Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinklers keep fire from spreading in apartment fire (Crofton, MD)

On the afternoon of January 9, a fire was called into the Anne Arundel County Firefighters at a three story apartment building. The fire, which started on the balcony of a second floor unit, had quickly spread into the living room, where a fire sprinkler activated and contained the fire until fire crews arrived. A 20-year old male was in the apartment at the time of the fire, and he remained uninjured from the incident. The fire department was able to extinguish the remaining flames within 20 minutes of arrival, and investigators report that the fire was caused by improperly disposed smoking materials.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fire at manufacturing plant extinguished thanks to fire sprinklers (Chattanooga, TN)

NWA Plastics Company reported a fire on the afternoon Wednesday, January 8, when a motor used to power an air compressor overheated and caught on fire. The heat from the fire then activated a sprinkler head from the facility’s fire sprinkler system which then completely suppressed the fire prior to the arrival of six fire companies. No injuries were reported, and the damage was minimal.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Sprinkler keeps fire from spreading at strip mall (San Jose, CA)

On January 2 at 2:15 p.m. firefighters arrived to put out the remaining fire at a strip mall. The firefighters report that they were first alerted to the fire when the automatic fire sprinkler water flow alarm was activated. The fire sprinkler kept the fire from spreading, preventing damage to other businesses in the strip mall. The cause of the fire is still under investigation; no one was injured in the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Single sprinkler extinguishes fire at three-story apartment building (Rochester, NH)

A single sprinkler put out a fire on Punch Brook Way Thursday afternoon, avoiding a potential three-story building fire. Firefighters were called to the scene of an apartment building just before 4 p.m. for the report of a kitchen fire after a resident cooking on the third floor unintentionally started the fire. According to officials, the fire was out before they arrived due to the activation of a single sprinkler head. “The sprinkler system did its job, not only saving the building, but also the residents,” said Deputy Fire Chief Peter Cutrer.

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinkler system puts out cooking fire in apartment (Glendale Heights, IL)

A sprinkler system extinguished a cooking fire Thursday afternoon in Glendale Heights and likely helped save two dogs, authorities said. Firefighters were called to a three-story apartment building at 3:05 p.m. and found that the sprinkler system effectively put out the fire, according to Batallion Chief Richard Kurka of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District. The homeowner was not there at the time of the fire. Kurka said her two dogs likely would have suffered from smoke inhalation had there not been sprinklers in the apartment.

Other - School / University, School / University

Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at Montessori School (Fremont, CA)

Students and staff at a Fremont Montessori school were unharmed after an oven caught fire Thursday afternoon, fire officials said. Arriving crews learned that the fire was already extinguished by the sprinkler system installed above the oven and that the 60 students and staff fled the school safely, according to Fremont Fire Department spokesman Daniel Cardenas. The fire was contained to the oven. “The damage was very minimal,” Cardenas said. “Thanks to the sprinkler system and audible fire alarm, all occupants were able to evacuate in a timely manner having no injuries reported,” Cardenas added.

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinklers prove effectiveness in unoccupied apartment unit fire (Los Angeles, CA)

A fire erupted in an unoccupied apartment unit on Sunday afternoon. The fire, which is still under investigation, was contained to that unit by the apartment’s fire sprinkler system. The three-story apartment building’s other residents were able to safely evacuate.

“The sprinklers did an excellent job of keeping the fire in check and not allowing [it] to spread,” Orange County Fire Authority Captain Steve Concialdi. “If there were no sprinklers, this fire would have gone into the attic and a number of apartments.”

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Sprinkler contains arson fire at high school (Havre de Grace, MD)

About 25 firefighters responded to a fire that was intentionally started in the boys’ bathroom of Aberdeen High School on December 3. The afternoon blaze was set by a 16-year old male who ignited the paper towel dispenser; the fire resulted in 1,400 students to be activated. The school’s fire sprinkler activated and kept the fire from spreading beyond the bathroom. Firefighters were able to put out the remaining fire within five minutes. There were no injuries reported.

** Blog Editor’s Note – Please let us know what you think of the coverage by The Baltimore Sun, which focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system**