Tag Archives: Kansas

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Kansas City, KS – Sprinklers activate in blaze at Kellogg plant after oven malfunction

Three firefighters were treated for heat-related illness after fighting a fire July 6 at the Kellogg plant at 801 Sunshine Road in the Fairfax area of Kansas City, Kan.

Damage to the plant and its product were estimated at $1.5 million, the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department spokesman said. The building was valued at $60 million before the fire.

There were no injuries to the plant workers when the fire broke out, according to the Fire Department spokesman. The plant, which makes Cheez-Its, was in production at the time of the fire.

The plant is currently closed while it is being cleaned up, according to the Fire Department, and it is estimated to be closed for several days to a week. Health officials will need to inspect it before it reopens.

The plant’s workers were in the process of being evacuated when firefighters arrived, the spokesman said.

The call came in around 9:01 p.m. Wednesday, with the first firefighters arriving about 3 minutes later.

The Fire Department spokesman said the fire started in one of the ovens at the plant that malfunctioned. The plant has four ovens, around 400 feet long, with a conveyor belt through them. The sprinkler system activated during the fire. The fire was near the end of one of the ovens, and the product was burning there, the spokesman said.

The Fire Department spokesman estimated that the firefighters faced temperatures of 120 to 130 degrees inside the building during the fire. It was also hot outdoors.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Hutchinson, KS – Chemical fire in student’s apartment confined by sprinkler system

Hutchinson police investigators think a Hutchinson college student was experimenting with mixing chemicals to create an explosion when he caused a fire in his Plaza Towers apartment Tuesday evening. Local authorities also contacted Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation after their investigation revealed the man was sharing his knowledge in chemical bomb making with people in other states, Hutchinson Police Detective Jamie Schoenhoff said.

Police arrested Chase Lee Coble, 22, on suspicion of aggravated arson in an occupied building, unlawful possession of explosives in an occupied building, conspiracy to commit use of explosives and felony criminal damage to property. He has not yet made a court appearance and remains jailed on $12,500 bond.

Firefighters responded to Coble’s apartment at the Plaza Towers, 17 E. Second Ave., at about 4 p.m. after a fire triggered the building’s sprinkler system. The fire itself was small, said Deputy Fire Chief Doug Hanen, and was confined to the top of an upright freezer. He estimated damage from water to the apartment, however, at $4,000 to $5,000.

“After the fire department responded, they discovered numerous chemicals in the apartment they thought might have been meth-lab-related,” Schoenhoff said. “Due to my past history with investigating meth labs, I quickly observed it was not a meth lab but something, in my opinion, more nefarious.”

Police called the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which in turn contacted the South Central Region Homeland Security Hazmat Response Team. All of the chemicals were collected and properly disposed of, Schoenhoff said.

“Mr. Coble is a student at (Hutchinson Community College) majoring in chemistry,” Schoenhoff said. “He’s attended several colleges in other states, in the same major.”

He came to Hutchinson from Salina about a year ago, the detective said.  In talking with Coble and finding items throughout the apartment, they identified at least three chemicals that when mixed with others would create an explosion of flash fire, Schoenhoff said.

“That created a danger to all the occupants of the building,” he said.

The 12-story building has 63 apartments. There also were indications in the apartment that there had been previous fires or explosions there, Schoenhoff said, though none resulted in firefighters responding or significant damage.

“Of equal concern, he’d been communicating with individuals in other states with reference to giving advice and detailing how to make chemical explosives,” he said.

At least one such contact was in Minnesota.  That information, he said, led investigators to contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI.

Investigators seized at least 10 computer servers from the apartment, though all “went through the sprinkler system shower,” he said.

“Right now, we’re handling it at the state level, but everyone is interested in the computer analysis.”

The chemicals, for the most part, Schoenhoff said, are items anyone can purchase and none was illegal in itself to own. The problem, he said, is in mixing them, and Coble admitted to attempting to create explosives.

“He knew his stuff, as far as chemicals and reactions,” Schoenhoff said. “He gave different reasons, some legitimate reasons, as to why he was trying to experiment.”

Police arrested Coble last month on suspicion of driving under the influence and battery on a law enforcement officer, Schoenhoff said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Olathe, KS – Early morning fire at Residence Inn extinguished by sprinkler system

Guests at the Residence Inn on South Strang Line Road were temporarily forced out Thursday morning after light smoke filled the lobby. The Olathe Fire Department was called to the hotel about 5:45 a.m.

Firefighters said an overheated furnace caused an air filter to catch fire. The sprinkler system put out the fire. The Fire Department said there is minor damage.  Guests were able to stay warm in their cars. They were allowed back in after about an hour.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Salina, KS – Compressor fire at cabinet manufacturer put out by sprinkler system

A fire in the compressor room at Crestwood caused employees to be evacuated Monday morning and shut down the cabinet-making plant for half the day.Capt. Roger Soldan said firefighters with Rural Fire Department No. 2 responded to the call about 9:10 a.m. at the plant at 601 E. Water Well.

Crestwood president Mike Junk said the bearings in the motor of one of three air compressors went out, sparking the fire, which was put out right away by an automatic sprinkler system.

Junk said firefighters came through to check for flames and hot spots, and the electricity was shut off while the system was assessed for damage.

Junk said the plant was back up and running Monday afternoon, with just the other two air compressors. He said parts have been ordered to repair the third compressor

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Shawnee, KS – Sprinkler system helps minimize damage in fire at Hy-Vee store

Shortly before 7 a.m. Saturday, a fire broke out in the deli kitchen area of the Shawnee Hy-Vee. Firefighters say workers were setting up for the morning buffet, when a hot steno lighter was put in storage. It spilled and caught fire.  Employees tried to extinguish the fire and a sprinkler inside the store did activate.  Fire Marshall Cory Sands says the fire was put out fairly quickly, but there is extensive smoke damage throughout the store.  Sands says all opened food will be thrown out, with a value of about $300,000.

A quick staff response – and sprinkler activation – helped save over $1 million in food and items. The store was evacuated, and no injuries were reported.  The Department of Agriculture has been called. They will have to inspect the store before it re-opens. Sands says he expects the store will be able to re-open this afternoon.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wichita, KS – Sprinkler system keeps fire at apartment complex from spreading

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Fire crews have knocked out a fire at an apartment complex in Wichita. The fire started around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at an apartment complex located at 324 N. Emporia. Fire crews say the sprinkler system helped get the fire out and keep it from spreading.

Upon arrival, fire crews discovered the fire on 3rd floor of the building. Residents had self-evacuated. So far, there is no cause of fire. Some residents are being displaced and Westar Enegry is also shutting down power for time being as well.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Wichita, KS – Sprinklers keep fire from spreading at hospital

(** Blog Note – Sprinklers do not activate by smoke; Only the substantial heat from a significant fire **)  Fire crews responded to Via Christi St. Francis hospital Sunday evening after smoke from a trash dumpster fire caused sprinklers to go off at the facility.  Dispatch reported smoke on the south side of the hospital where the trash dumpster is located. The fire did not spread to the building. 

Wichita Police provided traffic control near the scene. Roads were not closed, but part of Santa Fe was partially blocked near the hospital. 

Other / Not Specified

Leavenworth, KS – Fire at community center is fully extinguished by sprinkler system

Investigators are trying to determine what caused a small fire Monday night at the Riverfront Community Center, a Leavenworth Fire Department official said. The fire was reported at 10:31 p.m. Monday at the community center, 123 S. Esplanade St.

Assistant Fire Chief Mark Nietzke said the fire was contained to a storage room on the main floor of the community center. Nietzke said the fire was extinguished by water from a sprinkler system. The fire was already out when Leavenworth firefighters arrived on scene.

“The fire was contained to a pretty small area,” Nietzke said. Nietzke said fire investigators are in the process of eliminating other possible causes to determine what led to Monday night’s fire. “It’s taking us a little while to get through everything,” he said. The Riverfront Community Center is owned by the city of Leavenworth. City spokeswoman Melissa Bower said employees will be doing cleanup work this week, but the fire will not result in the cancellation of any events at the Riverfront Community Center.

Apartment Building, Residential

Salina, KS – Loft apartment fire brought under control with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters had a fire that started in a loft apartment above Laura’s Antiques in the 100 block of South Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Salina under control within about 40 minutes Tuesday night, said Salina Fire Marshal Roger Williams.

Williams said the fire was initially seen in a patio area of the loft apartment above Laura’s Antiques, 109 S. Santa Fe. He said it might have spread into the loft apartment above That 1 Bar, 111 S. Santa Fe, which is protected by an automatic sprinkler system. “It (the sprinkler system) did activate, and that definitely helped our operation,” Williams said.

Williams said there were no people in either loft apartment, and a small number of people in the bar were safely evacuated. There was smoke visible at the scene, but no flames.

The loft above Laura’s Antiques was being renovated. During that work in early March, some plaster was removed from what had been the exterior wall of 111 S. Santa Fe to reveal a sign painted on the wall from Salina’s earliest days.

The black-and-white sign was for “G. Sauer, Boots and Shoes,” a company that opened in 1870 and had closed by 1885. About 20,000 pounds of plaster was removed from the walls during renovation.