Tag Archives: Washington

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Battle Ground, WA – Fire in school science lab contained to one room by sprinkler system

A small fire started tonight in a science room at Chief Umtuch Middle School in Battle Ground.   A fire sprinkler had activated in the room, suppressing the fire and keeping it contained to the room, said Clark County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Tim Dawdy. The sprinkler activation triggered an alarm to summon firefighters, who finished extinguishing the fire once they arrived.

At 9:20 p.m., firefighters with Clark County Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the school, at 700 N.W. Ninth St. When they arrived, they found a small fire in room 185, a science classroom, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.

The fire is under investigation by the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office, Dawdy said, but it appeared that a heat lamp inside an animal terrarium sparked the fire, and that flames spread to a nearby bookshelf.

Department Store, Retail

Sprinkler system limits spread of fire at drug store (Bellingham, WA)

A fire burned 24 feet of display shelving in the Sehome Village Rite Aid on 36th Street, and damages could exceed $200,000, firefighters said.

The fire started shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, and the store’s alarm system notified firefighters while its sprinkler system limited the fire from spreading, according to the fire department. Firefighters located and quickly extinguished the flames burning against an interior wall. Nobody was found inside the store.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Sprinklers control fire at drug treatment facility until firefighters arrive (Yakima, WA)

A man suspected of setting a fire in the bathroom of a drug treatment facility has been arrested, according to Yakima police. The man, who was not identified, was arrested Friday morning in connection with the Oct. 28 fire at Connections Treatment Center. Police say a fire set in the bathroom of an apartment unit on the first floor was contained by an automatic sprinkler system until fire crews could arrive and extinguish it. Damage was described as minimal and the facility’s more than 40 occupants evacuated without injury.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sprinkler system helps save retirement home from fire, no injuries (Kennewick, WA)

Several local fire crews were called to the Hawthorne Court retirement home at about 7 p.m. Sunday night due to a fire in the J wing of the facility. When crews arrived, there was black smoke coming from the building, but the building’s sprinkler system held the fire in check until firefighters could put it out. The fire may have started near a wall mounted air conditioning unit.

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinklers keep fire from spreading in apartment – no injuries (Olympia, WA)

No one was injured in an Olympia apartment fire Wednesday afternoon, according to the Olympia Fire Department.  Firefighters responded to a fire at the Woodland Park Apartments, located on the 800 block of Yauger Way SW, at about 3:30 p.m. The fire started in a kitchen, but hadn’t spread thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, according to Deputy Chief Gary Wright. The fire was extinguished quickly, and smoke and water damage were limited to the one apartment, Wright said. The fire likely started when food in the oven or on the stove was left unattended.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Damage minimized at strip mall thanks to fire sprinklers (Kent, WA)

At about 1:00 a.m., Ladder 74 of the Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority responded to a sprinkler water flow alarm at a local strip mall. The fire, which had set off the alarm, was held in check by the sprinkler system until fire crews arrived. The damage could have been much worse since the adjoining suites share an attic space. The fire’s cause appears to be a failure of electrical components; there were no injuries reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Deck fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system (Oak Harbor, WA)

No injuries were reported as result of a minor deck fire in Oak Harbor Thursday afternoon. The fire was caused by discarded smoking materials, according to Oak Harbor Fire Department Chief Ray Merrill. The sprinkler system went off and extinguished the fire before it could get inside the apartment complex. “The fire sprinkler system did its job,” Merrill said. Damage to the deck was minor.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Sprinker system puts out fire at community center (Seattle, WA)

A kitchen fire around 7 am in the Highpoint Neighborhood House at 6400 Sylvan Way SW resulted in the setting off the sprinkler system in the building. The fire was out but firefighters were left with the task of ventilating the building.  The exact cause of the fire and a full damage estimate was not immediately available.  No injuries were reported.