Tag Archives: Nebraska

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Kearney, NE – Sprinkler system activated for fire at manufacturing facility

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Fire crews responded to a fire at Eaton in Kearney Wednesday evening.

According to the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD), they found heavy black smoke when they arrived at Eaton Corporation at 4200 East Highway 30. The smoke was coming from the roof and exterior doors of the west side of facility. Employees were evacuating when fire crews arrived.

One crew found the fire and extinguished it while another gained access to the roof to ensure the fire had not extended to the roof.

Fire command verified with Eaton’s management that all employees were accounted for and had been evacuated.

Power was shut down in the impacted area along with the sprinkler system which was activated by the fire.

Two Eaton’s employees were evaluated by Good Samaritan EMS for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

The fire origin and cause are still under investigation, but the original investigation showed that the fire started in a seat grinder and spread to a mist collector. The fire was mostly contained to the area of these two machines, according to KVFD.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Lincoln, NE – Sprinkler system contains fire at factory building; No injuries reported

Hastings Fire & Rescue crews on Thursday battled a blaze at a former factory building, authorities say.

The fire started at the Eaton Corp. building, located near East 39th Street and Yost Avenue, around 10 a.m.

Eaton had discontinued operations at the building, but employees and contractors were on site disassembling and removing equipment, authorities say.

While an employee was using a plasma cutter to cut metal, built-up oil residues ignited, according to officials.

The fire was contained by the building’s sprinkler system until crews arrived to completely extinguish the flames.

Before the sprinklers went off, fire officials said an employee pulled the fire alarm, and all six employees in the building evacuated.

No one was injured in the fire.

The Hastings Fire Marshal did issue two citations for failing to follow a hot work permit, directly resulting in a structure fire, authorities say.

Hastings Fire & Rescue said a similar incident happened at the factory on Jan. 6.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Omaha, NE – Sprinkler system activated for fire at strip mall; No injuries reported

The Omaha Fire Department is investigating a fire at a strip mall Sunday morning.

According to the Omaha Fire Department, at 8:44 a.m. Sunday, crews were called to a one-story strip mall at 10841 Q Street. Dispatch received multiple calls reporting a large amount of black smoke coming from the building.

When crews arrived they entered and reported poor visibility inside. They searched the structure and found a fire that was controlled by an automatic sprinkler system. The fire was extinguished quickly by firefighters.

The Omaha Fire Department says no injuries were reported by fire personnel at the time.

Damage was estimated at $15,000 to the structure and another $50,000 to its contents.

Investigators are looking into what caused the fire.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Norfolk, NE – Sprinkler system activated for warehouse fire; No injuries reported

Crews responded to the scene of a reported fire inside the MP Global building in northern Norfolk at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Two rigs from the Norfolk Fire Division initially responded to the scene off of Riverside Boulevard before mutual aid from Hadar Fire & Rescue, Hoskins/Woodland Park and Battle Creek Fire & Rescue were brought in.

The fire started in the southern, warehouse half of the building and was caused by a hot piece of metal inside grinder material, said Capt. Lannce Grothe with the Norfolk Fire Division. Firefighters entered the business from the west side.

Several employees could be seen standing in the building’s west lawn while crews worked the scene. Nobody was injured and all employees had evacuated the building by the time crews had arrived, Grothe said.

No structural damage was done to the building, Grothe said, but the fire caused about $20,000 in damage to equipment.

MP Global’s water sprinkler system and carbon dioxide sprinkler system contained the fire, Grothe said, preventing a far worse outcome. Initial reports led fire crews to believe that they had a much bigger fire on their hands, he said.

“We wanted to call in mutual aid with the possibility of a big fire,” Grothe said. “And, on a hot day like this, you want to have all the manpower you can.”

MP Global employs about 140 people across its two Norfolk plants and 85 at the Riverside Boulevard location where the fire occurred, said Al Collison, owner and chief executive officer.

“I was in shock at first. We have protocol that, when something like this happens, everybody evacuates the building, our systems respond to the fire and then the fire department takes over,” Collison said. “They all got out right away, so everyone is safe.”

About 25 employees were inside the building when the fire started, Collison said.

“It’s a shock; your biggest worry is making sure people are out,” he said.

As of about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, crews remained on scene and were working to ventilate the building. MP Global, which operates 24 hours a day, was expected to be operating again by 6 a.m. Thursday, Collison said.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Norfolk Police Division also responded to the scene.

MP Global is a cardboard liner company that had to recover from a major fire in 2005 that Collison, the founder of MP Global, said proved to be “the most challenging period of my life.”

Damage was estimated at between $5 million and $6 million. With a stack of orders, Collison said in a 2005 Daily News story that he had to immediately find a site where production could continue almost seamlessly. Within two days of the fire, Collison located a factory in Mexico City, Mexico. Production was moved to Mexico for six months until the Norfolk facility reopened, Collison said.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Omaha, NE – Fire Sprinkler activated for fire in university dorm building; No injuries reported

The Omaha Fire Department, Omaha Police Department and Creighton University’s Department of Public Safety responded to an incident at a Kiewit Hall early this morning.

According to Cindy Workman, the university’s director of public relations, three small fires had been set at hand sanitizer stations. One of these fires triggered the fire suppression system in the building.

The students were safely evacuated to the student center and no one was injured.

The building was cleared for re-entry, and those students whose rooms were impacted by the sprinkler system were relocated.

Omaha Police and Public Safety are investigating the incident.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Kearney, NE – Sprinkler system contains possible arson fire in elementary school bathroom

Police and firefighters are investigating a possible arson that occurred Tuesday at Bryant Elementary School in Kearney.

Around 6 p.m. emergency crews were called to an alarm at the school at 1611 Ave. C. When they arrived there was smoke inside the building.

The investigation revealed a paper towel dispenser had been set on fire in a boys’ bathroom inside the school, said a Kearney Police Department news release.

A sprinkler head in the bathroom contained the fire, said fire Capt. John Sydow. Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire.

Sydow estimated the bathroom sustained an estimated $5,000 damage. The fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The fire didn’t interrupt any classes Wednesday at Bryant.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Kearney, NE – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at court house; No injuries reported

Crews responded to an early morning fire in Kearney.

According to the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, correction officers called the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department after seeing smoke in an office around 2:30 a.m.

When fire crews arrived, the Sheriff’s Office said the small fire had been extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system.

Water from this system caused damage to the office’s furniture and carpet.

While crews are investigating the cause of fire, the Sheriff’s Office said they do not believe the flames were criminal.

The Sheriff’s Office said the jail on the property was not damaged but crews remained on scene to continue check air quality.

No injuries were reported.

Other Business

Lincoln, NE – Fire in crowded theater is put out by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Authorities say officers helped evacuate audience members after a small fire broke out at a downtown Lincoln concert venue.  Someone knocked over a container of kerosene while performing with fire around 10 p.m. Thursday at the Bourbon Theatre. The flames set off a fire sprinkler, which doused the blaze.  Lincoln Fire & Rescue Department spokeswoman Nancy Crist says police helped evacuate the large crowd that had gathered for the headline act, K Camp. No injuries have been reported. K Camp’s concert was soon canceled.  Crist says the performer using fire didn’t have authorization to perform with it at the theater.  Damage was estimated at $1,000.

Other - Manufacturing

Omaha, NE – Fire at industrial building controlled thanks in part to sprinkler system

No injuries were reported Tuesday night in a fire at an industrial building near South 42nd and D Streets.  Fire crews reported to the structure, which contains recycling materials, around 7:25 p.m.  Firefighters reported smoke on approach to the location.  The fire was declared under control at 7:45 p.m., thanks in part to a sprinkler system that helped contain the blaze, fire crews said.  Several employees were on location at the time of the fire, which remains under investigation, fire officials said.  The $889,300 structure sustained an estimated $250 in damage, officials said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Lincoln, NE – Overnight fire at metal finishing company held in check with help from sprinkler system

Lincoln Fire and Rescue said nobody was injured in an early morning fire in southwest Lincoln.  LFR responded to a fire at Lincoln Industries just after 2 a.m. Thursday. Fire officials said boxes in an area that holds chemicals were on fire. A sprinkler system helped keep the fire in check and fire crews were able to put the rest out.

LFR told 10/11 situations like this are a challenge because of hazardous materials. Crews have to be careful about water runoff. Employees at the plant were able to evacuate safely and even helped fire crews in making their efforts a success.  The fire did shut down south Folsom from D to Rosa Parks, but it has since reopened.

Investigators are now working to determine the cause of the fire.  Lincoln Industries bills itself as the largest and most diverse privately-held metal finishing company in North America.