Tag Archives: Michigan

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Jackson, MI – Suspicious fire at downtown sports bar contained by sprinkler system

Investigators are calling a fire that damaged Chase Sports Bar in downtown Jackson suspicious. The fire started Sunday night just after 9 p.m. then spread to the back of the building.

“It was kinda like your worst nightmare,” said Owner Randy LeMaster. LeMaster was working at his other bar down Michigan Avenue when he got the call.  “The back next to the walk-in freezer was all up in flames,” he said.

Investigators say the fire started in a storage area outside the bar and just kept spreading. “It started to extend up the back side of the building which was a steel sided building. That presents its own problems because there are gaps between the steel and the brick behind it, so the fire mainly got into that gap space,” explained Deputy Fire Chief David Wooden with the Jackson County Fire Department.

Flames even got into the air ducts, but firefighters say the damage stayed to a back bathroom and the kitchen thanks to a sprinkler that went off. Investigators say they’re treating the scene as suspicious. “When you have a fire that started outside of a building, you don’t have the amount of accidental causes that could have started the fire,” Wooden explained.

Security cameras from both the bar and the apartment building next door could be key to helping investigators, they’re looking over all the video and hope it will show them just how the fire started. “We’re just hoping to see if there was anybody in the area to see if there’s something else we need to follow up on,” Wooden said.

Jackson called in 3 other fire departments through mutual aid because the fire was at a commercial building and there was a high-rise retirement apartment building next door. About 30 residents were evacuated but the fire never spread to the inside of the apartment building.

LeMaster says he’s just happy no one was injured. With significant smoke and water damage to the back of the building, he’s now focused on getting it repaired. But LeMaster is counting himself lucky since the flames didn’t spread to the main bar.

Still with the holidays coming up, he can’t afford to be out of business. “I’ve got a crew lined up to move forward on getting things cleaned up,” he said.  Chase will be closed for at least a month.  LeMaster tells News 10 he has about 30 employees at that bar and he’s trying to keep them busy with cleanup or get them extra hours at his other bar.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential High Rise

Southfield, MI – Early morning fire in senior high-rise complex put out by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The all-clear has been given after some scary, smoky moments inside a senior living complex in Southfield early Thursday morning.  Fire crews were called around 3:30 a.m. to Highland Towers off Greenfield Road near Interstate 696 because the fire alarms were going off. Many residents saw and smelled smoke.  Firefighters were door to door on all 12 floors trying to wake everyone up and learn where the smoke was coming from.

“We didn’t know where the fire came from,” says Deborah Taylor-Kiel. “I just smelled the smoke because the doors shut and the fire alarm went off in my apartment where I live, and that’s very scary.”

Eventually, firefighters learned someone threw something down the trash shoot which started a fire in the trash room. The sprinkler system was able to put the fire out.

No one was hurt and nobody’s individual apartment was damaged, so everyone was allowed back in their homes. Some parts of the building have water damage now, though. 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Genoa Twp, MI – Lithium-ion battery fire at UPS distribution center controlled with help from sprinklers; Firefighters extinguish

Spontaneous combustion of lithium-ion batteries is the cause of fire damage at the Genoa Township UPS Distribution Center, a fire official said Monday. Deputy Chief Mike Evans of the Brighton Area Fire Department said firefighters responded around 5:50 a.m. Friday to the UPS center at 1212 Fendt Drive, off Grand Oaks Drive, to find “heavy smoke” billowing from the building.

“It was a sprinkled building, and the sprinkler activated before we arrived,” Evans explained. “It wasn’t getting to the fire due to an obstruction in the conveyor system. We had to stretch hose line and put the fire out.”

Firefighters extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes without injury to UPS employees or firefighters, he noted. Evans said the lithium-ion batteries had been set aside in a box for recycling. The fire damaged several containers and the conveyor belt system. Evans said damage figures are not completed, but preliminary estimates place it at $200,000 for product and the conveyor system as well as a couple of trucks. Howell Area firefighters and Livingston County EMS also were on scene.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Portage, MI – Sprinkler system helps contain attic fire at business

Portage firefighters put out an attic fire at a West Michigan business on Sunday.  Firefighters were sent to J. Rettenmaier, 1615 Vanderbilt Ave., just before 2:30 p.m. after a fire alarm was set off at the business.  According to firefighters there was light smoke coming from the building when they arrived and found an activated sprinkler. The firefighters said there was a small fire in the attic and they had to cut two holes in the roof to get to the area. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Marshal.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Madison Heights, MI – Fire at snack food manufacturer contained by quick response of sprinkler system and firefighters

The Kar’s Nuts factory in Madison Heights had to close Sept. 15 when a fire broke out in the middle of the plant, but the fire was contained thanks to working sprinklers and a quick response by area fire departments.

Around 60 workers had to evacuate the facilities on 14 Mile Road, between John R and Dequindre roads. There were no injuries. The fire started around 7 p.m. in the roughly 300-square-foot room where the stainless steel containers are washed for product distribution. Kar’s Nuts ships a variety of snack mixes and nuts to distributors across the nation.

Four fire departments arrived at the scene, including the Madison Heights Fire Department. Firefighters from a fifth fire department, Birmingham, filled in for Madison firefighters at Station No. 1, ready to take calls for any extra emergencies.

At press time, the investigation was ongoing, but Madison Fire Chief Greg Lelito said he suspects it was an issue with the insulation around the piping that exhausts heat in the washing room.

“It then extended to the ceiling,” Lelito said. “The sprinkler system activated, which contained the fire. We then went in and put out the remainder of the fire with our fire hoses. But it was the sprinklers that kept it in the room of origin.”

While the fire didn’t spread far, the entire building was filled with heavy smoke, which made for limited visibility. The firefighters had to open every window and door, set up fans to circulate the air, and even break out the skylights on the roof in order to vent the smoke. The whole process took several hours. The entire building sustained significant damage from smoke and water. A mitigation company came in immediately afterward to begin work on restoring the facilities.

The plant employs about 200 workers. There were no injuries reported. The company has reported that all of its equipment is in working order, and at press time, production was expected to resume the following week. In the meantime, authorities continued to investigate the cause of the fire. Lelito said it’s fortunate that the sprinklers worked as they should.

“It was manageable, it was smooth, but it just shows you what sprinklers can do,” Lelito said. “City code typically requires that a building over 12,000 square feet is sprinklered. If that building didn’t have working sprinklers, that fire would’ve definitely spread past the room of origin.”

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Troy, MI – Fire at Korean barbecue restaurant stopped by single sprinkler head

A fire inside the Korean BBQ Dae Jang Keum at 2947 E. Big Beaver demonstrated the importance of commercial sprinkler systems.  According to Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Riesterer the fire was reported at 9:21 pm.

“Upon arrival, firefighters reported that the fire sprinkler system was active, all occupants were out of the building and that the fire had been extinguished. The fire was located in the Korean BBQ restaurant at the west end of this large, one-story strip mall,” Riesterer said.  “Firefighters turned off the water flowing from the sprinkler system. The fire sprinkler system contained the fire damage to the immediate area.  No extension was found in the adjoining spaces. Damage was located in a small dining area in the restaurant. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Damage estimates are incomplete at this time.”

Sprinklers are not required in all restaurants, but because Dae Jang Keum was located in a large strip mall it was necessary.

“The requirement for sprinklers comes from the Michigan Building Code, which is based upon the International Code Council’s Building Code,” Riesterer said.  Factors include height and area limitations, type of materials in the building and the ease of occupant egress.

“The fire was contained to the one space, and only one sprinkler head was used to contain the fire. Had the fire sprinkler system not been in place, patrons may have been injured, and a more severe impact to the community would have been felt with the possible loss of several businesses.  As it is, with a small amount of clean up, Dae Jang Keum should be open for business this week, if not already.”

The benefits of sprinkler systems have been well-documented, including by demonstrations in Rochester Hills and Ferndale.

Watch video of a side by side burn demo with a sprinkler system at http://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/11/22/burn-demo-shows-value-of-residential-sprinklers-video/.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Escanaba, MI – Fire at paper mill contained with help from sprinkler system

Escanaba Public Safety responded to a fire in one of the wood rooms of the Verso Paper Mill in Wells Township.

According to Escanaba Public Safety, they were dispatched at approximately 11:25 a.m. to assist Verso Fire Brigade. Public safety responded with one pumper, the 75 foot ladder truck and the rescue unit with the portable air filling station. They also provided nine officers to assist.

The quick response and joint effort of both fire departments, along with the building’s sprinkler system, curtailed the fire from spreading. The last unit cleared the scene at 2:30 p.m.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Flat Rock, MI – Storage fire at auto assembly plant controlled with help from single sprinkler

A fire that started in storage racks damaged the north side of the Flat Rock Auto Assembly Plant Tuesday night, causing hundreds of workers to be evacuated from the building. Firefighters from Flat Rock, Rockwood and Woodhaven responded to the plant at Gibraltar Rd. and I-75 about 7 p.m. Tuesday.  Firefighters could see smoke billowing from the plant at the Flat Rock station, Chief William Vack said.

“When we arrived, it was going pretty good, and you could see smoke about 100 feet in the air,” Chief Vack said afterward. “Once we got our water supplies established, we had it knocked down in about a half hour.”

Where the fire started was only about 100 feet from Vreeland Rd., he said. Heat from the fire penetrated an exterior wall on the north side of the plant, activating a single sprinkler in a newer section of the building, he said. The sprinkler helped quell any fire inside.

“Most of the plant was unaffected,” Chief Vack said. “The fire was near the truck docks. … There was no smoke in the building.”

He said it was standard procedure to evacuate the plant when a fire alarm is activated. The amount of damage was unknown but was not believed to be extensive. Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.

Other - Retail, Retail

Gaylord, MI – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in containing fire at fireworks store

Fire crews in Otsego County had to rush to save a fireworks store after a fire ignited overnight. The Otsego County Fire Department says the fire started just before midnight in Gaylord. The Otsego County fire chief says if they didn’t have a sprinkler system, the result could have been much different. Crews were able to contain the fire in about a half an hour Tuesday night.