Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Government/Military

Houston, TX – Terminal fire at Bush Intercontinental Airport suppressed with help from sprinkler system

** BLOG NOTE: Smoke does not cause a sprinkler to activate.  Only heat from a fire **
A spokesman for Bush Intercontinental Airport says a sprinkler system was activated when charging batteries began to overheat and sent smoke into a terminal. Spokesman Bill Begley says the fire alarm in Terminal E was sounded just before 1 a.m. Friday.  Houston police earlier said a small fire occurred in the terminal but Begley says there were no flames. He says the batteries, which were charging in a utility closet, just produced smoke.  There was some disruption because a cleaning crew needed time to clean up the water from the sprinklers.  Police told the Houston Chronicle that flights could be disrupted, but Begley says the incident did not result in any delays.

Other Business

Grand Junction, CO – Sprinkler system activates to help control fire at custom door business

Investigators are trying to figure out what started a fire at a local business Wednesday night. It happened at Alpine Custom Doors in the 2800 block of Chipeta Avenue in Grand Junction, that’s north of I-70B, off of 28 1/2 Road.  The Grand Junction Fire Department said the flames started behind the building, then spread to the exterior of and eventually the inside of the building.  No one was inside at the time and no one was hurt.  We’re told a sprinkler system did go off during the fire.  There’s no word right now on the cause or the extent of the damage.  Officials remind everyone that dangerous burning conditions still exist. During red flag warnings, and Stage 1 fire restrictions all burning is banned.

Place of Worship

Fort Wayne, IN – Sprinkler system saves church from significant damage in late evening fire

A small fire at Love Church on East Berry Street Wednesday night was largely put out by the building’s sprinkler system. Fort Wayne firefighters were dispatched shortly before 11 p.m. to 1331 East Berry Street, when the fire alarm activated.  Fire officials said the building’s fire suppression united put out most of the flames. Once firefighters got into the building they located a small fire in a storage area. Officials said a pile of items on the floor caught fire and put out a lot of smoke.  The fire was quickly contained by crews and the building was ventilated. Officials said had the sprinkler system not activated there could have been major damage to the church.  No one was inside at the time of the fire.  No injuries were reported.  It’s unclear how the fire started.

Other Business

Joplin, MO – Fire at uniform business held in check by sprinkler system; Spontaneous combustion cited as cause

A fire Wednesday night at the Clean The Uniform Co. plant in Joplin is believed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion of some rag materials.  The Joplin Fire Department responded to a 10:18 p.m. report of the fire at 1609 E. Falcon St. and found fire in the center of the floor near an industrial washer and dryer.  The building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system had been activated before the arrival of firefighters, who put the fire out and were on the scene until 11:48 p.m. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.  The Webb City Fire Department also responded to the fire and assisted at the scene.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

St. Louis, MO – Sprinkler system stops spread of overnight fire at linen company

A Soulard business where three employees died after a piece of a water tank crashed through the ceiling in April was damaged by a fire overnight.

Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to the Faultless Linen Company in the 2000 block of South Broadway.

Further investigation revealed a hopper filled with linens was hanging from a conveyor belt when it caught fire. Workers reportedly left the building Tuesday around 11 p.m., which led investigators to believe the fire started between then and 2 a.m.

The building’s smoke alarm notified the fire department of the blaze.

The building’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading until it could be knocked down.

No other details regarding the fire have been released.

Apartment Building, Residential

Aiken, SC – Sprinkler system keeps overnight apartment fire from spreading

The Aiken Department of Public Safety is investigating an early morning fire Sunday at an apartment complex on Hollow Tree Drive in Aiken that left multiple people homeless. Sgt. Michael Grabowski, with Aiken Public Safety, said fire crews responded to Hollow Tree Drive around 12 a.m.  “It was a small fire,” Grabowski said. “Crews came in quick and got it under control as fast as they could.”

Two apartments caught fire, but the buildings sprinkler systems helped prevent the fire from being worse, Grabowski said. No one was injured in the fire, he said.  American Red Cross disaster-trained volunteers reported Sunday morning that they are assisting multiple families whose homes were damaged by the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hagerstown, MD – Sprinkler system activates in overnight apartment fire giving residents opportunity to escape

A Monday morning fire that displaced 46 residents at Cortland Apartments in the North End of Hagerstown started on the balcony of one of the apartments, according to Hagerstown Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven. DeHaven said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that the fire traveled up the exterior of the the building and into an attic area.  Although fire walls in the attic and between the apartments contained most of the damage to one corner of the building, the blaze caused significant damage to apartments Nos. 2, 6 and 10, he said.

An investigation determined that the building had functional sprinkler, fire-alarm and smoke-alarm systems, the release said. The sprinkler system was activated when balcony windows cracked from the heat, allowing the fire to extend into the apartments, DeHaven said.  But the activation of the sprinkler system, along with the fire alarm, gave residents enough time to escape, he said.

Bob Rhodes, the complex’s manager, said that three of the 12 units in the building sustained heavy damage. It is too early to determine whether the structure will be razed or rebuilt because fire and insurance inspectors were still assessing the damage, he said.  All 61 of the residents and pets who were displaced by the fire at the apartments at 12911 Little Elliott Drive have been given places to stay until they find more permanent accommodations.  Korri Faria, disaster program manager for the Red Cross of Western Maryland, said the 46 residents who were displaced by the fire are staying in hotels, or with family or friends.  “We were on scene to make sure everyone has a place to stay for a few days,” she said.

Faria said all of the hotel rooms are being paid for by the Red Cross, which also provided the victims with cards to buy food, clothing and other essentials they might need. The Red Cross also helped to replace medications that were destroyed in the fire, which was reported shortly after 5 a.m.  In addition to the residents, the two-alarm blaze displaced 15 pets.  Crystal Mowery, field service director for the Humane Society of Washington County, said a majority of the pets stayed with their owners, but one cat and one dog were taken to the humane society shortly after the fire.  Another dog was taken there later that day.  “We are housing the animals at no charge until (the victims) find a place for them,” she said.  To her knowledge, Mowery said none of the pets perished in the fire. A single cat escaped, but it has not been accounted found.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system controls hotel fire until crews arrive; No injuries reported

Six people have been displaced after a fire at the Rainier Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The single-room occupancy (SRO) unit on Carrall Street was evacuated around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, after some materials caught fire in a room on the third floor.  The occupant of the room managed to escape without injury before fire crews arrived on scene.  “There’s a fair bit of fire damage to that one room,” said Battalion Chief Terry Nikolai, with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

Some other rooms also sustained water damage from the sprinkler system and firefighting efforts. “Thankfully the sprinkler activated and contained the fire, until our crews managed to get in there with a line and extinguish it,” said Nikolai.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. George, UT – Nighttime fire at apartment complex put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

Residents of an apartment complex in St. George were evacuated after a fire ignited in a single unoccupied unit Sunday night. St. George Fire Department responded to the fire just before 11 p.m. when an alarm system sounded in an apartment complex at Red Rock Ridge, 344 S. 1990 East.  Officers from St. George Police Department who arrived initially found the smoke coming from the unit and its sprinkler system activated, Fire Battalion Chief Ken Guard said.

“Sprinkler system put the fire out,” Guard said. The unit is unrented and no one was occupying it at the time of the fire.  Residents were evacuated from surrounding units as a precaution. No one was injured.  Gold Cross Ambulance also responded as a precaution.

“At this time we’re investigating the cause of the fire,” Guard said. Several police officers were on hand helping with the investigation and taking statements from residents.  Though surrounding units were temporarily evacuated, Guard said he expects none would be displaced.  Water permeated the unit where the fire started, with some of it reaching two other surrounding units.  Firefighters shut off and reset the sprinkler system then performed some minor cleanup of the water damage.

Guard estimated that the damage would run approximately $2,000 at the time this report was taken, noting that it could be higher depending on how quickly the damage is addressed. “We vacated as much as the water as we possibly could, and it’s just a matter of how quickly they get a restoration company on top of it,” Guard said. “As far as I see right now, a couple thousand dollars.”  This report is based on preliminary information provided by emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Other Business, Restaurant

Vaughan, ON, Canada – Suspicious overnight fire at bakery is kept from spreading by sprinkler system

A bakery in Vaughan was heavily damaged in what appears to be a “suspicious” fire overnight. York Regional Police say there are circumstances around the fire that require further investigation.  “It’s being considered suspicious and further investigation is required to determine the cause,” a YRP duty inspector said.  Fire crews were called to the scene at 10 Buttermill Ave., near Jane Street and Highway 7, just after 1:30 a.m. Vaughan Fire Services were quickly able to extinguish the flames but police say the bakery likely suffered extensive damage.  A sprinkler inside the bakery helped prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent units.  No one was inside the bakery at the time the fire broke out.

A broken window and objects found on the lawn in front of the bakery are part of the evidence in the case. The objects appear to be caps and nozzles for gas cans though officials have yet to confirm that. Police did say that it appears a canister containing an accelerant had been thrown inside.  Investigators with the Fire Marshal’s Office have been called to the scene.