Tag Archives: Wisconsin

Madison, WI – Apartment sprinkler system controls fire started by charcoal grill on balcony

City of Madison firefighters were dispatched to an apartment fire when a passerby called 911 to report seeing flames on a balcony in the 1600 block of Waldorf Boulevard at the Mid Town Commons Apartments just after 9:00 pm on Wednesday.

The fire was reported to have started when a charcoal grill caught the third floor apartment’s balcony on fire. Before fire crews arrived, the apartment’s fire sprinkler system activated on the balcony.

A resident of the apartment told firefighters he was grilling bacon on the balcony. It was found that heat from the flare up caused the activation of the sprinkler system. No smoke or fire damage was found to the interior of the apartment.

City of Madison fire code prohibits the use of natural gas or charcoal grills on decks or balconies or within ten feet of combustible construction unless the balcony or deck is protected by automatic sprinklers. The automatic sprinkler system limited damage to the grill, and the residents of the complex were able to stay in their apartments.

Schofield, WI – Fire caused by cardboard put out by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

 A fire broke out in a maintenance area at Northern Cold Storage Monday afternoon. It closed parts of Grossman Drive for several hours.

Firefighters believe some cardboard caught fire after a wall heater malfunctioned.

Internal sprinkler systems put the fire out, but the area also contained an ammonia pump. A hazmat team was called in by the storage company.

“They showed up here and made sure that the ammonia system was working correctly and it is,” said Rob Bowen, the Riverside Fire District Fire Chief. “So there’s no fear to the public or anything.”

Fire crews started packing up around 6:00 PM.

All employees evacuated the building without injury.

There was light smoke damage to the building.

Madison, WI – Overnight fire caused by electric bike controlled by fire sprinklers

A fire that broke out in a garage overnight was contained by an automatic fire sprinkler until firefighters arrived to bring the fire to a complete stop.

Engine Company 14 and other fire companies were dispatched to a condominium complex on Catalina Parkway just after midnight. One resident greeted firefighters and advised that an electric bike was on fire in the garage. The remainder of the building was evacuated as firefighters proceeded to the basement. They found the sprinkler system had the fire under control, and only a small amount of smoke had entered the living space within the complex. Crews extinguished the remaining fire and stopped the automatic sprinkler system.

Investigation determined the homeowner had left the e-bike on a charger for the night, the battery on the bike started on fire, which activated the sprinkler system. Fire damage was isolated to the bike, with slight damage to a workbench nearby.

The owner advised that the electric portion of the e-bike was an aftermarket kit they had purchased on eBay.

Onalaska, WI – Sprinkler system subdues fire that broke out inside shredder hopper; No injuries reported

Nobody was injured in a fire Monday at the Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations in rural Onalaska.

A fire broke out inside the shredder hopper about 8:30 a.m. at the company’s processing facility, N5550 Dynamic Way, according to a company spokesperson. The building was evacuated.

The company’s sprinkler system subdued the fire, and firefighters were able to contain it to the shredder hopper. There was no structural damage to the building. Firefighters from La Crosse, West Salem, the towns of Campbell and Farmington, and Brice Prairie first responders assisted at the scene.

The company, which has been in business since 2007, is an electronics recycler.

Lake Delton, WI – Automatic sprinkler system completely puts out fire at Kalahari condo; No injuries reported

Authorities say no one was hurt after a kitchen fire started inside a resort condo unit.

According to Delton Fire Department, firefighters found the Kalahari Resort condo full of smoke when they arrived around 6 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone had gotten out safely.

Fire officials say automatic sprinklers were able to put the fire out completely. Firefighters used fans to remove smoke and helped clean up the water.

A teenager left the room while cooking on the stove and forgot to turn the burner off, according to investigators.

Someone else inside the condo woke up to flames in the kitchen and saw the sprinklers turn on right away. Officials describe it as a volatile grease fire.

The condos had to be evacuated for about 45 minutes but the Kalahari is still open for business.

In a Facebook post Sunday night, fire officials say this incident is an example of the importance of functioning sprinkler systems.

Green Bay, WI – Commercial dryer fire kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

People inside the Hilton Garden Inn on Lombardi Avenue were briefly evacuated because of a fire inside the hotel early Sunday morning.

Firefighters said it happened around one in the morning and the small fire started inside a commercial dryer.

The Green Bay Metro Fire Department said the fire was kept in check by the activated sprinkler system.

No one was hurt, and people were eventually able to go back inside the hotel.

Green Bay, WI – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at packaging facility; No injuries reported

No one is hurt after an overnight fire at Green Bay Packaging in Green Bay. All the employees evacuated safely.

Firefighters say they found smoke when they arrived at the Radisson Street plant just after 9:30 Wednesday night, but it took some time to find the flames in the large building.

Fire crews from Howard and other communities surrounding Green Bay responded. They worked at the scene for several hours.

The fire was contained to a dust-collection unit on the roof, and was put out by a sprinkler system. Officials don’t yet have an estimate on how much damage the fire caused.

The fire generated so much smoke, Brown County Sheriff’s officials used the fan from the department’s air boat to clear it.

Madison, WI – Restaurant kitchen fire kept in check by sprinkler system until fire crews arrived

An east Madison restaurant sustained significant damage in an early morning fire Friday, officials said. 

The Madison Fire Department said the fire at Sumo Steakhouse and Sushi Bar on Parkside Drive was kept in check overnight by an automatic fire sprinkler.

According to the report, it’s unknown how long the fire had been burning before a passerby called 911 at 2:30 a.m. to report smoke in the area.

A crew went to the roof of the restaurant and entered the building through a hatch, officials said. That’s when they discovered light smoke coming from a kitchen vent.

Firefighters pulled an attack line and proceeded to the kitchen, where an automatic sprinkler was holding a fire at bay, according to the report. Crews extinguished the remainder of the kitchen fire.

Meanwhile, firefighters found fire in the kitchen exhaust system and were able to put it out it with a water can extinguisher. 

Fire officials said the kitchen suffered significant damage, but without the automatic sprinkler holding the fire in place while nobody was around to report the fire, it is believed the entire building would have been consumed by fire.

Public Health Madison-Dane County was notified of the incident. The fire department said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Bellevue, WI – Fire outside Home Depot activated sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Bellevue Fire and Rescue says a burning cigarette butt receptacle and a trash receptacle lead to a small fire outside the Home Depot at 2595 Eaton Road on Wednesday just before midnight. 

Crews say the fire set off the sprinkler system outside the building. The store was not open at the time, but a cleaning crew was inside. Nobody was injured. 

Firefighters quickly put out the fire and shut off the sprinkler system. 

Besides a broken window, the building was not damaged. The heat however did damage some outdoor furniture outside the store. 

Crews say the fire started in the cigarette butt receptacle outside of the entrance door. 

Cross Plains, WI – Overnight fire at tavern knocked down by sprinkler system

A kitchen fire at a Cross Plains tavern has caused it to close Tuesday, according to employees at Coach’s Club Bar and Restaurant. Fire crews were called to the scene on Highway 14 at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. Officials said the sprinkler system was able to knock down the flames in the kitchen, but the building suffered smoke and water damage. No word on what caused the fire. An employee at Coach’s told 27 News they plan to have the bar and restaurant open again on Wednesday.

CROSS PLAINS (WKOW) — Crews responded to a fire at a restaurant in Cross Plains early Tuesday morning. The eastbound lane of Highway 14 was blocked while firefighters worked to make sure the flames were out at Coach’s Club Sports Bar and Restaurant. A fire official on the scene told 27 News they were called to the “small kitchen fire” at about 12:45 a.m. They said no one was in the building when it started and the sprinkler system was able to knock down the flames. The scene was cleared at about 2:20 a.m. No word on the extent of damage at this time.