Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Hickman, CA – Sprinklers activate to help stop fire originating in almond roaster

Employees at the Rolling Hills Nut Co. plant south of Hickman were able to extinguish a fire that began on an almond roaster early Wednesday.

At about 2:15 a.m., crews from the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District and Ceres and Modesto fire departments responded to a report of a structure fire at the plant on the 3000 block of Montpelier Road. The report was of almonds on fire in a warehouse.

First crews on the scene saw light smoke from a warehouse. An almond roaster had been on fire but was extinguished by employees. The sprinkler system also had activated as it should, said Stanislaus Consolidated Battalion Chief Eric DeHart.

Firefighters checked and confirmed that the fire was out, and remained on the scene to help clear smoke, he said.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Burlington, IA – Sprinkler system credited with containing fire at printing company

Firefighters responded to a fire at Doran & Ward Printing Company, located at 2811 Mt. Pleasant St. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. The fire reportedly started in an office. It activated a sprinkler head, which fire officials say kept the fire from spreading.

Employees evacuated the building and firefighters used a fire extinguisher to put out the remaining flames. The fire was out by 3:51 a.m.

The investigation revealed that the fire started in a light fixture in a small office located in the plant, causing melting plastic to drop down onto a desk and chair.
Damage was contained to the office area and is estimated to be less than $4,000. Employees returned to work a short time later.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Camarillo, CA – Sprinkler activates to help control overnight fire at senior living center

The Ventura County Fire Department responded late Tuesday to investigate a fire alarm at a senior living center in Camarillo. The alarm was reported at 11:48 p.m. at Alma Via of Camarillo in the 2500 block on North Ponderosa Drive. Crews at the scene said there was a light smell of smoke in a maintenance room and that a fire-suppression sprinkler had activated. At 12:20 a.m., crews on the scene said the small fire was out.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Louetta, TX – Early morning fire at Comfort Suites motel limited by sprinkler system

The fire broke out about 3:30 a.m. at the Comfort Suites motel on Highway 249 near Louetta, said Ricky Bange of the Klein Fire Department. Bange said when firefighters arrived guests were evacuated and the building was searched to make sure everyone got out safely. He said firefighters found the blaze had erupted in a third-floor room. The motel’s sprinkler system had doused the flames. But smoke lingered in the building. The fire did not spread to any other parts of the motel.

The guest who was staying in the room were the fire began was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The person’s condition was not released. Bange said investigators determined the fire started in the room’s air-conditioning unit.

It was a hectic morning for guests. One hotel patron, Carl Wiedenfeld, said he was asleep in his third-floor room when he woke to the blaring fire alarm. Then his friend who was also staying at the motel called him on the telephone and told him about the fire.

Wiedenfeld, of Port Arthur, said he opened his door to leave his room but smoke filled the hallway. He closed the door, soaked a towel in water and pressed to his face like a gas mask. Then he dashed into the smokey hallway, hurried to the fire escape and safely got outside. In town on business, he appeared unfazed and philosophical about the ordeal as he stood outside the building.

“It’s not your normal hotel stay,” Wiedenfeld said.

Office Building, Other Business

Pittsburgh, PA – Fire at U.S. Steel Tower extinguished by sprinkler system

Pittsburgh firefighters responded early this morning to a fire in the U.S. Steel Tower in Downtown. According to a release by the city’s department of public safety, firefighters responded to the fire at Pittsburgh’s tallest building at about 4:45 a.m., but found that a small fire in a custodian room in the lower level of the building had already been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. There were no injuries and only minor damage, according to the release.

Apartment Building, Residential High Rise

Stamford, CT – Laundry fire in high-rise apartment building held at bay by sprinkler system

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Though tenants had to wait outside for a bit as firefighters did their work, nobody was hurt and nobody displaced after a drier caught fire in a 12-story high rise on Strawberry Hill Avenue late Friday night. The fire department got the call for a fire at the Carlton Plaza apartment building, situated roughly between the Stamford Police Department headquarters and Stamford High School as the crow flies, shortly before 10:30 p.m.

Fire Capt. Michael Terenzio said that the fire started in or near a drier on the third floor. It is as yet unclear whether a malfunction in the drier started the fire, and the fire marshal is still investigating. “The third floor was evacuated, no one lost use of their apartments, everyone did react to the fire alarm system and it looks like the damage was confined to the object that was on fire, except for, obviously, smoke damage,” said Terenzio. “Everyone was probably out for an hour or so.”

After that, the 120 tenants were able to go back to their units. The captain said the building’s sprinkler system worked as it should and helped keep the fire at bay until firefighters were able to bring up a hose.  As a precaution, firefighters recommend regularly cleaning highly flammable drier lint out of traps and ducts.

Uncategorized

Bensalem, PA – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) Two sprinklers halt car fire in parking garage

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE — READER REPORTED ** A Sprinkler Saves reader reported that two sprinklers extinguished a car fire in the lower level parking garage of a 6 story building around 9:00 p.m. on January 20, 2016.

According to the reader, a passerby saw the fire, and called 911.

The fire company arrived on the scene within minutes, and witnessed the sprinkler heads activating and extinguishing the fire before any major damage was done.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Stillwater, OK – Sprinklers prevent overnight fire from spreading at popular restaurant

A small kitchen fire at El Vaquero early Sunday morning has forced the restaurant to temporarily close. A pot with oil in it was left on a lit gas burner after all the employees had gone home for the day, according to General Manager Gustavo Villasenor, who Monday said he may need to get more strict with his closing procedures.

The hood above the stove and ventilation system suffered the brunt of the damage from the fire, which started about midnight Sunday morning, about an hour after the last employee had left for the night. Villasenor said a sprinkler system above the stove turned on and prevented the fire from spreading.

Fire Marshal Neal Moore said the fire was pretty much out when firefighters arrived on scene. This isn’t the first time the business has been impacted by fire.

A 2003 electrical fire in the walls of the Mexican restaurant forced them to close for a year as they worked to rebuild the front of the building. “I feel fortunate that it wasn’t worse and that everybody is okay,” Villasenor said.

If all goes well with the cleanup effort and minor repairs, Villasenor said he hopes to reopen Wednesday evening or Thursday in time for lunch.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Carthage, NC – Sprinklers help confine laundry fire at nursing home

The Aberdeen Times reported that a fire broke out in the laundry room at Tara Plantation at 820 South McNeill Street in Carthage around 9:15 p.m. The fire forced the facility to evacuate.

Once the fire was put out, crews helped with returning the resident back inside.

Carthage Fire Chief Brian Tyner told The Aberdeen Times that the sprinkler system worked, helping to confine the fire to the laundry room.

The newspaper reported that two residents were taken to FirstHealth Hospital in Pinehurst with non-life threatening injuries.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Other - Retail, Retail

Bellingham, WA – Overnight arson fire at Goodwill store extinguished by sprinkler system

Three arsons have been set in three mornings behind a Goodwill store, according to police. Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying who has been setting the fires.

The first fire was reported at 5:50 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, in a Dumpster near the donation drop-off of the Goodwill at 1115 E. Sunset Drive, said Bellingham Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hewett. Firefighters responded to a second arson at 5:08 Thursday, in another Dumpster.  And a third fire was reported at 3:25 a.m. Friday. This time someone set up debris against the building itself, and lit it on fire. By the time firefighters reached the scene a sprinkler had extinguished the flames, but it was damaged in the process.

So far most of the damage has been limited to the sprinkler, two waste disposal units that are now warped, and the garbage. Police would like it to stay that way. Tips should be directed to Bellingham Police Detective Dan Kelsh at 360-778-8690.