Tag Archives: Oregon

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Portland, OR – Intentionally-set fires at high school kept in check by sprinklers

Students at Portland’s James Madison High School got quite a scare Monday morning.

“Today we had a fire alarm this morning at 10 a.m.,” said Christine Miles, Spokesperson for Portland Public Schools.

She explained that a fire had been intentionally ignited in the boys restroom.  Shortly after, another fire was set in a school storage closet that was used for donated food.

“Inside, there is a sprinkler fire system that was activated by the heat which then kept that fire in check and kept it from extending further into the building,” said Lt. Rich Tyler with Portland Fire & Rescue.

But the two fires at Madison High on Monday weren’t the first to be set at the school recently.

“So far we have four fires that were set here. The 16th, the 17th and then two today,” said Tyler.

Three of the fires started in boys restrooms and investigators said all of them were believed to be arson.

“We do know that it is a student and we are interviewing the students to determine who the individual or individuals are,” Tyler said.

At this point, school is still on for Tuesday but Portland Public School officials want everyone to be on watch.

“We’re telling our community: ‘Please step forward if you know something so we can make an arrest or put an end to this as soon as possible,’” said Miles.

The principal also posted a letter to parents on the front page of the Madison High School website.

No students have been hurt in any of the fires.

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, OR – Sprinklers halt spread of fire caused by crafting heat gun

The fire caused by a crafting heat gun set on a hardwood floor by a resident damaged a Northwest Portland apartment building Sunday morning. No one was hurt in the fire, which was slowed by the building’s sprinkler system before firefighters arrived.

According to Portland Fire & Rescue, at approximately 8:40 a.m. on Oct. 11, Portland Fire Engine 3 was dispatched to the report of a fire alarm at 1420 N.W. Lovejoy St. When the engine arrived, a resident of one of the apartments met firefighters outside and reported that one of the units was on fire.

After circling the block to check out the building, firefighters noticed smoke coming from a second-story window. The commanding officer then upgraded the incident to an apartment fire, balancing the incident to the appropriate number of responders to handle it.

Once crews entered the building, they found that the alarm system had activated and the sprinkler system was flowing. Interior fire attack crews made entry into the apartment and reported that the sprinklers had slowed the forward progress of the fire.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Portland, OR – Early morning fire at commercial laundry business controlled by sprinkler system

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a fire in a commercial laundry at 14321 N.E. Whitaker Way early Sunday. No one was injured in the fire, although additional resources were called in because of the potential for a large fire load due to the number of garments, towels, and chemicals — including detergents and cleaners — in such a business.

According to PF&R, initial reports at 6:12 a.m. were that smoke and flames had been seen inside the building and employees had evacuated it. Additional calls came in from neighboring businesses with reports of heavy black smoke coming from the roof. 

When firefighters arrived at the UniClean building, they quickly gained access to it and began searching for the area of the fire. A second alarm was called because of the size of the structure and the nature of the business.

Within minutes of arrival, crews were able to locate the area of the fire in the southwest corner of the building. The sprinkler system had activated and played a key element in keeping the fire at bay until fire fighters were able to gain access and knock it down. 

Truck crews were able to ventilate the building efficiently by removing the sky lights on the roof of the building.

A PF&R Investigator determined has the fire to be accidental, caused by a laundry bin full of oil soaked rags that had a chemical reaction. This type of fire can occur when an oil soaked towel or rag is slowly heated to its ignition point through oxidation.

No damage estimate was immediately available. Additional resources that responded to the fire included: eight Engines; four Trucks; one Squad; one Investigator; five Chiefs; and one Rehab rig.

Apartment Building, Residential

Tualatin, OR – Sprinkler system contains apartment fire to one unit

Seven people had to find a temporary place to stay Thursday after a fire broke out in a Sherwood apartment complex, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue reported.  Crews were sent to the 20000 block of S.W Roy Rogers Road just before 6 p.m. after receiving multiple calls about a fire in a third-floor unit. The building’s commercial sprinkler system was activated and stopped the fire from spreading.

Although the fire was contained to one unit, four units were considered uninhabitable because power had to be cut off, firefighters said.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Portland, OR – Kitchen fire at senior apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system

Fire sprinklers extinguished a kitchen fire at a Southeast Portland senior housing building, and one resident was treated for smoke inhalation.

The Portland Fire Bureau called to Sacred Heart Villa at 3911 S.E. Milwaukie Ave. at 7:19 p.m. on Saturday, and an incident commander mobilized more crews after learning a potential fire threatened an apartment building. But by the time crews arrived, the fire had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

 

 

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Redmond, OR – Sprinkler system credited with containing fire at assisted living facility

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, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Columbia City, OR – Wood dust fire at mill is controlled with help from sprinklers

A flash fire broke out at the West Oregon Wood Products mill in Columbia City on Saturday night, May 23, but there was no serious structural damage recorded, according to the chief of Columbia River Fire & Rescue. The fire was “largely controlled” by workers at the mill and the fire sprinklers, according to the CRF&R release, and they worked in concert with firefighters to put out smoldering wood and dust over the course of about two hours.

A press release provided to the Spotlight on Tuesday, May 26, by Jay Tappan states the fire was reported at 10:05 p.m. Fire crews from CRF&R and the Scappoose Fire District responded with six fire engines, along with other support vehicles, and 23 personnel.   No injuries were reported. Tappan told the Spotlight there appears to be no structural damage from the fire, although a full cost estimate was not available. The flash fire was caused by hot metal fragments that ignited the wood dust, an investigation determined. The mill returned to operations Sunday.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hillsboro, OR – Sprinkler activates to help limit damage in fire at tool manufacturer

A fire at a tool company in Hillsboro forced 120 employees to evacuate on May 15. After an hour of waiting outside, employees re-entered the building. No one was injured, but the fire caused some minor damage to the building.

Investigators said the fire began in a dust filtration unit on the production floor of Davis Tool at 3740 Northwest Aloclek Place in Hillsboro. Fire damage extended up the exhaust duct of the dust unit, spreading smoke throughout the warehouse and activating a single roof fire sprinkler.

Davis Tool produces precision-machined parts, sheet metal parts, and assemblies. Fire investigators believe that a spark from grinding operations near the dust filtration unit caused combustible particles to ignite. According to Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, the building had already been evacuated when they arrived. Firefighters reported smoke coming from the rear doors of the production area.

A total of 24 Hillsboro Fire Department and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue firefighters responded, extinguishing the flames within 11 minutes.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Wilsonville, OR – Sprinklers limit damage in paint room fire at building materials supplier

Authorities are crediting a fire sprinkler for preventing a Thursday morning blaze at OrePac in Wilsonville from causing major damage. Just before 6 a.m., firefighters with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a fire in a paint room at the business at 30160 S.W. Orepac Way, according to a news release.

Initial reports indicated that the paint room contained a gas line, paint products, air guns and pressure tanks, all of which could pose potential hazards for firefighters and workers. Upon arriving on scene, firefighters found light smoke coming from the industrial building.

Thanks to a fire sprinkler in the paint room, along with employees using fire extinguishers, the fire was out when firefighters entered the paint room. A TVFR investigator determined that the fire resulted from the spontaneous combustion of improperly disposed rags that been used for staining. Due to the minimal damage caused by the blaze, no repairs will be necessary, according to the news release.

Other Business

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system keeps fire at welding shop from spreading

A fire in a southeast Bend industrial park Thursday night caused $30,000 damage to a welding shop, but likely would have been far more severe and spread to adjoining businesses if a sprinkler system and fire alarm hadn’t kicked in, officials said. 

Firefighters responded around 9:40 p.m. to a fire alarm sounding at Wilson Warehouses, a multi-tenant industrial complex at 1310 SE Armour Road, said Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering.  They arrived to find the fire in a welding shop, confined to a single tenant in Suites 13 and 14 of the building. Losses were estimated at $15,000 to the building and $15,000 to the contents.

The fire was found to be accidental in nature, Kettering said later Friday, but an exact cause could not be determined.  The fire official said damage to the business “would have been far more severe were it not for the fact that the building is equipped with a full fire sprinkler system,” which “held the fire in check until fire crews arrived” and finished putting it out.

The sprinkler head activation also triggered the fire alarm, leading to a quicker dispatch of crews, Kettering said, noting that having occurred at night, it could have been “a considerable amount of time before the fire was discovered.”

“Without a doubt, working fire sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems saved this business,” she said.