Tag Archives: Idaho

Retail, Shopping Mall

Meridian, ID – Fire at nail salon in strip mall contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters converged on a Meridian strip mall Wednesday night after flames broke out inside a business there.  The fire was first reported at about 9:20 p.m. in a row of shops and businesses along South Meridian Road near the intersection with Gem Avenue.  Meridian Fire battalion chief Tyler Rountree said the fire appears to have started in a salon called The Nail Place, and that crews were able to knock the flames down quickly after arriving on the scene.  The fire was big enough to trip the building’s sprinkler system. Rountree said the fire started in the back of the nail salon. It did not spread to neighboring businesses, although crews did go into the businesses to make sure.  No injuries were reported.  A fire investigator was on scene late Wednesday night. At this point, there is no word what caused the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Meridian, ID – (no media coverage) Single sprinkler puts out fire in high school gym caused by combustion of oily rags

<No Media Coverage – Fire Department Reported> A single sprinkler head extinguished a fire in the Rocky Mountain High School gym late on the night of July 28th. The fire, caused by improperly discarded oily rags from a gym floor refinishing project, activated the sprinkler and alarm system. Meridian Fire Department responded, and found smoke in the entryway of the gym. They were able to stop the water flow and prevent substantial water damage to the newly-refinished gym floor. “The sprinkler did its job,” reported Joe Bongiorno, Meridian Fire Dept. Fire Marshal. “A single head put the fire out.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lewiston, ID – Electrical fire at hotel put out with help from sprinkler system

Fire officials suspect an electrical malfunction sparked a fire Monday evening in a fourth-floor room at the Red Lion Hotel in Lewiston.

The Lewiston Fire Department was dispatched to the hotel at 621 21st St. at approximately 6:20 p.m., and no one was injured in the fire, according to a news release from LFD Chief Travis Myklebust.

The first arriving unit found occupants from the hotel exiting into the parking lot, and nothing was showing from the outside. Crews went to the fourth floor and found a room with heavy black smoke coming into the hallway from inside. At that point, units from Asotin County Fire District No. 1, Clarkston Fire and Wheatland Fire District were requested as well.

As crews were getting in place, the hotel’s sprinkler system activated and helped extinguish the fire. The fire was contained to the room and there was some minor smoke damage on the fourth-floor and minor water damage on the third floor, according to the news release. The fire was under control by about 15 minutes after arrival.

Lewiston responded with three engines, one ladder truck, one service truck, two ambulances and three command officers, with a total of 17 personnel. Mutual-aid units responded with two engines and one support unit, totaling 14 personnel. Two fire investigators were also called to the scene.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Pocatello, ID – Sprinkler system helps firefighters control blaze at food processing plant

Firefighters responded to a fire at the Amy’s Kitchen food processing plant on the city’s north side early Wednesday morning.

The fire was reported around 3 a.m. and triggered a massive response by the Pocatello Fire Department.

The fire was declared to be out around 4:10 a.m. and firefighters said the plant’s sprinkler system helped them gain the upper hand on the blaze. There were no injuries.

The blaze started in the plant’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and caused minor damage to the facility, the Fire Department reported. Smoke flowed from the plant’s roof but no flames were visible from outside the plant.

The fire also resulted in the plant’s evacuation.

The Fire Department said that because of dangerously high carbon monoxide levels in the plant caused by the fire, the plant’s workers were not allowed back into facility until approximately 8:30 a.m.

The firefighters focused their efforts on the portion of the Amy’s Kitchen plant nearest to West Quinn Road and a Fire Department ladder truck provided firefighters access to the plant’s roof in this area.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the cost of the damage caused by the blaze was not known.

The Fire Department said the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation but the blaze was definitely unintentional.

In response to the fire, Amy’s Kitchen issued a statement saying the company is grateful that no one was hurt during the fire. The company also thanked the firefighters who responded to the scene.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our team in Pocatello and the local fire department for their quick response and help in evacuating everyone safely out of the building,” the statement read.

Other Business

Garden City, ID – Early morning fire at commercial laundry business contained by sprinkler system

The Boise Fire Department responded to a fire at at a commercial laundry facility in Garden City last Wednesday morning at 5:30 a.m. on the 5200 block of North Sawyer Avenue. The fire department says the business is still in service thanks to a fire sprinkler system in the facility, which limited the spread of the fire and kept it in the area the fire started. The fire was under control in about 30 minutes. The cause of the fire was ruled an accident, according to the fire department.  Two firefighters were injured while responding to a fire.  One firefighter suffered an ankle injury and the other suffered a back injury.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Boise, ID – Sprinkler system helps douse fire at BBQ restaurant; No injuries reported

The Meridian Fire Department is investigating after smoke engulfed a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant on Saturday afternoon.  

It happened just before 5 p.m. on the 2800 block of Overland Road. 
No one was injured and the sprinkler system was activated. The fire department says two units were training just blocks away and were able to get to the scene in a matter of minutes. 

Crew cut holes in the roof for ventilation in to make sure fire had not spread to the attic.
While a small fire was found inside the restaurant, crews are still investigating to find out what happened.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Burley, ID – Arson fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system

A student is suspected of lighting a roll of toilet paper and some paper towels on fire Friday damaging a bathroom and temporarily evacuating White Pine Intermediate School. “The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system,” Debbie Critchfield, spokeswoman for the district said.  An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Burley Fire Department and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office.  The fire was started around 9 a.m. in the fourth-grade wing in the boys’ bathroom.  “They have a suspect,” Critchfield said.  The fire department was called to the school and the firefighters made sure the blaze was extinguished.

The firefighters then reset the sprinkler system, which meant the fire system was down for about an hour at the school. Students were returned to their classrooms, except for the two classes that were affected by the cleanup, Principal Matt Seely said in a text message to parents Friday. Those students were supervised by their teachers in the gym.  There is fire damage in the restroom and water damage in the hallway and in a classroom directly across the hall from the bathroom.  When the water is dried, maintenance will determine what repairs need to be made, Critchfield said.

Department Store, Retail

Idaho Falls, ID – Arson fire at retail center extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection to a fire that occurred behind Brady’s at 1445 E. Lincoln Road around 3:45 p.m. on Monday in Idaho Falls.  Jason Schlegel was arrested Monday evening in the 400 block of Lomax Street. The Idaho Falls Police Department had earlier sought the public’s assistance in locating Schlegel.

The Idaho Falls Police Department and the Idaho Falls Fire Department believe the fire that destroyed two trucks near Brady’s was due to arson.  The interior of Brady’s on Lincoln Road did not sustain any damage during the large fire near the building, according to Idaho Falls Fire Department Chief Dave Hanneman.

Two trucks were reported on fire around 3:45 p.m. and firefighters cut into the roof of an exterior carport adjacent to the building. The fire appeared to be under control around 4:20 p.m.  The sprinkler system in the carport helped extinguish the blaze, authorities said. Damage was estimated at $120,000.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Boise, ID – Late night laundry fire at hotel contained with help from sprinkler system

The fire, apparently sparked in oil-soaked towels, was extinguished in about five minutes, the Boise Fire Department reported on Twitter. One employee was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, KBOI-TV, Channel 2 reports.  The fire was called in 8:50 p.m. at the hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., and was confined to a laundry area that is separate from the hotel building, the fire department reports. A fire sprinkler helped control the spread of the fire, according the BFD.

Residential, Single Family Home

Idaho Falls, ID – Home fire sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at residence

A fire at an Idaho Falls home on Wednesday is estimated to have caused $30,000 in damages. The blaze was reported at approximately 11:17 a.m. Firefighters with the Idaho Falls Fire Department responded to the residence at 3612 Summit Run Trail, where they found smoke coming from the basement.  The fire was eventually extinguished and salvage and overhaul activities were then completed. There were no injuries reported. The residents were able to exit the home after being alerted of the fire by smoke detectors.  The fire was also held in check by an in-home fire sprinkler system.