Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Huntsville, AL – Sprinkler system keeps overnight hotel fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A fire in a Huntsville hotel room caused guests to be evacuated overnight after it activated the business’ sprinkler system. Firefighters were called to InTown Suites Extended-Stay, located just off of University Drive, just before 1:30 a.m. after the fire caused sprinklers on the second floor to go off. Several rooms were left with water damage. The fire was ruled to be accidental and guests and staff were allowed back in the building a short time later.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Charlotte, NC – Clothes dryer fire in middle school locker room is contained by sprinkler system

Practice made perfect for the student body of Randolph Middle Thursday morning; the school had two fire alarms: the first one was a drill, the second which occurred about an hour later, was real.

“We received additional calls from CMPD we had a fire in a room attached to the gym, flames in the room, the fire was upgraded. Once firefighters arrived on the scene, had light smoke showing,” said Captain Jackie Gilmore of the Charlotte Fire Department.

Firefighters said that some flammable items like cloth or paper had been left on a running drier and caught fire. “This fire did not get into the school, smoke did not get into any part of the structure.”

A working sprinkler system contained the fire, there was no structure damage. “This was part of a locker room to a back hallway, so all the smoke was contained and the fire department checked the building and said we were clear to go back in,” said Principal Brian Bambauer.

Fire officials said the timing of the drill was perfect and that the students learned first hand how important it is to know what to do in an emergency. Two employees suffered minor smoke inhalation and were treated at the school; there were no other injuries.  Investigators have labeled the incident an accident.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Cottonwood, AZ – Sprinkler system stops overnight fire at church from spreading

Shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, the Cottonwood Fire and Medical Department was sent to a structure fire at the River Community Church on the water tank hill above the 400 block of South Willard Street. Fire personnel said that flames were visible from a block away. The main body of the fire was located in a utility sub-structure attached to the main church building, containing heating and cooling system ductwork.

The fire had breached the wall of the sub-structure and extended into the sanctuary of the church where flames were stopped by church’s fire sprinkler system. The fire was controlled within 30 minutes, however the blaze took about an hour to fully extinguish.

Fire damage was extensive to the HVAC sub-structure and there was additional fire damage to walls and adjacent roof and ceiling areas of the sanctuary. There was also smoke damage throughout the structure as well as some water damage to furnishings. Clarkdale Fire District and Verde Valley Ambulance Company assisted Cottonwood Fire with support.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Church Hill, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Baptist church

Six thousand dollars in reward money is being offered by the First Baptist Church of Church Hill ($5,000) and the Church Hill Police Department ($1,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for an early Wednesday burglary and fire at the First Baptist Church of Church Hill on East Main Boulevard.

The church sustained fire, smoke and water damage early Wednesday apparently after burglars started two fires in the sanctuary. On Wednesday afternoon, Church Hill Police Chief Mark Johnson issued a news release on Wednesday afternoon about the incident in which he asked that anyone with knowledge of the crime call police.

“On March 23rd at approximately 2:50 a.m., officers with the Church Hill Police Department responded to a fire alarm at the First Baptist Church of Church Hill located at 202 E. Main Blvd.,” Chief Johnson wrote in the news release. “Church Hill Officers observed flames inside the sanctuary. The Church Hill Fire Department was paged out and responded to the scene. The fire was quickly extinguished by a combination of the sprinkler system and responding firefighters. However, the church was heavily damaged by smoke and water from the sprinkler system.”

The fire chief noted that by the time firefighters entered the church sanctuary, the church’s fire sprinklers had discharged, extinguishing the two fires in the altar area of the church. “We didn’t have to use any water to put out the fires,” Chief Wood said. “But the sanctuary was filled with smoke and we used fans to get as much of it out as possible.”

Firefighters quickly determined that the two sanctuary fires had been intentionally set, Chief Wood said. He noted that the fires remain under investigation by the Church Hill Police Department. A police spokesperson said this morning that a report about the fire was not yet on file and that Police Chief Mark Johnson was not available for comment.

The police chief noted in the news release that a CHPD investigation revealed that someone (likely more than one) gained entry to the church by an unknown means. “There is a possibility that the suspect(s) had access to one or more keys to the church,” Chief Johnson wrote.

However they entered the church, the suspect(s) committed petty vandalism by pouring toilet bowl cleaner onto the floor, the chief noted in news release. The suspect(s) also committed theft by removing multiple miscellaneous items from the locked music room, then placing the items in a pile outside (the church) before abandoning them, the chief wrote.

 “The suspect(s) deliberately set two fires near the stage/altar,” Chief Johnson wrote. “One in the middle. The other on the left side on the steps leading to the altar. we are estimating the fire, smoke, and water damage will end up exceeding a million dollars. We are excluding no one as a suspect, however, this may have crime may have been committed by young people.”

The chief also noted that Church Hill police are in possession of items the suspect(s) handled and will be forwarding them to the TBI crime lab with a request to detect latent fingerprints. “We have also made a request to obtain video footage of a nearby business with surveillance equipment,” Chief Johnson wrote.

The chief noted that First Baptist Church of Church Hill is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the damage while the Church Hill Police Department is offering a separate $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible.

“I am asking anyone with any information on this despicable crime to contact us immediately by calling (423) 357-7181 or (423) 357-3487,” Chief Johnson wrote.

Apartment Building, Residential

Moncton, NB, Canada – Sprinklers keep overnight kitchen fire from spreading at high-rise apartment building; No injuries

About 100 people were displaced from their apartments in a Moncton building overnight after a relatively minor fire in the kitchen area of one unit on Tuesday at around midnight. The fire in one unit of six-storey building triggered the sprinkler system in the building to go off and smoke spread to other units.

“There was a small grease fire on the stovetop on one of the apartment units on the third floor,” said fire prevention officer Steve Richardson. “There was minimal damage from the fire and smoke but the heat activated three sprinkler heads. So there was heavy water damage to the apartment and the two floors below the fire floor.

“It extinguished the fire really quickly but until the crews were able to get there and plug those sprinkler heads, there was a lot of water that ran through the building and the floors below from where the fire was.” Michael R. LeBlanc, who lives in the building, said the events were “a little foggy for me.”

“I have health issues, so it takes a while to get going. It took me a while to put warm clothes on.” LeBlanc said he saw water on some floors, but none on his, so he went back to bed. At 4 a.m he was awakened by a firefighter in his bedroom. “I was quite startled by that. He told that you have to pack up,” he said.

Red Cross found lodging, food for 60 people The 50-unit Belmar Plaza building at 460 Mountain Rd. is owned by Killam Properties, which was able to provide furnished apartments in some of its other Moncton properties for the tenants of five units.

The Canadian Red Cross arranged for hotel lodging and food for 51 adults and nine children from 23 units. Five of the apartments in the building were vacant at the time of the fire. All other tenants made their own arrangements for temporary places to stay.

Most residents were able to retrieve clothing and personal items before leaving. All residents were allowed back into their apartments on Wednesday, with the exception of those living in the unit where the fire happened. There were no injuries reported.

Other - Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Lexington, KY – Fire at wood truss manufacturer controlled by sprinkler system

Lexington firefighters believe dry conditions may have contributed to the quick spread of a fire Tuesday night that damaged the Bluegrass Truss Co building on Lima Drive.

The fire department got a call from the building’s alarm company about 6:20 p.m. about smoke alarms going off, Battalion Chief Mark Harvey said. One person was in the building and called to confirm there was a fire when he saw the warehouse was filling with smoke.

Harvey said the fire likely started in a container for discarded cigarettes. The fire was ruled as an accident. The flames spread quickly up a side wall and into the roof and trusses, Harvey said. The sprinkler system helped keep the fire under control until firefighters arrived.

The building was damaged, but it would probably be able to be repaired quickly, Harvey said. Wind and dry conditions have led to a city-wide burn ban that will continue into Wednesday. Harvey said those conditions may have led to the quick spread of the fire on Lima Drive.

The fire department responded to several mulch fires throughout the day Tuesday that were also thought to be a result of dry conditions.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

South Bend, IN – Fire at metal finishing business extinguished by sprinkler system

The South Bend Fire Department was called to a fire at Pioneer Metal Finishing on Foundation Drive just before 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. When firefighters arrived, they could see smoke inside the building through the windows. They forced their way into the building and discovered the fire had been put out by the building’s sprinkler system. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lexington, KY – Fire at off-campus apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire above a stove in the University Village Apartments on Simpson Avenue in Lexington Tuesday night was extinguished by the sprinkler system, which kept the fire from spreading, according to fire investigators. The fire was out before firefighters arrived. Investigators say there was minimal smoke and fire damage to the apartment and no smoke damage. All of the occupants evacuated as a precaution. The people who live in the apartment will be able to stay there, according to investigators. No one was hurt, according to firefighters. In addition to the effective sprinkler system, all of the smoke detectors also functioned properly, according to investigators.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Dandridge, TN – Fire at monofilaments plant extinguished by sprinklers; System credited with averting disaster

A fire suppression system averted potential disaster last Thursday afternoon at the Wetekam Monofilaments USA manufacturing facility in Dandridge. Fire Chief Andy Riley reported that the department responded at 12:07 p.m. to a fire alarm at the 93,000 square foot building, where a fire had filled the machine shop with thick smoke.

“The visibility was zero inside the building, but we were able to use a thermal imaging camera to determine that the fire had been put out by six sprinkler heads that had been activated.” Based in Germany, Wetekam makes yarns that are used in the weaving, automotive, medical, upholstery, and other industries. The company has over 30 workers locally and invested several million dollars in its plant in the Jefferson County Industrial Park.

Riley said all workers were evacuated from the building but were expected to be able to return to work this week since fire damage was contained to the machine shop wall and did not affect the production line. “This was a case where the fire suppression system did the job it was designed to do,” he said. “The back wall was apparently lit up in flames when the call came in, but the sprinklers got it out quickly.”

The fire was accidental, but the cause has not been determined, the chief said. No one was injured. The machine shop was unoccupied when the fire started, but employees in the general area reported hearing a crash before smelling smoke, Riley reported.

Firefighters were on the scene for about three hours at the 956 Pine drive building clearing smoke from the interior with heavy fans. Firefighters also used a power saw to cut into the rear wall and remove damaged insulation.

Volunteer firefighters from Kansas-Talbott and Lakeway Central responded under mutual aid but were diverted to another call in their district, Riley said. New Market and White Pine volunteer firefighters then responded to the Pine Drive location. A total of 22 firefighters worked on the operation.

Wetekam, one of the largest monofilament makers in Europe, bought the Dandridge plant two years ago. The company was established in 1965.

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