Apartment Building, Residential

Cookeville, TN – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in extinguishing apartment kitchen fire

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On Wednesday, July 15 around 6:30, the Cookeville fire department responded to a kitchen fire at an apartment complex on West Broad Street. “We were on scene there for a little over an hour,” Capt. Blair said.

A working sprinkler system installed at the complex helped to contain the fire in the unit where it originated and prevented it from spreading to other units.

“That sprinkler system likely saved the apartment complex. It certainly helped contain the fire to the unit where it started, and it made it easier for us to extinguish the blaze after we arrived on the scene. Because of the sprinkler system, we had the fire out in no time,” Capt. Blair said.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of sprinkler systems in saving lives,” he said.  As a precaution, the department evacuated several buildings at the complex while fire fighters worked to put out the blaze.  A total of 19 fire fighters responded to that call.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Oxford, ME – Sprinklers suppress fire at factory that builds manufactured homes

Oxford’s fire chief said a sprinkler system and quick reaction by firefighters kept a blaze at a manufactured homes factory from spreading significantly Friday night.

Chief Wayne Jones said the fire started in a stack of plywood in a corner of the Keiser Homes plant at 56 Mechanic Falls Road. He said the cause is unknown and the State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire.  Jones said the fire spread about 20 feet or so into the building. The sprinkler system kept the flames in check initially, he said, and firefighters were able to get water hoses set up quickly and started to spray down the building within minutes of arriving.

The fire was reported about 4:45 p.m., when most of the workers had finished for the day and only one employee was in the plant, he said. One firefighter was taken to a local hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion, Jones said, and another was treated at the scene for what he said was a minor injury. No one else was hurt, the chief said.

Jones said even though firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading, it still took about five hours to get the fire fully under control. He said an Oxford fire crew was expected to spend most of the night at the site to make sure there weren’t any hot spots remaining that could cause the fire to flare up.

More than a half-dozen nearby towns sent crews to help with the fire or to cover Oxford fire stations during the evening, Jones said. Route 121, which is Mechanic Falls Road in Oxford, was shut down part of Friday evening but had reopened by about 10 p.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Tualatin, OR – Sprinkler system contains apartment fire to one unit

Seven people had to find a temporary place to stay Thursday after a fire broke out in a Sherwood apartment complex, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue reported.  Crews were sent to the 20000 block of S.W Roy Rogers Road just before 6 p.m. after receiving multiple calls about a fire in a third-floor unit. The building’s commercial sprinkler system was activated and stopped the fire from spreading.

Although the fire was contained to one unit, four units were considered uninhabitable because power had to be cut off, firefighters said.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system contains HazMat fire at business

The Virginia Beach Fire Department HazMat teams responded to three separate HazMat incidents Thursday.  Around 2 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to a reported commercial fire at a business in the 2700 Block of Sonic Drive.

Crews found smoke showing from the warehouse area of the business that contained cleaning chemicals. The fire progressed to the ceiling, and sprinkler heads in the building activated to contain the fire. The fire involved cleaning solvents (mineral spirit) and floor wax. HazMat crews monitored the business and surrounding area to ensure the water run-off and atmosphere was not hazardous.

Fire officials said the building suffered minor to moderate fire damage.  There are no hazards to area businesses and no one was injured.  The fire was ruled accidental and unintentional.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Nashville, TN – Sprinklers activate to help control arson fire at high school

Stratford High School suffered damage after a propane torch was used to set fire to an administrative office.  Officials with Metro Police said the incident happened Sunday at the school located on Stratford Avenue in Nashville.

Investigators said Trevarious Carney used a portable fire extinguisher and broke into the school during the evening hours.   The 20-year-old was allegedly seen on security video inside the building.

According to police, he first set a fire to the carpet inside an administrative office.  He fled the scene after the fire alarm began sounding.  The building’s sprinkler system went off, keeping the fire contained to the office area. 

Carney was identified as a suspect and charged with attempted arson.  No additional details were known. 

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Louisville, KY – Sprinkler system credited with controlling fire at recycling plant

A three-alarm fire at a recycling center in Louisville is now under control.  Employees called 911 just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, after failing to extinguish a fire at Recycling Management Resources, or RMR, in the 500 block of Industry Road.

The sprinkler system is being credited for making what could have been a potentially bad situation controllable. Officials said that the fire could have been much worse considering the large inventory of cardboard and other paper products inside.

At the height of the blaze, more than 80 firefighters were working to put it out. There were 18 employees in the building at the time of the fire, but no injuries have been reported. The fire is under control, but fire crews said they will stay on the scene throughout the night.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Montreal, QC, Canada – Arson fire at restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system

The Queue de Cheval steakhouse was the scene of an arson attack Wednesday morning.  Shortly after 4:00 a.m. someone tossed what is believed to be a Molotov cocktail into the entryway, smashing through a front door window.

Firefighters said the sprinkler system quickly took care of the fire. Most of the damage was caused by water.  The Montreal police arson squad has taken over the investigation. The street remained open to traffic throughout the morning.

The Queue de Cheval is located at 1181 de la Montagne St. near René-Lévesque Blvd.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Union Gap, WA – Fire at paper mill controlled by sprinkler system

Yakima fire crews say a fire at the International Paper company in Union Gap Tuesday morning could have been much worse if it weren’t for their working sprinkler system.

A news release from the fire department said people reported seeing smoke coming from the roof of the building. The fire remained on one part of the plant, a dust collecting hopper, because the automatic sprinkler system kicked on and helped maintain the flames.

Fire crews put out the fire and cleaned up debris from the damage. The cost of the damage is not known at this time. Yakima firefighters say the cause was a hot ember that got into the dust collection hopper.

The news release from the fire department also said the whole building could have been a total loss if they did not have a functioning sprinkler system in place.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rapid City, SD – Apartment deck fire extinguished by sprinkler system

The Rapid City Fire Department is crediting an apartment complex’s sprinkler system with rapidly extinguishing a noon Sunday fire that could have spread to other parts of the building.  According to a release from the department, firefighters went to a fire on an apartment unit’s deck at 2871 Belgrade Blvd., Rapid City.

A single heat-activated sprinkler head put out the fire. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.  In the release, Oliver White, the department’s spokesman, wrote: “Here we see a fire that easily could have spread into the building, but it didn’t.”

Apartment Building, Residential High Rise

Orange, CA – Overnight high-rise apartment fire suppressed by sprinklers; potential disaster averted

(Blog Note: Please let us know what you think of this journalist’s focus on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the sprinkler system in this overnight, high-rise fire).   Orange police and fire officials responded around 12:15 a.m. to reports of a structure fire at the Community Garden Towers in the 4000 block of West Garden Grove Boulevard, and found smoke coming from the fourth floor, officials said.

Authorities found a mattress on fire on the floor and the flames activated the sprinkler system in the building. Authorities said the building was evacuated and electricity may have been briefly turned off, but residents were able to re-enter the building shortly after the fire was extinguished.

Orange police initially detained a man who lives in the unit where the fire started on suspicion that he may have intentionally started it, Deputy Fire Marshal Casey Fieldhouse said.

But he was later released and not arrested, police Sgt. Phil McMullin.  Three people were displaced due to the damage and were assisted by local Red Cross officials. Authorities did not initially release the cause of the fire or damage estimates.

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