reported at approximately 10:45 p.m. at the Acme in The Grove at Newark, formerly known as College Square Shopping Center.

Firefighters arrived to find debris on fire in one of the aisles. The sprinkler system contained the fire, which was extinguished by firefighters.

The store was open at the time of the fire, but no one was injured.

Deputy Chief A.J. Schall said there was damage to one aisle and likely smoke and water damage throughout the store.

The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, though reports from scene indicated that two juveniles ignited paper towels and then ran out of the store.

The fire came just weeks after Acme completed substantial renovations to the store, including new refrigerator cases, new flooring and a new floral department.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bismarck, ND – Sprinkler system extinguishes stovetop fire at multi-story apartment building; No injuries reported

The Bismarck Fire Department (BFD) was called to the downtown side of the capital city this weekend, as a sprinkler system activated in a multi-story apartment building.

According to a press release from the BFD, at approximately 5:28 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, the group received a call after a report of sprinkler activation at the Heritage Apartments on the 100 block of North 6th Street. Upon arriving on the scene, fire crews noted that the smoke alarm and sprinkler activation came from the fourth floor — and would later detect light smoke in the hallway and water flowing under the door of an apartment.

As they entered, firefighters found that a stovetop fire had been extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system, and that the unit’s occupant evacuated to the ground floor. Following this realization, the water flow from the sprinkler was shut down, and the four floor was ventilated to clear smoke.

No injuries were reported to occupants or firefighters, but three occupants were temporarily displaced due to water damage.

The cause of the fire was determined to be unattended cooking.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Wenatchee, WA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in machinery room; No injuries reported

A fire this morning in the packing line facility at Stemilt Growers halted production temporarily, but left no one injured.

Wenatchee Valley Fire Chief Brian Brett says the fire in a machinery room at the Euclid Avenue complex was reported about 7:53 a.m. But fire suppression systems at the warehouse helped calm the flames, while Stemilt’s emergency protocols got more than 100 people safely out of the building before firefighters arrived.

“Fortunately, the maintenance personnel working there, they shut the breaker off to the machine room where the fire originated,” Brett told NCWLIFE. “A sprinkler head activated, which contained the fire just as they’re supposed to do.”

Brett says the attention to fire protocols in the facility “alleviates a lot of stress for us, because then we know we’re not going in not only to suppress the fire, but to have to look for occupants as well. We can focus exclusively on suppressing the fire.”

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