Tag Archives: New York

Schenectady, NY – Casino kitchen fire contained with help from sprinkler system; Operations resume quickly

Rivers Casino & Resort was evacuated for about an hour Sunday afternoon after a small kitchen fire.  Schenectady fire crews responded about 1:30 p.m. after a cooking fire at Mian restaurant set off the casino’s alarms and sprinkler systems, according to Deputy Fire Chief Don Mareno.  The casino was evacuated and patrons were able to return about 2:25 p.m. “Operations are normal at Rivers Casino today, following a minor kitchen fire that was quickly resolved,” a Rivers spokesman said in an email.

New York, NY – High rise fire near Grand Central Station extinguished by sprinkler system

As reported by CBS 2 New York – Crowds gathered to observe firefighters tackle a fire in a high-rise building at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. The fire broke out on the mezzanine level of the 31-story Graybar Building next to the Grand Central Terminal at around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. The blaze grew to two alarms, before the sprinkler system extinguished the flames a short time later.

Chief Roger Sackowich said the fire started in an electrical supply room. “All the wiring and boxes and things that were in that room – so you had a very strong, acidy smell due to the PVC coating of the electrical wires. And that — really the smoke was very difficult to breathe,” he said.

Six people were checked out after complaining of breathing problems. Three of them were taken to a hospital. The fire prompted some evacuations of the building and heavy smoke. The fire prompted some evacuations of the building and heavy smoke. “The smoke was thick and it smelled a little, like, electrical, someone mentioned it smelled like it was electrical, it didn’t smell good,” Harry Borque said.

“We left. We had to walk down through the smoke. It was all very orderly, very organized,” said a woman named Beth. “It was thick — you had to walk through thick smoke… I covered my mouth.” Workers were allowed back into their offices after about an hour and a half. Grand Central Terminal was not impacted.

Port Washington, NY – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at assisted living facility

A blaring fire alarm on Nov. 13 caused the evacuation of a number of residents from The Amsterdam at Harborside, a retirement community which has approximately 280 residents. According to a statement from Harborside, the alarm, which sounded at the Continuing Care Retirement Community, was activated by smoke in a resident’s apartment.

Harborside said that in addition to the alarm, an internal sprinkler system was activated and the staff responded to the scene, temporarily evacuating residents on two floors of the facility. The statement went on to say that affected residents were taken to an area hospital for evaluation and were subsequently released.

“No one was injured and no one else was taken to the hospital during this incident. As of 7 p.m., Amsterdam at Harborside residents are at dinner and have resumed their normal activities,” the facility said in its statement. “The leadership, staff and residents of the Amsterdam at Harborside are grateful for the rapid and professional response of local first responders.

But in Harborside’s statement that the Nassau County Fire Marshall is “investigating the cause of the smoke,” Port Washington Fire Department (PWFD) Chief Brain Vogeley feels the retirement community’s officials are not telling the whole truth.

“I understand that the only information that was given to you was from the Amsterdam,” said Vogeley in an emailed statement to the Port Washington News. “We do not understand why they refuse to give the actual truth, but I feel it would be unjust to not give the facts. If you refer to the Facebook page of the Port Washington [Fire Department] you will see the actual account. There was an actual fire on the sixth floor in an apartment. Eleven fire departments along with many other agencies responded to the fire to help the PWFD. The fire was extinguished by fire department personnel while evacuating the entire sixth floor and part of the fifth.

As chief of the PWFD, I feel I would not be doing my job if I did not provide the entire story as these volunteers put their lives on the line to protect this great community and deserve the recognition.”

Following is the Port Washington Fire Department’s full account from Facebook of what occurred at Harborside on Nov. 13:

A fire broke out in a sixth floor apartment at the Amsterdam building at 300 East Overlook.  The Port Washington Fire Department was notified for an automatic waterflow alarm at 4:19 p.m.

Assistant Chief Thomas Golden and Fire Prevention Officer Patrick Saccoccia were the first units on scene. They were met by building maintenance personnel who stated there was smoke condition and possible fire on the sixth floor. Units made their way to the sixth floor and found fire in one apartment. Residents were evacuated from the sixth floor of the complex. The fire was extinguished and one person was transported to a local hospital.

Multiple Port Washington units responded along with mutual aid units from Roslyn Highlands Volunteer Fire Co., Glenwood H and L, E and H, Co., Inc., Manhasset-Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department, Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company, Williston Park Fire Department, Sea Cliff F.D. Engine & Hose Company, Garden City Park Fire Department, Port Washington Police, Nassau County Police, Nassau County Emergency Ambulance Bureau and Nassau County OEM responded to the scene. Mutual aid from Plandome Fire Department, Albertson Fire Company, New Hyde Park Fire Department and East Norwich Fire Department covered the district during the fire and responded to two calls.

The fire is currently under the investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshals office. All operations were under the direction of Bryan Vogeley, chief of the Port Washington Fire Department.

East Northport, NY – Office building fire caused by oil soaked rags contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm that went off in an office building that was undergoing renovations last Wednesday morning in East Northport. East Northport firefighters responded to Larkfield Plaza, located on the 200-block of Larkfield Road, for the report of smoke coming from a business that led to fire sprinkler activation at 7 a.m. Upon fire crew arrival, the fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Town of Huntington Fire Marshall’s Office. Fire officials, however, believe the fire started in a plastic container filled with rags soaked in wood staining chemicals that had been used during the renovations. No injuries were reported. About 25 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene with three engines, two ambulances and a paramedic unit. A Tower Ladder from the Northport Volunteer Fire Department was also called to the scene for assistance.

Oswego, NY – No injuries reported in apartment fire contained by sprinkler system

Oswego Fire Department personnel were called to a multiple-story building at 131 W. First St. at 6:42 p.m. Monday with reports of smoke filling an apartment. Crews were first alerted to smoke in an apartment on the 6th floor, ultimately locating a fire in an occupied apartment on the first floor.  Firefighters and Oswego Police personnel assisted the resident from the apartment and brought her to safety.  The fire was kept under control by the sprinkler system until firefighters were able to make entry to the apartment and knock it down.  The fire was declared under control at 6:53 p.m.  Fire damage was confined to kitchen, with smoke and water damage throughout the apartment of origin.

Smoke also filled several apartments and multiple floors of the building. Residents in the smoke-affected parts of the building were evacuated with the help of the Oswego City Police Department and the US Border Patrol, while other residents were asked to shelter in place.  Firefighters used multiple means to ventilate the structure of the smoke.

After several air quality checks, all of the residents were allowed to return to their apartments, with the exception of the fire apartment. No injuries were reported, all personnel were back in service at 8:10 p.m.  Special thanks to the building manager and maintenance personnel for their assistance during the emergency.

Ithaca, NY – Sprinkler system puts out apartment fire before fire department arrives

At around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Ithaca Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire at 217 S. Cayuga Street “The Loft” apartment building.

Firefighters arrived on the scene minutes later to find the building’s sprinkler system flowing. They were told by a maintenance worker that there was a fire in the bedroom on the second floor. Crews immediately headed up to search for occupants and to confirm that the fire was out. Other firefighters worked to shut down the sprinkler system and ventilate smoke from the building.

Ithaca firefighters worked alongside building maintenance personnel to minimize the water damage to the fire apartment and those directly below. Occupants were displaced for about 45 minutes before they were allowed to return.

The Ithaca Police Department and Bangs Ambulance assisted at the scene. There were no injuries to occupants or firefighters.

The fire was determined to be caused when a combustible object made contact with a halogen lamp in the apartment. The Ithaca Fire Department reminds everyone that light bulbs, especially halogen bulbs, can get extremely hot. Always exercise caution when using them and keep flammable objects a safe distance away.

Rochester, NY – Spontaneous combustion fire at textile plant contained by sprinkler system

No one was hurt after a fire on St. Paul Street Wednesday night. An automatic fire alarm went off at the Alsco plant on St. Paul around 7 p.m. A third alarm was declared because of the heat, manpower and the size of the building – approximately 65,000 square feet. Firefighters said the fire was put out without anyone being injured. They said the fire started in the back of the building, and that a sprinkler system helped keep the fire from spreading. The extent of damage to the building is not yet clear. The cause was due to a spontaneous combustion of textiles, according to Rochester firefighters. There was no one inside and no one injured.

Lake George, NY – Basement fire at Courtyard Marriott hotel extinguished with help from sprinkler system

One person was hurt and dozens of guests evacuated late Friday after a fire broke out in the basement of the new Courtyard Marriott hotel on Canada Street, officials said. At least 15 firetrucks from around the region responded to the hotel for the 8:40 p.m. call as smoke filled parts of the building.  The fire was out within minutes, and Lake George Fire Chief Jason Berry said guests were expected to be able to return to their rooms late Friday. But they had to wait for a few hours for the building to be ventilated and for sprinkler system heads that were activated to be replaced, the chief explained.

Warren County sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Geisler said one person was taken to Glens Falls Hospital after they were hurt during the evacuation, but the injuries were not considered serious The fire broke out in an industrial trash can in the southwest corner of the basement of the building, apparently from spontaneous combustion of construction materials in it, the chief said. That area is unfinished and construction has been ongoing.  Berry said firefighters arrived to find material on fire and smoke in the building, but the fire did not damage the structure itself. He said it was unclear what was in the trash container.

“The sprinkler system definitely did its job,” he said. Sprinklers went off only in the area where fire was detected, but sprinkler heads that activate have to be replaced before the building can be re-opened, Berry said.  Among the guests in the hotel were 30 or so members of the New York State Fire Districts Association, who took the situation in stride as they watched firefighters deal with the situation. They stood near the main entrance on the west side of the building, watching their brethren handle the situation. Some still had their bar drinks.

We got up and got out in an orderly fashion,” said Kit Thompson of Baldwinsville. “We knew what we had to do.” Jerry DeLuca, a fire chief from Ravena and executive director of the state fire chiefs association, was among the hotel guests, and he said there was no smoke evident on the side of the building where he was as he evacuated.  He praised the local fire department response.  “You guys did a great job,” he told Chief Berry.  Two blocks of Canada Street were closed for several hours, as firetrucks from around the region lined up in front of the building. Mutual aid came from North Queensbury, Bolton, Warrensburg, Queensbury Central, Bay Ridge, Luzerne-Hadley and South Queensbury. Several tower trucks were among the apparatus called to the scene.

Poughkeepsie, NY – Early morning apartment fire put out with help from sprinkler system; Fire started in closet

An early morning apartment fire that began inside a closet was quickly put out with the help of a sprinkler system Monday, according to City of Poughkeepsie Fire Chief Mark Johnson. An automatic fire alarm at 4:15 a.m., shortly followed by a phone call, alerted firefighters to the fire at 150 Hudson Ave., Johnson said.  Once on scene, firefighters discovered a fire in a first-floor apartment. Firefighters were met with heavy smoke, and heat from the fire had caused the sprinkler system to activate. The sprinkler system helped contain the fire, according to Johnson.  The occupant of the apartment was not home at the time, Johnson said. No civilians or firefighters were injured.  Firefighters from the Arlington Fire District and the Fairview Fire District assisted at the scene. All fire personnel had left the scene by 5:40 a.m., Johnson said. The fire is believed to have started “in a clothing closet,” he said, and its cause is under investigation by police and fire investigators.

Endicott, NY – Sprinkler system puts out fire at Weis Market; Suspect arrested and charged with arson

A Johnson City man has been charged with arson after officials say he intentionally set a fire in the Weis Market in West Corners.

The West Corners Fire Department responded to the Weis, located at 412 Day Hollow Road in the Town of Union, around 3 p.m. on Thursday, February 16th for a report of a small fire inside the store.

Officials say the store was occupied by both employees and shoppers at the time, and that the fire was extinguished by the automatic fire sprinkler system.

They say the fire caused almost $10,000 in damages and lost income.An investigation by the Broome County Bureau of Fire Investigation found that the fire was intentionally set in a coat room at the rear of the store.

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As a result of the investigation, Zachary Constable, 22, of Johnson City, was arrested and charged with arson in the 2nd degree and criminal mischief in the 2nd degree, both felonies.

He was arraigned in the Town of Union Court and was taken to the Broome County Jail.