Tag Archives: Canada

Brandon, MB, Canada – Overnight fire at food processing plant suppressed with help from sprinkler system

Brandon firefighters and police responded to a report of a fire at the Maple Leaf Foods plant at 2:36 a.m. Tuesday morning. In a brief phone call this morning, Capt. Wade Ritchie confirmed news of the fire, which burned deep inside the hog processing plant. Ritchie said there was heavy smoke coming out when firefighters arrived on scene.  Brandon firefighters and police responded to a fire at the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Brandon in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 3. No injuries have been reported.  Details regarding the nature of the fire were not yet available this morning, though Richie stated that the sprinkler system activated within the building, aiding efforts to douse the blaze.  Both police and firefighters said there were no injuries reported to authorities.

Brandon Police Sgt. Dave Andrews told the Sun that the fire was not considered to be suspicious in nature. Police attended the scene shortly after the fire began, but soon ended their involvement on scene.More information is expected later this morning.

Charlottetown, PE, Canada – Sprinkler system activates to help control apartment fire

A Charlottetown woman will be out of her apartment for a couple of days after a fire in another apartment set off the sprinkler system in hers, says the Red Cross.  The occupants of seven apartments on Royal Court, off Queen Street, were forced from their homes by the fire early Sunday morning.  Most were able to get back into their apartments a short time later, the Red Cross said, but the woman living below the place where the fire started had her unit flooded. The Red Cross is helping the woman with food and a place to stay for the next couple of days.

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Townhouse cooking fire put out by home fire sprinkler system

Chilliwack fire officials are reminding residents of the value of home fire suppression units after a townhouse fire was quickly doused by sprinklers.  The fire broke out on a stove top Thursday afternoon in the 5600 block of Sappers Way in Garrison Crossing.  By the time firefighters arrived, the unit’s home sprinkler system had already extinguished the blaze.

“Early control and suppression of the fire by the sprinkler system significantly limited damage to a small area around the stove and kitchen cabinets,” said Assistant Fire Chief Chris Wilson.

“Without a working sprinkler system in place, this fire had the potential to cause extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the home and adjacent units in the townhouse complex.”

Wilson said the Chilliwack Fire Department strongly promotes the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in homes. “The presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system in conjunction with a working smoke alarm greatly reduces the risk of being injured or dying in a fire.”

No one was injured in the fire, and the cause was accidental.

“The Chilliwack Fire Department reminds residents to ensure they are aware of the cooking hazards and not be distracted or leave the kitchen when they are cooking.”

Montreal, QC, Canada – Arson fire at car dealership put out by sprinkler system

A car dealership on Cote-de-Liesse was damaged by an incendiary device thrown through a window on Sunday morning.

At 2:00 a.m., a 911 call was made reporting the fire. When firefighters arrived, they found the fire extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Surveillance footage showed a man throwing an object at the window to break it and then throwing the incendiary device once they were inside.

The SPVM arson squad is investigating. No arrests have yet been made. 

Nanaimo, BC, Canada – Arson fire at apartment building knocked down by sprinkler system

A suspicious fire in a Nanaimo apartment building forced about 50 tenants to evacuate on Tuesday (Aug. 8). Firefighters responded to the alarm at Parkside Manor apartments at 645 Townsite Rd. at about 3:30 p.m. Emergency personnel at the scene said the fire started in a storage room on the first floor of the building and was knocked down by the structure’s automatic sprinkler system. Firefighters ensured the fire was fully extinguished and used a large fan to force fresh air through the building.

Alan Millbank, Nanaimo Fire Rescue fire prevention officer, confirmed Wednesday the fire was suspicious and the investigation had been turned over to Nanaimo RCMP. “Somebody deliberately set it alight,” Millbank said.

Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said police were called in shortly after firefighters arrived on scene. “[Firefighters] found a wad of paper balled up in one of the storage lockers and it had been set on fire,” O’Brien said. “The fire extended up some wooden pallets to the ceiling at which point the sprinklers activated and put the fire out.”

No one was injured, but residents had to remain evacuated from the building for more than an hour while smoke fully cleared from the structure. Nanaimo RCMP are continuing to investigate the fire.

Kamloops, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system knocks down arson fire at hotel

An evacuee from Williams Lake has been charged with arson and mischief after an incident at a Kamloops hotel.

In a news release, RCMP Corporal Jodi Shelkie says police were called to a disturbance at a hotel on Columbia Street July 28th.

Police said a man was found throwing things around inside a room in the hotel.

The man had broken a window, overturned a fridge and set some items on fire.The sprinkler system put out the flames, but the water caused significant damage inside the room and the adjacent hallway.

Shane Dalton Dennis has been charged with one count of arson and two counts of mischief.

Dennis was previously known to police and was staying at the hotel as an evacuee from Williams Lake.

Peterborough, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activates to help control early morning manufacturing fire

A fire that broke out in the city’s industrial area Friday morning has left three businesses with heavy smoke damage.  Firefighters responded to the blaze at 100 Jameson Dr., off Fisher Drive, at about 5 a.m.  It happened at Andritz Hydro, which is located in the same complex as FedEx and Measure Max.  The small fire was contained Andritz and no one was injured.

“Unfortunately there was heavy smoke damage throughout the complex,” said Chad Brown, Peterborough Fire Services deputy chief.  Firefighters were on scene until about 10:30 a.m. Streets in the area where closed, rerouting morning traffic. Workers were inside the complex at the time, but in Andritz. The fire alarm went off and the sprinkler system was activated.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined yet, but Brown said it’s not suspicious.  No estimate of damage was available Friday afternoon. Andritz, an Austrian company, opened the 17,000-square-foot plant in February 2014, where it makes stator coils used in both new and refurbished hydroelectric generating stations around the world.

Edmonton, AB, Canada – Arson fire in pub at historic building contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters were called to a downtown Edmonton pub early Tuesday morning, after several kitchen appliances were turned on during a break-in. Crews responded around 4:20 a.m. to alarms at Mercer Tavern, located inside the Mercer Warehouse on 104 Street near 104 Avenue. “The second call came in stating that the delivery gentleman at the back of the building opened up the back door and found smoke coming out and extensive heat from the building,” district Chief Brian Lees said, adding that at that time, the call was upgraded to a structure fire.

Crews arrived on scene and found what appeared to be smoke billowing out of the kitchen’s back door. When firefighters entered the building, their equipment detected very high levels of carbon monoxide so they quickly went back outside.

“When you get 260 [parts per million] in an old concrete building like this style, there’s no way of ventilating it when the gas gets moving because of the design of the building. They made a good decision to pull out of the building and start ventilating and get the CO levels down,” Lees said.

Firefighters discovered all of the burners on the stoves and gas-fuelled toasters were on when they arrived. Mercer Warehouse spokesperson Justin Archer said after the tavern was closed early Tuesday morning, someone broke in and turned on the gas stoves. The heat from the industrial appliances set off the sprinkler system, which in turn produced steam.

“You know what, it could be that he was hungry and wanted to make himself a meal. I’m not too sure, ” said Mercer Warehouse owner Devin Pope. “The fellow, we do not recognize so we aren’t too sure what he was thinking. The police are going to figure that out.

Archer said several bottles of alcohol were also stolen. He said the tavern would be open at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Crews ventilated the building, got the gas turned off, and put the fire out with the help of the sprinkler system. The Mercer Warehouse is home to several eateries, over a dozen small businesses, and entrepreneurial mentorship company StartUp Edmonton. There’s no word on how much damage was caused.

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system controls hotel fire until crews arrive; No injuries reported

Six people have been displaced after a fire at the Rainier Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The single-room occupancy (SRO) unit on Carrall Street was evacuated around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, after some materials caught fire in a room on the third floor.  The occupant of the room managed to escape without injury before fire crews arrived on scene.  “There’s a fair bit of fire damage to that one room,” said Battalion Chief Terry Nikolai, with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

Some other rooms also sustained water damage from the sprinkler system and firefighting efforts. “Thankfully the sprinkler activated and contained the fire, until our crews managed to get in there with a line and extinguish it,” said Nikolai.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Vaughan, ON, Canada – Suspicious overnight fire at bakery is kept from spreading by sprinkler system

A bakery in Vaughan was heavily damaged in what appears to be a “suspicious” fire overnight. York Regional Police say there are circumstances around the fire that require further investigation.  “It’s being considered suspicious and further investigation is required to determine the cause,” a YRP duty inspector said.  Fire crews were called to the scene at 10 Buttermill Ave., near Jane Street and Highway 7, just after 1:30 a.m. Vaughan Fire Services were quickly able to extinguish the flames but police say the bakery likely suffered extensive damage.  A sprinkler inside the bakery helped prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent units.  No one was inside the bakery at the time the fire broke out.

A broken window and objects found on the lawn in front of the bakery are part of the evidence in the case. The objects appear to be caps and nozzles for gas cans though officials have yet to confirm that. Police did say that it appears a canister containing an accelerant had been thrown inside.  Investigators with the Fire Marshal’s Office have been called to the scene.