Santee, SC – Sprinkler system activates; Helps limit damage in fire at landmark restaurant

A landmark barbecue restaurant in Santee that was damaged by fire on Thursday is scheduled to reopen soon.  The Santee Fire Department was called to Lone Star Barbecue and Mercantile on State Park Road just after 9 a.m. Firefighters say a sprinkler system in the kitchen sprayed the flames until emergency crews arrived.

Fire Chief Edward Barnett, Jr. says the fire started in a smoke chipper drain under a meat oven.  The amount of damage hasn’t been estimated.  The restaurant is closed temporarily. A sign outside indicates management hopes to reopen on March 19.

Chelsea, MA – Sprinklers help contain late night restaurant fire

On Saturday, March 7, at 12:06 a.m., the fire department responded to the report of a building fire at 17 Fifth St., above the Isla Tropical Restaurant. Crews reported the sprinkler system had activated on the second floor and located the fire inside one of the residential units. Items left on top of the stove ignited and the flames quickly spread to the cabinets above. Crews extinguished the fire and remained on scene checking for extension until approximately 3:30 a.m. Damage is estimated at $30,000. No occupants were injured.

Pearland, TX – Commercial kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Dept Reported **  The Pearland Fire Department responded to a report of a grease fire in a commercial kitchen at an area restaurant located in the 2800 block of Business Center Dr. on Tuesday, March 10. After arriving, fire department officials discovered that the fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system installed in the building.

Because the fire sprinkler system installed at the restaurant worked as it was designed, no property damage or loss of life occurred during this incident. According to National Fire Prevention Association, cooking fires make up approximately 55 percent of the fires that occur in restaurants and are responsible for 59 percent of the civilian deaths related to restaurant fires. The fires can cause the secondary ignition of grease that has accumulated on the vent hood from grease-laden vapors that are produced normally during the operation of the kitchen.

These fires can travel through the kitchen ductwork and result in a devastating fire that, depending on the amount of fuel present, can be greater in intensity and particularly difficult for firefighters to extinguish.

Elmhurst, IL – Fire at truck maintenance garage put out by sprinkler system

** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Dept Reported**   Dispatch relayed a report of black smoke coming from Unit L to the responding units. The first arriving Company reported an active Water Flow Alarm with smoke showing from Unit L.  Fire Command was established and switched radio traffic to a Fire Ground channel and reported that the sprinkler system was activated and appeared to be keeping the fire in-check.  All occupants of the effected unit were evacuated and accounted for per the Manager.  Dark smoke with very little heat was noted in the office area, with the smoke being heavier in the effected shop area.

The Engine Company deployed a 1 ¾”handline and advanced it to the affected area. Further investigation found that the sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire, requiring no water to be flowed by the Engine Company. The Sprinkler System was shut down and ventilation of the effected units was performed via natural ventilation. Overhaul needs were assessed and utilities addressed.

The post fire investigation found that an employee of Unit L was cleaning grease off the floor with liquid Brake Cleaner when they noticed the floor was on fire. Finding the area of origin being near a gas water heater with flame and heat damage to the area around and above the water heater, with 2 activated sprinkler heads.

Assessment of damages revealed that Unit L had approximately 3″ of standing water throughout the unit damaging interior walls, office furnishings, carpet, nearby mechanical tools and equipment. Units K and M had water damage from seepage under the walls and an odor of smoke. Value of the affected property was estimated at $500,000 with an estimated $15,000 in property damage and $5,000 in contents

Date: February 26, 2015

Time of Alarm: 0840 hrs.

Type of Alarm: Full Still for the Automatic Fire Alarm.

Weather conditions: 15⁰ with S/W winds at 4 mph. light snow falling with a 2” accumulation.

Building: Multiple occupancy industrial use.

Construction: Masonry with steel bar joist and metal pan decking covered with rubber membrane.

Occupancy: Diesel Truck Mechanical Service

Holland, MI – Laboratory fire mostly extinguished by sprinkler system; Damage minimized

** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Dept Reported**   The Fire occurred the morning of March 2 at a lab / testing facility on 48th street.   The fire occurred after some equipment being tested failed.  Two sprinkler heads activated as a result and the fire was 95% extinguished when firefighters arrived.

A small plastic ladder near the equipment being tested caught fire and was in an angle that the sprinkler pattern could not get to. The remaining fire was extinguished by fire crews with a water extinguisher.  Although this building is type 2 construction, the sprinklers saved this building from thousands in fire damage.

Minden, NV – Sprinklers knock down blaze at popular restaurant

A kitchen fire shortly before midnight closed Katie’s Country Kitchen for the breakfast and lunch rush on Tuesday.

The popular Minden restaurant inside the Carson Valley Inn reopened at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, Marketing Director Bill Henderson said.

“Our sincere thanks to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic District who responded very quickly to the alarm,” Henderson said.

East Fork Fire District personnel responded after security called 911 at 11:45 p.m. in response to a fire in the prep cook area.

Deputy Chief Dave Fogerson said the fire sprinkler system extinguished the blaze. When firefighters arrived heavy smoke was still coming from the exhaust system.

The restaurant was evacuated while firefighters confirmed the fire was out and had not spread into the surrounding structure.

Henderson said no one was hurt in the fire and that the system functioned as designed with no major damage.

Shreveport, LA – Fire on sixth-floor of Holiday Inn contained to one room by sprinkler system

Heavy smoked filled a sixth-floor room at the Holiday Inn Shreveport on Monday afternoon, activating the sprinkler system and triggering an alarm that resulted in at least 20 fire units being dispatched to the hotel (blog note: fire sprinklers are only activated by heat, not smoke).

The exact cause of the smoke and fire was unknown late Monday as fire investigators worked the scene. No injuries were reported. The room is unusable, but most of the building was not damaged.

“The fire was contained, basically, to one room on the sixth floor and there were other rooms that sustained smoke damage,” said Fred Sanders, assistant to the fire chief. The sprinklers immediately activating helped minimize damage to the room, Sanders said. Firefighters also doused the room as a safety precaution.

Ed Socha, Holiday Inn Shreveport general manager, said employees and about 40 guests staying at the hotel were evacuated. As a standard procedure, some employees were checked out by EMS at the scene.

The room at the center of the smoky scene was rented, but the guest wasn’t there when the fire started, Socha said. Socha said he didn’t see flames. “Just because of the smoke damage, it’s (the room) going to have to be completely redone,” he said. The hotel was to undergo an annual inspection today but it will be postponed, Socha said.

Lexington, KY – 3 a.m. fire at manufacturing plant knocked down by sprinkler system

Sprinklers stopped a fire from spreading at a plant in Lexington.  The fire started just after 3 a.m. Monday at Interplex Plastics on Brentwood Court.  Firefighters say when they arrived, the fire was already knocked down by the sprinkler system in the plant.

No one was in the plant at the time of the fire.  An arson investigator was called to the scene.  No word yet on a possible cause.

Duluth, GA – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight fire at Hilton Garden Inn

A basket of rags caught fire in the kitchen of a Gwinnett County hotel Monday morning.  The hotel’s sprinkler system extinguished the flames, which broke out at around 2:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in the 2000 block of Sugarloaf Circle.

Gwinnett County Fire Lt. Jerrod Barrett said the fire started in a basket of cooking oil rags.   About 60 guests and hotel staff members were briefly evacuated from the building while firefighters investigated the source of the fire.  Barrett said the guests were soon able to return to their rooms.

Investigators believe the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of the rags in their plastic cart.

Dartmouth, NS, Canada – Overnight fire on fourth story of apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system

The blaze broke out at about 3:15 a.m. on the fourth storey of the building at 51 Joseph Young Street.  The Halifax fire department said the blaze was mostly extinguished by the sprinkler system.

One person was treated for smoke inhalation.  A Metro Transit bus was brought to the scene for displaced residents to keep warm.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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