Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Thousand Oaks, CA – Arson fire at Planned Parenthood facility is extinguished by sprinkler system

Authorities today are investigating the arson fire late Wednesday night in the lobby of the Planed Parenthood facility in Thousand Oaks.

The fire alarm sounded at 11:28 p.m. in the building at 1200 Hillcrest Drive, said Capt. Mike Lindbery of the Ventura County Fire Department, and only one engine responded because it was a commercial building and not a residence.

“When they arrived on scene, they found a window broken out and a fire sprinkler system functioning,” Lindbery said. “Upon further investigation, they discovered the smell of gasoline in the room, and it appeared a small fire had broken out and it had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.”

Firefighters shut off the sprinkler system and called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation.

Investigators have a brief video of a suspect but they cannot tell if it was a man or woman.

“One suspect approached the clinic and used the rock to break the glass and tossed an accelerant inside and ignited it,” said Capt. John Reilly of the sheriff’s department.

“We have a brief video of someone walking by the location wearing a hoodie and face mask completely concealing (their) identity. Judging by the walk, they think it was a male.”

The broken window has been boarded up and a Planned Parenthood official said the office was closed but will open again, although no date was given, Reilly said.

The damage to the facility is still being assessed. Reilly said fire officials told him that the water from the sprinklers did more damage than the fire.

The fire comes as the organization is the focus of a contentious nationwide debate about government funding of Planned Parenthood.

This week Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards faced tough questions from Republicans at a congressional hearing about the organization’s business practices.

The battle broke out in July when videos were released by a group of anti-abortion activists who claimed Planned Parenthood has illegally profited from the sale of fetal tissue.

Wednesday night’s attack drew a sharp response from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

“The toxic rhetoric directed at Planned Parenthood has dangerous consequences. It sends a signal that using violence to close clinics and intimidate health care professionals and women is ‘OK.’ It is not,” she said in a statement.

“I’m grateful that no one in Thousand Oaks was hurt. My thoughts today are with the clinic’s staff, who provide compassionate care in spite of challenges no health care provider should have to face.”

Amy Everitt, state director at NARAL Pro-Choice California, also castigated the arson attack.

“This is domestic terrorism, plain and simple. Extremists who will stop at nothing to deny women legal abortion services. We have seen numerous examples of violence against abortion providers across the country over the last few years and we call on all, no matter what side of this debate you may fall on, to condemn this horrendous action.”

Other - Retail, Retail

Center Point, AL – Sprinkler system credited with saving business, shopping center

A sprinkler system is being credited with saving a Center Point business from burning to the ground early Wednesday morning. Someone driving past the Center Point Shopping center noticed smoke coming from the Cleaners and called 911.

Firefighters arrived on scene at 1:30 a.m., but the sprinklers had already extinguished the fire. Center Point Fire Chief Donnie West tells ABC 33/40, the situation could have been much worse had the sprinklers not put the fire out.

The buildings in the shopping center are all connected and West says flammable chemicals inside the business would have quickly caused the fire to spread. The cause of what started the fire remains under investigation.

 

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Kilgore, TX – Sprinkler system contains fire at packaging manufacturer; Facility fully operational

All employees in the Pak-Sher facility Sunday night were out of the building in less than one minute after fire alarms alerted the 30 to 35 people inside to the danger.

“I actually do two fire drills a year because you never know what’s going to happen, just like what happened to us Sunday night, and the training paid off,” Pak-Sher Safety Coordinator Jeremy Spier said Tuesday morning, adding the company’s emergency response team was able to get everyone out of the building “promptly and safely.”

The fire, the cause of which is still under investigation, began in the building’s sample room between 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday night. Kilgore Fire Department responded, along with mutual aid from Sabine Volunteer Fire Department and Longview Fire Department, Assistant Kilgore Fire Chief Mike Simmons said.

“Heavy smoke was coming out of the west side of the building,” he said. By the time the fire crews responded, though, Pak-Sher President Troy Fischer said, the sprinkler systems had extinguished the majority of the fire.

The employees returned to work in the facility within two hours of the fire once they were cleared to do so by KFD, Fischer said. “We’re fully operational,” Spier said. “We’re good to go.”

With the sprinkler system and the firewalls, he said, the fire was contained to the sample room and did not affect the connected training room. “We do have some minor fire damage, some smoke and water damage as well,” Fischer wrote in an e-mail Monday night.

Even with 18 years of experience as a firefighter, Spier said, there is no way to truly prepare for an emergency, such as a fire.

“You can bring safety measures. You can do anything you can imagine and you think is 100 percent safe, but then again, in the safety business, it’s always ‘what if?’,” Spier said. “We were prepared as much as we can be prepared – our sprinkler systems were there, fire alarm went off. Everything worked like it was supposed to, so we were prepared that way. Absolutely. Everybody knew their emergency exits. Everybody got out like they were supposed to and in a very timely manner.”

Fischer explained the sample room is in a remote area of the building away from production space.

Although it has not been decided, Spier expected another room to be set up as the sample room because the current room will require more work, including new ceiling tiles, sheetrock and insulation.

“Thankfully it was not a bigger situation, and thankfully no employees were in any imminent danger,” Fischer said.

Kilgore Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Amanda Nobles said she and others at Kilgore EDC were grateful for the fire departments’ work.

“Pak-Sher is a valuable and primary employer in our community, and we hope that everything works out for them, and we’re glad there certainly was not more loss of property and absolutely no loss of life or injuries,” she said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Elko, NV – Apartment cooking fire extinguished by sprinkler system

A cooking fire early Monday morning at the Villas at Riverside showed the importance of having a fire sprinkler system, according to the City of Elko fire department. Deputy Chief Brian Burgess said the resident had fallen asleep while waiting for food to be prepared. The fire caused the sprinkler system to activate. There was minor damage to the microwave, stove and upper cabinets, said Burgess.

He said residents were evacuated for only an hour and the affected apartment was able to be occupied afterwards. It also had mild water damage. “Had this building been an unprotected building, the fire would have likely caused severe damage to the building, displacing all of the residents (and) threatening the lives of the occupants,” said Fire Marshal Joshua Carson, explaining the value and importance of the system.

Even though there was mild fire and water damage, it was far less than what would have been seen in a building without that system, he said. In addition, he stressed how the system salvaged the property and protected the residents. They were alerted by a unit smoke alarm and fire alarm system.

Carson explained this fire comes at a significant time. The Fire Prevention Picnic this past weekend showcased the dangers of cooking-related fires and the benefits of residential fire sprinklers. The latter was exhibited by a live fire demonstration at the picnic, said Carson. “Elko Fire Department is a huge advocate for residential fire sprinklers,” he said. “We hope we can soon protect all of our newly constructed residential use buildings with this lifesaving technology.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Marlborough, MA – Fire at Marriott Courtyard halted by sprinkler system

The Marriott Courtyard hotel on 75 Felton St. suffered heavy water damage Sunday after a dryer fire set off the sprinkler alarm system, said Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Gogan. According to Gogan, firefighters responded to the alarm at 2:11 p.m. and had cleared the scene by 3:30 p.m. A small fire began suddenly in the back of a dryer, and the resulting smoke set off the hotel’s sprinkler system.

“The fire was held in check by the sprinkler system,” Gogan said. “There was minimal smoke and fire damage but significant water damage to the basement of the hotel.” There are currently no cost estimates on the damage.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Mesa, AZ – Single sprinkler prevents fire from spreading at large business complex

A sprinkler system kept a fire from spreading through a large Mesa business complex Monday morning. Crews from Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix and Chandler responded to the fire near Broadway and Alma School roads at around 6 a.m.

The fire started in an area of the building that was packed with auto parts. Firefighters were able to gain control of the fire pretty quickly thanks to a working sprinkler system. “We know that sprinklers of course save lives but we also know, importantly for a business, that it saves a building and a business in itself,” said Deputy Chief Forrest Smith with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department.

Smith said it appeared that one sprinkler head kept the fire in check. Officials said hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise and property were saved. No injuries were reported.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at grocery distribution center

Firefighters were called out to a small fire caused by a piece of equipment inside a large distribution center early Monday morning.

The St. George Fire Department reported it happened at Associated Grocers just before 1:30 a.m.

Eldon Ledoux with SGFD said firefighters found a floor-sweeping machine on fire inside and there was heavy smoke.

He added the workers had made it out safely and no one was injured.

Officials said the sprinkler system helped to keep the fire from spreading and firemen finished putting it out.

According to Ledoux, there was only minor damage. Firefighters also ventilated the smoke from the building.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Columbus, GA – Sprinklers extinguish early morning fire at Kellogg plant

Fire crews extinguished an early morning fire at the Kellogg plant on Victory Drive on Monday, according to Fire Marshal Rickey Shores.

The fire happened around 5:22 a.m., originating in a commercial oven on an assembly line and activated the fire alarm. The sprinkler system activated by the alarm put the fire out.

The oven was damaged and there was minor damage to the room; there was also no food on the line at the time of the fire and it appears to be accidental.

There were no injuries in the fire and there is no estimated cost of damage.

The Kellogg Company released a statement saying: “Kellogg’s Columbus, Ga., plant experienced an exhaust fan fire this morning, at approximately 5:45 a.m. No one was injured, as the plant was immediately evacuated and production has been halted, while we work to determine the extent of the damage,” said company spokesperson Kris Charles. 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Virginia Beach, VA – Boardwalk restaurant fire doused by sprinkler system

A restaurant in Red Mill Walk caught on fire early this morning. The Virginia Beach Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at 2277 Upton Drive around 1:22 a.m., a news release from Battalion Chief Eric Wilkerson says. Fire crews forced their way into Suite 714 — home to Back Bay Gourmet, according to Red Mill Commons’ website — and found the fire in a storage room had been extinguished by the sprinklers. The fire was under control at 1:49 a.m. as the crews worked on controlling the sprinkler system and salvage, the release says. Smoke, fire and water damage was contained to the restaurant. No one was hurt, and the fire remains under investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Cookeville, TN – Dryer fire at Hampton Inn controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries

A small fire in a commercial dryer early this morning at the Hampton Inn hotel on Interstate Drive kept the Cookeville Fire Department busy. The call came in around 6:40 a.m., and fire crews were on the scene until after 9 a.m., Lt. Benton Young said.

“At about the same time we got the call, a Cookeville police officer who was refueling at a gas station nearby on Jefferson Avenue noticed smoke coming from the hotel and responded to the location as well,” Lt. Young said.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, he said, smoke could be seen coming out the front lobby doors, all the way from the laundry room located farther back inside the building. Guests of the hotel were evacuated while firefighters assessed and responded to the situation.

“There was a lot of smoke. We had to use thermal cameras in the laundry room just to see to get to the source,” he said.

That source proved to be only one commercial dryer that appeared to have several mop heads drying inside it, firefighters reported.

The hotel’s sprinkler system activated when the dryer fire began to smoke, and the blaze was contained to that appliance.

After firefighters arrived, they worked quickly to extinguish the blaze.

“We didn’t have to put a whole lot of water on it to put it out, maybe 15 or 20 gallons,” Lt. Young said.

The tasks that followed, however, included resetting the fire alarm system, getting the abundance of smoke dissipated from the building and verifying that all of the hotel occupants were evacuated and accounted for. All four Cookeville stations responded to the scene.

No one was reported injured in the incident. Capt. Matt White said he expected the business to reopen later this morning following the incident.

 

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