Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fire at manufacturing plant halted by sprinkler system (Lititz, PA)

A fire broke out at a manufacturing plant that makes over 2,500 products, including rodent traps, on Wednesday morning. The flames began close to a piece of machinery which makes papier-mache items, and two employees attempted to put them out with a fire extinguisher. When this proved unsuccessful, the heat from the fire activated the building’s fire sprinkler, containing the blaze until fire crews arrived.

According to Lititz Fire Company Deputy Chief Mike Smith, the fire could have easily spread to other area of the building through oven ducts if the sprinkler system had not been turned on.

No injuries were reported.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Sprinkler assists fire crews in university fire (East Stroudsburg, PA)

A fire started in the Enrollment Services Center building of East Stroudsburg University on Friday morning. While the cause is under investigation, fire officials claim the fire appeared to have started by a computer. No one was injured.

** Blog Editor’s Note – Please let us know what you think of the coverage by the Pocono Record, which focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system**

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sprinkler system controls arson fire at senior apartment building (Lancaster, PA)

City firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire, which was reported at 10:25 a.m. in the three-story Apartments at Mulberry Corners building. When firefighters arrived, the door to the woman’s third-floor apartment felt hot, said Chief Tim Gregg. The woman, whose identity was not available, was alone in the apartment, Gregg said. Firefighters helped her to exit and she was taken to the hospital, to be checked for injuries. The marshal ruled the fire was “incendiary” in nature, Gregg said. The fire was contained by the sprinkler system in the apartment building, he said. The apartment did not have extensive damage.Gregg praised the sprinkler system, saying it’s the “best fire safety device there is.” One sprinkler head was able to contain the entire fire, he noted. The Apartments at Mulberry Corners is a Housing Development Corporation building that contains 25 apartments for seniors ages 62 and older.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Sprinkler system puts out fire at nuclear power plant (Shippingport, PA)

A nuclear power plant had an explosion as well as an electrical wiring fire occur on the evening of Tuesday, November 5. No one was injured, and the plant did not need to be evacuated; the plant did shut down to assess the incident. The plant’s fire sprinkler system, a deluge system, put out the fire, and the reactor at the plant was manually shut down. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Fire sprinkler system extinguished midday fire at hospital (Philadelphia, PA)

No one was injured as a result of a fire that broke out at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. HUP also continued to see patients while the situation was ongoing. The fire began at around 12 p.m. in the basement of the Founders Building, when construction workers were removing medical equipment from one of the rooms. When the fire broke out, the fire sprinklers were able to quickly put it out, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. The basement room in the Founders Building where the fire originated suffered “minimal damages,” according to Rush.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Damage minimized at manufacturing plant thanks to fire sprinklers (Lancaster, PA)

Fire sprinklers contained a blaze that began at a manufacturing plant on Sunday, October 6. Just after 10:30 p.m., an oil-heating machine overheated, which started the fire. The fire sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in that area, and an employee used a fire extinguisher to put out the rest of it. The other employees who were in the manufacturing plant at the time were able to safely evacuate, and no injuries were reported.

Fire / Police Station, Government/Military

Sprinklers control engine/pumper fire at volunteer fire department (Vernon Township, PA)

“If it hadn’t been for the fire alarm system and the sprinklers, we’d have been in deep trouble,” said Tom Benak, a trustee and an assistant chief with Vernon Central Hose Co.  The fire, which occured around 11:45 PM on Tuesday night, was ruled accidental due to an electrical wiring malfunction in the crew compartment area behind the driver’s seat.