Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility Charleston, SC – Sprinklers help contain fire at recycling plant May 21, 2015 viking210 Firefighters from North Charleston, Charleston and Boeing worked Tuesday to put out a large fire at Sonoco Recycling plant. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to North Charleston Fire Department spokeswoman Bianca Bourbeau. Bourbeau said the sprinkler system in the building contained the fire where it started, but outside flames spread to outlying bales of recycled material. Sonoco spokesman Brian Risinger said that he was grateful there were no injuries and he appreciated fire crews’ quick response at 2025 Tellico Road. “At the time of this statement we understand the fire to be contained to a specific area of the facility and the fire department remains onsite and is making progress on extinguishing the fire,” he stated. “The only damage we are aware of is to our own facility.” He added that the blaze would not interrupt ongoing recycling services in the area and that operations were expected to resume by the end of business Wednesday. Sonoco was founded in 1899 and is a global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging and displays and packaging supply chain services, according to a media release.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Grande Prairie, AB, Canada – Condominium fire confined to one suite by sprinkler system May 21, 2015 viking210 On Sunday, the Grande Prairie Fire Department (GPFD) responded to reports of a fire at Grande Plaza Condos on 92 Avenue, near Resources Road. Firefighters found the alarm system indicating a sprinkler activation on the first floor and then discovered a fire in one of the suites. Tony Lutzmann, the platoon chief on duty, said a heat-activated sprinkler in the suite went off and controlled the fire. “In this case, obviously, there was a large enough fire that there was enough heat to set a sprinkler head off,” he said. The fire was confined to one suite, which sustained smoke and water damage. “Basically, it’s what we call a room and contents fire,” said Lutzmann. “It didn’t spread beyond the suite of origin and that’s what exactly what a sprinkler system is designed to do, is to catch a fire in its early stages and prevent it spreading into a larger, more serious fire.”
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Victoria, BC, Canada – Spontaneous combustion fire in mixed-use building suppressed by sprinkler system May 20, 2015 viking210 The spontaneous combustion of improperly stored or discarded construction materials is suspected in a fire early today in a commercial space on lower Yates Street, reports the Victoria Fire Department. The fire was suppressed by the room’s sprinkler system, according to the fire department. The fire will be ruled accidental and the cause stated as undetermined but the spontaneous combustion of stored or discarded materials remains “a probable cause,” said Victoria Fire Lt.-Insp. Brad Sifert. No one was injured. At 2:14 a.m., Victoria firefighters raced to a fire on the main floor of 524 Yates St., just above Wharf Street. The building, adjacent to Waddington Alley, is commercial on the main floor with condominiums above. The office space was under renovation, with the new owner scheduled to occupy the space in about a week, according to Battalion Chief Dave Bicknell. The floor was being finished with a highly flammable drying oil and it is likely that the fire was the result of spontaneous combustion from the disposal of these materials, Sifert said. Fire crews arrived to find smoke in the commercial space. Firefighters traced the blaze to a small smouldering pile of construction materials and waste including discarded window dressing. “I couldn’t find anything but the garbage,” Sifert said. Sifert interviewed two labourers who had been working on the floor until about 3 p.m. Monday. As part of their normal protocol, the workers said they put the oil-soaked rags in water in pails outside the building. “I can’t rule it out just based on what they’re saying,” Sifert said. “A rag could have been left in there.” Fire crews used a hose line to completely extinguish the fire, which was contained to a one-metre-square area on the floor.
Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise Shreveport, LA – High-rise apartment blaze knocked down by sprinkler system May 20, 2015 viking210 Firefighters were called to the high-rise Fairmont Apartments building in downtown Shreveport just before 7:00 Monday evening. Fire officials say the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen of a third floor apartment. Fortunately, the sprinkler system had mostly knocked out the fire before firefighters arrived. “The sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do, save the owners of the building money, reduce the damage and minimize injuries to the occupants. So, the sprinkler system was effective in doing its job,” says Shreveport Fire Chief Fred Sanders. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Oswego, IL – Sprinkler system controls fire caused by high school science experiment May 20, 2015 viking210 The Oswego Fire Protection District was called to Oswego East High School on a waterflow alarm this morning after a science experiment involving a bunsen burner and alcohol caused a small fire. The fire caused the system sprinkler to activate and the school was evacuated. Crews found no fire upon arrival and the water sprinkler system was shut down. The building alarm was going off and several attempts to reset the alarm were unsuccessful. The students were out of the building for approximately 50 minutes while attempts to reset the alarm were unsuccessful. The OFPD found the alarm system to have a mechanical issue. This was the cause for the extended time for the staff and students being out of the building for such a long period of time. After the alarm problem was identified and corrected the students and staff were allowed to resume the normal school day.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Madison, WI – Fire in hotel storage closet extinguished with help from sprinkler system May 20, 2015 viking210 The Edgewater hotel was evacuated Monday night due to a fire discovered in a small storage closet. Nobody was injured in the fire. A sprinkler put out most of the fire in the closet, with the fire totally put out by firefighters. The fire call came in to the Madison Fire Department at about 8:15 p.m. Firefighters responded within minutes to the hotel at 666 Wisconsin Ave. “Alarms were sounding and people evacuated the building,” the fire department reported. A bag of rags had been smoldering in the closet, with some cardboard boxes above the bag catching fire. Staff said the bag contained kitchen rags and should not have been in the closet. “Security video showed an employee placing the bag in the room,” the report said. The investigation continues. No damage estimate was given.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Champaign, IL – Potentially dangerous laboratory fire held in check by sprinkler system May 19, 2015 viking210 The fire marshal said the cause of a fire in a research building on Champaign’s north side was accidental. John Koller said firefighters were called to Obiter Research, 2809 Gemini Court, at 3:07 p.m. Monday. The company specializes in custom contract chemical research and manufacturing of difficult or complex chemical compounds. “When we got to the building, there wasn’t any fire showing,” Koller said. “The sprinkler system kept the fire in check. We soon found a small amount of fire and mostly smoke.” Koller said the smoke was limited to one lab room that was walled off from the rest of the building. “There was an alcohol-based substance in the lab that a spark got to and ignited it,” he said. He said firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes. “There was no structural damage to the building,” he said. All employees were evacuated. “We had worked with them on an emergency plan in the past, and the employees effectively carried it out,” Koller said. According to Koller, one man who was in the room where the spark ignited was “shaken up” and checked by paramedics at the scene, but the man did not need to go to the hospital. No firefighters were injured, he said.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise San Diego, CA – Sprinklers help contain blaze at senior residential high-rise; No injuries May 19, 2015 viking210 A fire of unknown origin erupted in a City Heights senior-housing high-rise Monday afternoon. The non-injury blaze began spreading on the seventh floor of the 10-story building in the 4100 block of 42nd Street about 2:45 p.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. It took crews about a half-hour to extinguish the flames, which appeared to have originated on or near an outdoor deck, SDFRD Capt. Joe Amador said. A built-in fire sprinkler helped keep the blaze from rapidly spreading prior to the arrival of emergency personnel, he said. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the unit where it originated, though several nearby ones sustained smoke and heat damage, according to Amador. Authorities evacuated about 70 people from the building and directed others to remain in their apartments for a time as a precaution. The American Red Cross was called in to help arrange interim lodging for those unable to return to their residences immediately.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Woodbridge, VA – Sprinklers contain fire in townhouse occupied by two adults and five children May 19, 2015 viking210 Two adults and five children are safe after a townhouse fire Sunday evening in Woodbridge, Va., officials said. The fire happened around 7 p.m. in the 2700 block of Corbin Court, Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department said. Crews found a kitchen fire contained by the home’s sprinkler system when they got to the home. Residents inside of the home were safely evacuated, officials added. The Red Cross is helping two adults and five children who were all displaced by the fire. Damages as of now are estimated at $10,000. Officials said the reduction in damages is due to the quick activation of the sprinkler system inside of the home. The fire remains under investigation.
Other - Residential, Residential Olympia, WA – Sprinkler system controls fire at homeless shelter May 18, 2015 viking210 A Sunday morning fire in Olympia was largely controlled by an automatic sprinkler system according to the Olympia Fire Department. About 10 a.m. Sunday, Olympia fire crews were dispatched to the homeless shelter operated by Family Support Services in the 800 block of Seventh Avenue Southeast. Once there, fire crews contained the fire to one apartment. They also evaluated two patients — one for a minor burn and the other for smoke inhalation. Both refused aid and were released at the scene, according to a news release. One firefighter at the scene also suffered a minor laceration. The cause of the fire appeared to be accidental, according to the news release.
