Tag Archives: North Carolina

Boone, NC – Sprinklers activated when bulletin board in residence hall set on fire

An unknown perpetrator set fire to a bulletin board that covered the topic of privilege on the fourth floor of Lovill Hall which activated both the fire alarm and sprinkler system on April 24 around 10:41 p.m., Appalachian State campus police said.

The board was an almost exact copy of the board that sparked controversy last year in East Hall.

There is also a version of the board posted between McAlister’s and career exploration in Plemmons Student Union.

According to a university email update, no injuries have been reported but 40 of the 219 students that live in the residence hall have been displaced due to water damage from the facility sprinkler systems.

ASU police officer Lt. Richard Hicks said some students are being moved to empty beds on campus while others are being housed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites.

Residence hall meetings were held Monday that included residence life staff, campus police officers and staff from the Counseling Center to provide support for students impacted by the event.

Students were told that so far the arson has cost the university $20,000 total in damages, and has been projected to cost a total of $50,000, Rachel Bowman, a freshman resident of the fourth floor of the building who attended the meeting, said.

“The board covered a wide range of privilege,” Bowman said. “It didn’t cover just one race or one gender, I felt it was very informative.”

Beside the bulletin board, the RA had a notice posted that if anything on the board triggered them, they were encouraged to find the RA and talk to them about it.

Bowman’s room was not severely damaged, however other rooms on the fourth floor and those below sustained heavy water damage.

Taylor Ramsey, a freshman resident of the third floor, was moved from Lovill to Eggers on Monday due to water damage. Ramsey said she spent Sunday night and all day Monday packing and relocating with the help of university staff.

Sgt. Fred Carrero confirmed that at both of the meetings held by the university on Monday, students were told about the anonymous reporting process.

Students are encouraged to contact university police with any leads or information regarding the crime. Any tip that leads to an arrest will be eligible for an award up to $1,000, according to an email from campus police.

Lt. Hicks said that several interviews were recently conducted in hopes of finding the accused arsonist.

“They are feeling pretty good right now about coming to a conclusion soon for formal charges,” Hicks said.

Fayetteville, NC – Single sprinkler contains fire at Hilton Garden Inn

A fire in a laundry area at a Fayetteville hotel injured two people and shut down the hotel on Sunday evening, officials say. The incident happened at 6:38 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 4025 Sycamore Dairy Road in Fayetteville.

Upon arrival, fire crews found that the automatic sprinkler system had extinguished a fire that had started in the commercial dryer in the hotel’s the first floor laundry room, Fayetteville Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal Michael L. Martin said in a press release.

One sprinkler head activated as a result of the fire in the four-story building. The fire was contained to the laundry room. An employee and a hotel guest suffered smoke inhalation, Martin said. The guest was transported by ambulance to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for evaluation.

The building sustained minor smoke and water damage. At the decision of the hotel management, the approximately 30 guests staying in the hotel were transferred to a nearby Embassy Suites for Sunday night, according to Martin.

The hotel is expected to re-open Monday. The cause of dryer fire is undetermined at this time, Martin said.

Clinton, NC – Cooking fire at senior housing complex put out by sprinkler system

A cooking fire at a senior housing development in Clinton was able to be quickly extinguished thanks to a sprinkler system, but it did not come without significant water damage, evacuations and one woman transported for treatment.

At about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, the Clinton Fire Department along with departments from Halls, Taylors Bridge, Herring and Salemburg, with ladder truck in tow, responded to a commercial structure fire alarm at Sampson Square Apartments on College Street.

Once on scene, Clinton Fire Chief Scott Phillips said he could not see anything. He made contact briefly with a woman who was the sole resident in the second-floor apartment at the time. She said she was cooking when the fire occurred.

“The sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire,” said Phillips. “There was not much in the way of fire damage, but there was water damage and it was leaking downstairs. Once we got there and figured out what was going on, we were able to turn some of the (fire units) around.”

However, Phillips and other fire officials ensured all residents were accounted for using a log provided by the apartment manager.

“We made sure everyone was safe and everyone was evacuated to a centralized location,” said Phillips, who noted the female resident of the apartment requested to be transported by EMS. “I’m not sure if she had smoke inhalation. She was talking and it appeared her injuries were non-life-threatening.”

A two-story, 40-unit senior housing development constructed and opened in 2010, Sampson Square is located at 804 College St. It is one of many developments managed by United Property Management (UPM) toward providing residents age 55 and older an affordable housing option. The company oversees 35 communities throughout the state of North Carolina, offering nearly 2,000 rental units across the state.

Phillips said there were about 20 people outside once the building was evacuated, but the fire chief noted that others could have also been “out” away from the Sampson Square campus as it was the middle of the afternoon.

A UPM employee at Sampson Square on Wednesday confirmed that there was no smoke or fire damage in the building, but that the water damage was extensive. He called the incident a “grease fire” and noted that Keshonda Ruffin, regional manager who oversees general management of UPM properties across the state, was expected to further assess the damage at the housing complex later in the day.

Durham, NC – Fire in smoker at BBQ restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system

Durham firefighters were called to The Pit restaurant at 321 Geer Street Friday, but damage was minimal and the restaurant remained open Friday evening. Firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant at 11:33 a.m. and arrived to find smoke visible and that a fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system in the rear pig cooker/smoker area. Food caught fire in the cooker/smoker and extended to the wall and ceiling when the door of the cooker/smoker was opened.

Charlotte, NC – Clothes dryer fire in middle school locker room is contained by sprinkler system

Practice made perfect for the student body of Randolph Middle Thursday morning; the school had two fire alarms: the first one was a drill, the second which occurred about an hour later, was real.

“We received additional calls from CMPD we had a fire in a room attached to the gym, flames in the room, the fire was upgraded. Once firefighters arrived on the scene, had light smoke showing,” said Captain Jackie Gilmore of the Charlotte Fire Department.

Firefighters said that some flammable items like cloth or paper had been left on a running drier and caught fire. “This fire did not get into the school, smoke did not get into any part of the structure.”

A working sprinkler system contained the fire, there was no structure damage. “This was part of a locker room to a back hallway, so all the smoke was contained and the fire department checked the building and said we were clear to go back in,” said Principal Brian Bambauer.

Fire officials said the timing of the drill was perfect and that the students learned first hand how important it is to know what to do in an emergency. Two employees suffered minor smoke inhalation and were treated at the school; there were no other injuries.  Investigators have labeled the incident an accident.

Fayetteville, NC – Apartment balcony fire contained with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

Fayetteville firefighters are investigating a fire that broke out in an apartment building Monday afternoon, a Fayetteville Fire Department news release said. Firefighters responded to an apartment fire at 12:38 p.m. in the 2800 block of Amelia Drive, off of Levy Drive, off of Robeson Street, the release said.

The apartment complex is near Ashley Elementary School. Firefighters arrived and found a fire on the second floor balcony of the three-story apartment building, the release said.

Firefighters contained the fire to the exterior of the building with assistance from the fire sprinkler system, the release said. There were no injuries and no families were displaced by the fire, the release said. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Fayetteville, NC – Sprinklers contain hotel fire started by unattended cigarette

The Fayetteville Fire Department responded to the Red Roof Inn on Bordeaux Park Drive Thursday morning for a fire alarm call.

Cleaning crews saw black smoke coming from a room after the fire alarm was activated.

According to Battalion Chief Richard Whiteside, fire crews arrived shortly after 11:00 a.m. to find around twelve guests and workers evacuating the four-story hotel. When firefighters entered the hotel, they found smoke throughout the third floor hallway.

Investigators determined a hotel guest checked out, but left an unattended cigarette behind.

Whiteside said the sprinkler system contained the fire to one room. No injuries were reported.

The Fayetteville Fire and Emergency Management Department was assisted by the Cumberland Road Fire Department.

Charlotte, NC – Warehouse fire “mostly extinguished” by sprinkler system, according to fire officials

Charlotte fire crews responded to a two-alarm warehouse fire Saturday in north Charlotte. It happened around 1 p.m. on Century Place. The fire was caused by an electrical issue with a light fixture, fire officials said.

The battalion chief said crews initially responded to a water overflow call but saw the smoke when they got on scene. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.  According to the battalion chief, the fire was mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

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.

Winston-Salem, NC – Overnight condominium fire extinguished by sprinkler system; Unattended cooking identified as cause

A stove fire Tuesday displaced five people in three condominium units at Ivy Glen Court in the southwestern part of the city, the Winston-Salem Fire Department said. A water flow alarm was received Tuesday from 333 Ivy Glen Court at about 11:30 p.m. On the way, firefighters learned that a fire on the stove had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

On arrival, firefighters discovered minor damage amounting to $1,200 to the structure and $600 to contents. The sprinkler system was shut off to prevent further damage. Power to three units affected by the water from the sprinkler was cut off. The fire department said those displaced are staying with friends and relatives.  The cause of the fire was unattended cooking, the fire department said