Tag Archives: Idaho

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, College/University (on campus)

Lewiston, ID – Laundry fire at on-campus college activity center put out by single sprinkler

A fire at Lewis-Clark State College late last night caused an estimated $25,000 in damage. According to a press release, Lewiston Fire crews were dispatched to a reported water flow alarm at the Activity Center at 11:40 p.m.  Once on scene, crews were advised by LCSC security personnel that an alarm was sounding in the activity center. Initial crews began a search and found smoke in the basement.

“The basement had several areas near the locker room with water on the floor. After searching several rooms, it was discovered that there had been a fire in a dryer in the laundry room, and the sprinkler system had a single head that had activated and extinguished the fire,” the press release states.

Fire crews remained on scene for another hour to assist with getting the sprinkler system shut down, evacuating the smoke, and to confirm there was no extension of the fire. The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction with the commercial dryer in the laundry room. The department responded with three structural engines, one ambulance, one truck, one service unit, and one chief officer, totaling 13 personnel. There were no citizen or firefighter injuries to report.

Office Building, Other Business

Boise, ID – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in downtown commercial building

Boise Fire says a small fire that broke out at the Charles Schwab building has been ruled accidental. Firefighters were called to the building, near 9th and Main Streets, just after 6:30 p.m. last Sunday.

While they found smoke inside, crews say the building’s sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire. A Boise Fire spokeswoman says there was moderate damage to the building.

On Monday, Boise Fire says an employee from the building had taken laundry home to wash. After it was clean, he placed the warm laundry in a crate and brought it back to the business. The heat, mixed with cooking oil remnants, sparked the fire, Boise Fire says.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Jerome, ID – Fire officials credit sprinkler system after early morning fire at market

Jerome fire officials are crediting a store’s fire suppression system for preventing what could have been a major disaster Sunday.

According to the City of Jerome fire crews were called to Ridley’s Family Market at around 6 a.m. to a report of a fire. Jerome Police arrived and found smoke and fire in a back room not open to the public. The store was quickly evacuated before fire crews arrived on scene. The fire spread quickly with help from combustible material inside the store. But, within several minutes the sprinkler system kicked in and halted the spread of the blaze.

Once fire crews arrived they searched for any hidden fires and didn’t find any. Investigators believe the fire was accidental. Officials say that the business was able to open several hours after the fire thanks to the sprinkler systems. The City of Jerome says this is the second building saved by a sprinkler system in the last 18 months.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Fire at construction business controlled with help from sprinkler system (Twin Falls, ID)

Tom Hughes the Jerome Fire Chief said, “At approximately 6:25 this morning, we were dispatched to this location, 901 South Lincoln Avenue in Jerome, for reported smoke in the building. Upon arrival of our first fire crew, we found a heavy smoke condition, and the fire sprinkler system had been activated. Our crews made entry to find the seed of the fire and make sure it was out.”Tom Hughes the Jerome Fire Chief said, “At approximately 6:25 this morning, we were dispatched to this location, 901 South Lincoln Avenue in Jerome, for reported smoke in the building. Upon arrival of our first fire crew, we found a heavy smoke condition, and the fire sprinkler system had been activated. Our crews made entry to find the seed of the fire and make sure it was out.”

Storage / Warehouse

Sprinklers keep warehouse fire from spreading (Boise, ID)

On Thursday at about 2 a.m. a fire broke out in a warehouse used for commercial laundry services. Fire crews responded to the scene to find smoke coming from the building. The fire sprinkler system within the building activated on the flames and kept them from spreading, allowing firefighters to quickly extinguish the remaining fire. 

Boise Fire Marshal Romeo Gervais said, “Fire sprinkler systems can react quickly and dramatically reduce the heat, flames, and smoke produced in a fire. That’s what happened this morning, protecting much of the structure and possibly preventing additional injuries.”

The fire’s cause is under investigation.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fire sprinklers prove worth in manufacturing fire (Caldwell, ID)

Fire crews responded to a fire at a manufacturing facility on the morning of August 8. The cause of the fire was the spontaneous combustion of flammable liquid soaked cloths in a garbage can within the facility. According to Andrew Carter of the Caldwell Fire Department, “the sprinkler system was the hero,” having kept the fire from spreading. About 200 employees went back to work shortly after the fire was extinguished by fire crews.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at high-rise apartment building (Boise, ID)


Boise firefighters responded with a full high-rise response after an alarm from the 15th floor of the Grove Hotel. The alarm and sprinklers were apparently activated by a candle burning in a Halloween decoration left outside one of the residential condominiums. The hotel suffered no fire damage. The hotel was briefly evacuated with only a minor disruption to ongoing business.

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire in second floor bedroom (Boise, ID)

Fire officials say an four-plex building in South Boise avoided major fire damage late Tuesday night thanks to a sprinkler system that put out a blaze before crews got there. 

When crews arrived, they found that the sprinkler system in the building was able to put out the fire before it could spread. The fire ignited after a candle fell off a window sill in the bedroom of a second-floor unit but did not spread to the sheetrock — or anywhere else in the apartment.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Fire sprinkler system saves wood chip storage building (Post Falls, ID)

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Fire crews were dispatched just after 7:00 a.m. to a structure fire in a wood chip storage building at Potlatch Corp. The fire was caused by a mechanical failure of a piece of equipment; this caused wood chips and saw dust to catch fire.  Officials say the fire sprinkler system kept the fire small until the trained on site fire crew was able to put water on it.