Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Redmond, OR – Sprinkler system credited with containing fire at assisted living facility June 18, 2015 viking210 A southwest Redmond assisted living facility was hit by a smoky fire early Tuesday that prompted evacuation of over a dozen residents – but the situation could have been far worse, if not for the building’s fire alarm and sprinkler systems, officials said. Redmond Fire and Rescue was called out around 12:35 a.m. to a reported structure fire at The Heights Assisted Living, at 3000 SW 32nd Street, said Fire Marshal Traci Cooper. Crews arrived to find the first floor of the facility’s southern wing filled with smoke. The building is equipped with a fire alarm system that provided early detection and warning of the blaze, the fire marshal said. A fire sprinkler system activated, containing the fire to a mechanical room. Firefighters quickly finished putting out the blaze while staff and Redmond police officers evacuated the first and second floors of the south wing. Initially, 14 residents were evacuated to a neighboring nursing home, Cooper said. Residents from the second floor were allowed to return, while the seven from the first floor were to remain at the nursing home until repairs are made and resulting hazards are evaluated, Cooper said. There were no reported injuries, she said, thanks to the alarm and sprinkler systems and the quick response from staff and first responders. A damage estimate was being compiled. The fire was found to have been caused by storage of combustible items too close to a natural gas-fired water heater, the fire marshal said, urging everyone to make sure you keep three feet of clearance around heat sources and combustible items. Three engines, a medic and 10 career firefighters were involved in the incident, and Oregon State Police also provided mutual-aid assistance, Cooper said.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing Eau Claire, WI – Firefighters say sprinklers helped reduce damage in uniform company fire June 17, 2015 viking210 Firefighters are crediting sprinklers for reducing the amount of damage caused by an overnight fire at an Eau Claire uniform company. When crews arrived to the 3600 block of White Avenue early Tuesday morning, smoke was pouring from the large commercial building. They responded to Huebsch Linen Services just after 2:00 a.m. The business is off Melby Street, near the airport. According to the fire department, uniforms and rags were burning inside. Firefighters say the sprinkler system kept the fire small. They’re estimating damage at $20,000. Huebsch makes work uniforms, floor matting and facility supplies.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing Shelton, CT – Sprinklers contain arson fire at packaging manufacturer June 14, 2015 viking210 A criminal investigation is under way into a late-night fire at a Shelton company that specializes in corrugated cardboard packaging. An initial investigation “determined [the fire] was incendiary in nature, which means arson,” said Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora. The arson determination was made with the help of Shelton police detectives, the city Fire Marshal’s Office, the State Police, and the state Fire Marshal’s Office, including the use of a state-provided K-9 dog with specialized training. Shelton Police Det. Christopher Nugent confirmed the fire was being looked into but declined to offer any details about the police investigation or case at this time. “The fire is currently under investigation,” Nugent said. The fire occurred in an office at Honey Cell manufacturing facility at Bridgeport Avenue and Long Hill Cross Road. The plant’s address is 600 Bridgeport Ave., but it is actually accessed from Long Hill Cross Road. Tortora said the fire call came in at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire in an office at the factory, “but the sprinkler system had it under control and kept it contained to the office,” he said. Firefighters were able to extinguish the remaining fire soon after their arrival, Tortora said. “First arriving units reported light smoke showing from the building,” according to an Echo Hose Fire posting. “A fire was found in one of the offices with the sprinkler system in operation. Based on the company website, Honey Cell is a part of Valley Container. Different divisions of the parent company specialize in different kinds of packaging. Valley Container has a factory and its headquarters in Bridgeport, as well as facilities in Massachusetts and Ohio.
Office Building, Other Business Dayton, OH – Sprinkler system suppresses overnight fire at Standard Register Co. June 11, 2015 viking210 1 Comment Passers-by saw smoke coming from the Standard Register Co. complex on Albany Street and alerted authorities, Dayton District Chief Joe Meyer said.Crews forced their way inside Building No. 2 and found fire on the second floor in a graphic arts storage area where papers, some ink products and other items were burning, he said. The sprinkler system suppressed the fire and did most of the work for fire crews and kept the damage to a minimum, Meyer said. Meyer could not estimate a dollar amount for the damage. He said he doesn’t believe the fire was suspicious, but note that an arson investigator called in would have to determine the official cause of the fire.
Other Business, Place of Worship Murfreesboro, TN – Sprinklers activate and control suspected arson fire at church June 10, 2015 viking210 Two small fires damaged a Murfreesboro church and a beer brewery late Monday night. According to the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department spokeswoman Ashley McDonald, crews responded to a fire alarm call in the 500 block of Old Salem Road around 11:45 p.m. While on their way to the scene personnel learned the burglar alarm was also going off. The front doors of the building were not secure and the sprinkler system had been activated in the front corridor, which is shared by Experience Community Church and Mayday Brewery, according to McDonald. Fire crews found two small fires that had been reportedly set in what appeared to be donation bins in that corridor, and a gas can was nearby. McDonald said an abandoned pick-up truck was found in the parking lot. The doors were unlocked and there were slashes in the back tires. The sprinkler system kept the fire damage to a minimum, however the church did receive water and smoke damage while the brewery appeared to have very minimal water damage, according to the acting shift commander. The Fire Marshal’s Office is now investigating the case. It wasn’t clear if it would be ruled an arson.
Residential, Residential High Rise Ocean City, MD – High-rise condominium fire extinguished by sprinkler system June 9, 2015 viking210 A potential disaster was averted on Sunday evening when a sprinkler quickly extinguished a kitchen fire at a 25th-floor unit in a north-end high-rise condominium. Shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday, the Ocean City Fire Department responded to a fire alarm activation resulting from a fire in a unit at the Century I condominium building. When firefighters arrived, there was smoke reported from a unit on the 25th floor. The fire department response was quickly upgraded to a structure fire in a high-rise structure. The fire, which originated in the unit’s kitchen, was suppressed by one fire sprinkler upon arrival of the fire department. Firefighters on scene worked immediately to remove smoke throughout the 25th floor. OCFD officials said the fire at the high-rise structure illustrated the importance of working fire sprinkler systems. “Fire sprinklers respond quickly and effectively to fire, often extinguishing the fire before the fire department arrives,” said Ocean City Fire Marshal David Hartley. “This is a perfect example of how an automatic sprinkler reacted quickly, reduced the heat and flames and prevented injuries to those inside the building.” The unit was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire damage was limited to the unit in which it originated. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office.
Apartment Building, Residential Toms River, NJ – Overnight apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler June 8, 2015 viking210 A flash fire caused when a resident tried to extinguish burning candle wax was controlled when the building’s automatic sprinkler system turned on, fire officials said Monday. Two apartments at Greenview Way in The Villages at Bey Lea apartment complex were left uninhabitable due to damage from the fire Sunday evening, said James Mercready, director of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention. One person suffered minor injuries, he said. Firefighters from the Pleasant Plains Fire Company responded to the call at 11:20 p.m. and upon arrival found the fire — in the bathroom of one apartment — had been extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head that activated, Mercready said. Toms River Fire Inspector Dominick Roselli determined the fire was accidental. Candle wax caught fire on the kitchen stove, and when the resident put it in the bathroom’s shower to put it out, it created a flash fire, Mercready said. The resident suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention, he said. Firefighters checked for extension of the fire and performed ventilation, as well as shutting off electric and gas service to the two units because of the damage, he said. Mercready said it is the second fire extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system at the complex and fifth sprinker-controlled fire in the township since October. “In each case, one fire sprinkler head activated and controlled and suppressed the fire,” he said. “A properly designed, installed and maintained fire sprinkler system is an essential component in fire and life safety as well as property protection.” “The rate of effectiveness has been very good during the more than 100 years they have been in use in the United States,” Mercready said. Due to the extent of the damage, Roselli ruled two apartments uninhabitable, but six others in the building were able to be reoccupied, Mercready said.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Napa, CA – Sprinklers credited with extinguishing overnight fire at design center June 5, 2015 viking210 An automatic sprinkler is credited with putting out a fire in the pre-dawn hours in a business at Tannery Row, 101 S. Coombs St., the Napa Fire Department reported. The call came in at 3:48 a.m. Thursday as a water flow alarm, suggesting that heat had triggered a fire sprinkler, said Capt. Roger Reichenberg, whose engine crew responded from Station No. 4 on Gasser Drive. Firefighters discovered water flowing from under a wall at VonSaal Design Center. When they forced open a door, they found that a sprinkler had extinguished a small blaze at a work bench, Reichenberg said. The owner, Richard Von Saal, had been working late into the night on items for this weekend’s Auction Napa Valley, when a spark apparently jumped from one bench to another, creating the fire that blazed after he left the building, he said. The fire was contained to the single work bench and apparently did no damage to Von Saal’s creations, Reichenberg said. Firefighters stayed on the scene to vacuum up water that also had seeped into a space rented by ZuZu restaurant and tapas bar, he said.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing, Other Business East Moline, IL – Fire at uniform services business extinguished by sprinkler system June 4, 2015 viking210 A fire at a uniform services company is out thanks, in part, to the building sprinkler system. The fire broke out just before 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2015, at the Aramark Uniform Services building on Avenue of the Cities. East Moline fire crews say an air compressor caught fire at the back of the building. While the sprinkler system put out any flames, firefighters on scene dealt with heavy smoke. Officials say no one was hurt, but crews are estimating thousands of dollars in damage. The Battalion Chief says a mechanical malfunction is most likely to blame for the fire, but it’s still under investigation.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Tewksbury, MA – Sprinklers control overnight fire at pre-school building June 2, 2015 viking210 A two-alarm fire broke out at a local pre-school late Friday night, leaving the building closed Monday. The fire happened at Knowledge Beginnings at 200 Old Main St., according to Fire Chief Michael Hazel. The building was not occupied at the time. The blaze, which started in a second floor bathroom, was likely caused by an electrical problem, Hazel said. The fire then spread into the attic above that bathroom, and was contained by the activated sprinkler system. Fire crews then arrived on scene and extinguished the blaze. The Billerica Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Wilmington and Andover departments helped to provide station coverage. Power was shut down to the whole building over the weekend as a precaution and the school was closed Monday.
