Tag Archives: Montana

Apartment Building, Residential

Butte, MT – Sprinkler system praised for minimizing fire damage at off-campus housing

A sprinkler activation system successfully limited the damage after an early-morning house fire broke out at off-campus Montana Tech student housing at 1038 Missoula Ave. on Friday.

At 5:42 a.m. Friday, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in apartment 1032 and kept it from spreading to the interior of the apartment and adjoining apartments.

The fire originated in an exterior barbecue used the previous evening, according to Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department responders.

One of three male occupants suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated, and A-1 Ambulance transported him to the hospital, according to a county press release.

The fire damaged exterior siding, two large exterior windows, the front door, and an overhead awning. It resulted in water damage, but the sprinkler system confined the fire to the exterior and kept it from engulfing the entire residential complex, saving lives and limiting property damage, according to the report.

Fire crews cleared the scene after 7 a.m. Responders included the BSB police and the Big Butte Fire Department.

“We thank Montana Tech for having a properly installed and maintained automatic fire sprinkler system,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Doherty.

Total cost damages to the involved structure were minimal, he said. A-1 Ambulance transported the injured civilian to the emergency room. His condition is unknown.“

This is a great sprinkler success story. The facilities sprinkler and alarm systems did their jobs,” said Doherty.

“There were no fatalities, minimal amounts of property damage, and after some minor clean-up, this apartment should be back up and running quickly. This is a great example of how sprinklers save lives; they are efficient, effective, and essential in protecting both lives and property.”

Friday afternoon, cleaners from Dayspring Restoration were tearing out damaged carpets and cleaning up smoke damage. Workers Matt Popham and Patrick Hennessey estimated the cleanup would take two weeks to a month. 

Other - Retail, Retail

Bozeman, MT – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in suppressing fire at Dollar Tree store

A fire in the back storage room at the Dollar Tree in Bozeman early Tuesday morning has forced the store to close for several days. At 4:23 a.m., Bozeman firefighters were dispatched to the West Main Street business, where employees had been stocking shelves for the holidays. The sprinkler and alarm systems were triggered, said Deputy Fire Chief Trish Wolford, but no one was injured. Her investigation Tuesday said the cause of the fire was “undetermined,” but it was probably accidental, she said.

A steady stream of would-be customers on Wednesday were stopped at the front door by a small sign reading “closed today due to fire.” An employee inside said he had nothing to say to the Chronicle. Asked if the store would be open on Thursday, he said “No, it’s gonna be a couple of days.” The lights were on inside and water was pooled on the aisle floors; the windows were fogged from the humidity. The employee said he was waiting for restoration company employees to arrive.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Missoula, MT – Sprinkler system activates to help prevent dumpster fire from spreading into shopping mall

Witnesses say thick smoke was billowing into the Southgate Mall late Friday evening as emergency crews responded to a fire outside the shopping center. 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Billings, MT – Sprinkler system limits spread of fire in bakery’s ventilation system

A Tuesday morning fire in the company’s Grand Avenue location damaged the main bakery operation, but it will only be temporary, said owner Bill Harrison. The small fire started in the ventilation system, he said. That triggered the sprinklers, and now a cleanup effort is underway. But the business is without bagels, for now.

The downtown Grand Bagel location gets its staple supply from the bakery at 2135 Grand Ave. Until everything is up and running again, the downtown shop will remain open with sandwiches, sweet rolls, biscuits and other menu items. The Grand Avenue shop is normally open on a limited basis to customers but will resume operation after the cleanup effort, Harrison said. The damage didn’t affect the front end severely.

“It was mostly isolated to our ovens area where our equipment is,” Harrison Said. He added that the main equipment will need cleaning and not replacement. They’re working with a damage restoration company, and a public health inspector was scheduled to check the space on Thursday, he said.

It’s unknown when full bagel baking will resume. Prior to the incident, business had been good, Harrison said. There had been growth in business at the Grand Avenue location, even with limited hours. The downtown business is steady. “Downtown is doing well,” he said. “It doesn’t fluctuate a whole lot. We appreciate the customer loyalty a lot.”

College/University (on campus), School / University

Billings, MT – Fire in storage room of university gymnasium extinguished by sprinkler system

Billing firefighters responded to a fire in a storage room at Montana State University Billings’ Alterowitz Gym, 1500 University Drive, on Thursday evening.  The fire was contained to physical education equipment and the storage room sustained smoke damage, said Deputy Fire Marshal Trever Schilling. The fire was reported at about 6:13 p.m. Electrical wiring failed, igniting nearby combustibles.

A sprinkler system extinguished the fire and minimized damages to the building and contents. The fire was accidental and damages are estimated at $1,000. The property is insured.

 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Billings, MT – Petroleum warehouse fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

A fire ignited at a petroleum warehouse near downtown Billings on Friday afternoon, causing damage to the building but no injuries. Billings firefighters were called to Cross Petroleum Services, 1818 Minnesota Ave., just after 2 p.m. and found flames near the front of the building.  With the help of a sprinkler system, firefighters contained and knocked down the blaze in about 15 minutes, said Billings Fire Department Chief Paul Dextras.

The warehouse stores flammable and combustible products. According to a report from Deputy Fire Marshal Jamie Fender, the fire ignited when flammable liquids were being transferred between containers and the fire was accidental. The estimated cost of damages for the insured building and the insured material destroyed is $100,000.

“It could’ve been somewhat catastrophic,” Dextras said. A large burn mark scarred the front of the building, running up to the roof, and metal tanks outside the building appeared scorched. Sprinklers continued to spray well after the fire was out. Dextras said it was unclear how much flammable material was currently stored inside the warehouse.

Online property records label the building as C & D Warehouse. Dextras and signage outside the building labeled it as Cross Petroleum Products. Records show that the warehouse is about 110,000 square feet.

Other Business

Great Falls, MT – Fire at non-profit business extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire in the rear work area of My Neighbor in Need was extinguished by the sprinkler system Tuesday evening.  Nobody was injured in the fire.  The Times Square building is at 525 Central Ave.

Ron Martin, deputy fire marshal for Great Falls Fire/Rescue, said the fire was likely caused by a candle that employees were burning in the area while waxing over screws to repair a chair.  Employees extinguished the candle, but when it was placed upright in a plastic toolbox, it was still smoldering and caught the toolbox on fire, according to Martin and Snuggs.

The heat from the fire was enough to activate a nearby sprinkler head, which quickly extinguished the fire.  “The system worked as designed,” Martin said, whose office heads up the department’s fire prevention efforts.

On Wednesday afternoon, GFFR ruled the fire accidental and controlled by automatic sprinkler system.  “That is such a blessing, because it could have been so much worse,” Snuggs said by phone Wednesday afternoon. “We can’t speak enough of how well the sprinklers worked, and the fire department was here in minutes and did an outstanding job.”

Martin said the fire was extinguished when firefighters arrived a few minutes after the alarm system notified GFFR.  Snuggs said the damage is estimated at $50,000 or less and My Neighbor in Need’s insurance will cover the cleanup and repairs.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Fire officials credit sprinkler system with minimizing damage in school fire (Bozeman, MT)

The Rae and Sourdough Fire Departments were dispatched to the Heritage Christian School for a fire alarm at 5:09 a.m. A deputy was first on the scene and advised there was heavy smoke in the building. The fire was declared under control at 6:37 a.m. and there were no injuries reported.

The fire department reports that the fire and associated damage was minimized because of the fire sprinkler and alarm system installed during the last remodel of the building. On Aug. 25, 2012, the school sustained significant damage in arson-related fire.

Department Store, Retail

Fire sprinkler system helps to save discount department store (Great Falls, MT)

A discount department store had a small fire occur on Monday night, and after being alerted by a passerby, fire officials responded to the incident. They entered the building to find smoke, but no flames, thanks to the structure’s fire sprinkler system. A mechanical malfunction is being blamed for the incident, but investigators are still unsure if it was electrical or not. 

Great Falls Fire Marshal Dirk Johnson said regarding the incident, “We had two sprinkler heads go off that pretty much put the fire out and saved a lot of damage to Kmart, so sprinklers save lives.”

There were no injuries reported.

Dry Cleaner, Retail

Damage minimized at cleaning business thanks to fire sprinkler system (Billings, MT)

A fire which began in a cleaning business the evening of September 12 when rags and clothing that were placed in a laundry basket spontaneously combusted. Fire crews arrived and saw fire through the windows of the building.