All posts by viking210

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Prince George, BC, Canada – Fire sprinkler activated for fire at sawmill; No injuries reported

Volunteer fire crews responded to a fire at Carrier Lumber’s sawmill on Willowcale Road last night.

The Regional District of Fraser Fort-George says it broke out just before 10:30 p.m. and say the fire was mostly contained by the sprinkler system that was activated.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed and the cause is unknown.

There were no known injuries. The Buckhorn Volunteer Fire Department responded with mutual aid from Pineview Volunteer Fire Department and the Red Rock/Stoner Volunteer fire department.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Bar Harbor, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at laboratory; No injuries reported

Shortly after 9:12 p.m. on Tuesday, the Bar Harbor Fire Department arrived at The Jackson Laboratory to investigate a fire alarm call coming from the laboratory.

Bar Harbor Fire Department Chief Matthew Bartlett said on Wednesday that the department responded as they normally do for a fire alarm call but soon realized there was an actual fire. “As our crew entered the building, they found the fire burning in the location. Our crew radioed back saying they had found fire in the building with sprinkler flow,” which, said Bartlett, prompted a call for additional resources.

That call brought the Mount Desert Fire Department, Southwest Harbor Fire Department, Ellsworth Fire Department and Northeast Harbor Ambulance Service to the scene. Bartlett said the Trenton Fire Department and responders from the Somesville Fire Station provided standby coverage.

“Mutual aid departments were not needed, so they were quickly released,” he said.

Though many departments were called, only about five or six responders entered the building.

“Our crew had to go in and put out the fire that the sprinkler system couldn’t fully extinguish,” said Bartlett, adding that it was primarily the contents of a shelving unit that caught on fire.

Around 10:30 p.m., the flames were doused and the departments cleared the scene.

All the research mice and employees were found to be safe.

The lab’s Executive Vice President and COO Catherine “Katy” Longley said that the lab community is grateful to the local fire departments and emergency personnel for their swift response. “We are thankful that all employees are safe,” she said.

On behalf of the fire department, Chief Bartlett said he was also appreciative of what the lab’s crew did Tuesday night to help the emergency personnel. “It was a team effort between The Jackson Lab and ourselves. Their staff did a great job in helping us get to where we needed to be,” said Bartlett.

“We got a fire alarm, the sprinkler system activated, we went down to investigate, found a little fire burning and luckily we were able to get in there and put the remaining fire out. The system worked as it was just designed to do.”

Uncategorized

Peterborough, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire inside industrial garage; No injuries reported

The Peterborough Fire Service responded to a vehicle fire inside an industrial garage on Saturday, March 6.

Around 11:30 p.m., fire crews responded to alarms ringing and possible smoke in a garage on The Kingsway.

In a media release, the fire department says upon arrival it was noted that the sprinkler system had been activated and dark smoke was venting out of the back of the building. Firefighters used forcible entry to gain access to the building and were met with heavy smoke.

The activated sprinkler kept the fire contained to one vehicle. Firefighters extinguished the vehicle and removed smoke from the structure.

The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.

No injuries were reported.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Akron, OH – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at compost facility; No injuries reported

The sprinkler system put out a fire at a compost facility on Riverview Road in Akron Sunday.

The facility’s alarm company contacted the Akron Fire Department shortly before 2 p.m., according to an Akron Fire media release. The alarm company said they had talked to someone at the plant and that they could not turn the alarm off.

The fire department sent an engine and found a room in a building full of smoke, the release said. The fire had been extinguished by an overhead sprinkler.

No one was injured.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Fire sprinkler activated in commercial building fire; No injuries reported

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to a fire in a commercial building on Mazenod Road around 6:47 am on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

When crews arrived on the scene heavy smoke was seen throughout the structure and the internal fire sprinkler system was active. Firefighters launched an offensive attack and were able to contain the fire to an industrial compacting unit. The fire was declared under control at 7:26 am.

All staff in the building at the time of the fire were able to self-evacuate before emergency crews arrived.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental due to a bearing failure of a conveyor belt.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Atlanta, GA – Sprinkler system activated for fire on 5th floor of senior living community; No injuries reported

Atlanta firefighters evacuated the fifth floor of a senior living community Thursday morning after a fire broke out inside an apartment, officials said.

The fire occurred at the Lakewood Christian Manor off Springdale Road in southwest Atlanta, battalion Chief Tony Terrell said at the scene.

“The sprinkler system kept it in check,” and firefighters were able to get inside and extinguish the blaze, Terrell said, but crews were forced to evacuate residents on that floor because of water damage.

Fire officials said it appears the small blaze began inside a closet.

“We had a basket of clothes and laundry burning inside the closet,” Terrell said, adding that the fifth floor of the high-rise sustained water damage from the apartment’s sprinkler system. No injuries were reported, but seven residents have been displaced.

While fires at senior living complexes aren’t common, Terrell said the biggest challenge is evacuating residents who are unable to get out on their own. The building is nine stories tall and houses hundreds of residents, most of whom are older or disabled.

“The rest of the residents were allowed to shelter in place because we only had smoke in the hallway where we had the fire,” he said.

Volunteers from the American Red Cross responded to the scene and are offering temporary assistance to seven residents from six units that were damaged, agency spokeswoman Sherry Nicholson said. In addition, a company was called in to remove the water from the fifth floor.

“They’re going to have to wait until all the water is cleaned up before they can return to their apartments,” Terrell said.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

McFarland, WI – Exterior fire sprinkler controlled second-story balcony fire

McFarland Fire & Rescue responded to a second-story balcony on fire just before 11:30 a.m. on Monday, which staff says was controlled by a fire sprinkler.

At 11:21 a.m., crews were dispatched to the fire at 5601 Lexington St. in the village of McFarland, which they found controlled by an exterior fire sprinkler head. They were able to extinguish the fire within about 15 minutes of it being reported.

According to a press release from the department, the sprinkler prevented the fire from extending into the attic of the building, though it did spread into the furnace room of the apartment, displacing one tenant.

Though the apartment that caught fire was unoccupied, one apartment resident was transported by a city of Madison ambulance with a non-life-threatening medical emergency.

A passerby called 911 after seeing the sprinkler activate.

“Without the fire sprinkler and fire alarm system, the fire’s outcome would have been much worse,” the department said in a release.

The city of Madison and city of Monona fire departments, along with the McFarland Police, responded to the incident as well.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Crest Hill, IL – Sprinkler systems activated for fire at inn; no Injuries reported

Less than four months after the Crest Hill Inn on Plainfield Road was the scene of a deadly stabbing in one of the rooms, a fire broke out late Tuesday afternoon.

Around 3:50 p.m., trucks and engines from the Lockport Township Fire Protection District rolled up to 2109 Plainfield Road to find smoke coming out of one of the hotel room windows.

The sprinkler heads activated, and this kept the fire in check, according to deputy fire chief Frank Blaskey. Firefighters ran a hose line into the hotel to quickly extinguish the remaining fire, he said.

“Fire damage was confined to the room of origin, but water damage left several rooms unable to be occupied,” Blaskey said. “There were no injuries reported and all occupants safely evacuated their rooms.”

Other areas of the Crest Hill Inn can remain occupied, the fire department said. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Lockport Fire Investigators but it appears to be accidental in nature, Blaskey’s news release stated.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Fire sprinkler system quickly douses kitchen fire; No injuries reported

A small kitchen fire broke out in a third-floor unit of the RainCity Housing on Yale Road.

It was doused quickly by the building’s own automatic sprinklers putting the kibosh on any major damage – before fire crews even arrived.

Chilliwack Fire Department got the call at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 28) about the fire in the 45000-block of Yale Rd, according to Assistant Chief Chris Wilson. Firefighters responded from Halls 1 and 4, and gained access to a third floor unit where they discovered a small fire in the kitchen area.

“The fire had been extinguished by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system prior to the arrival of fire crews, which significantly limited fire damage to a small area around the kitchen cabinets,” assistant chief Wilson said.

“Without a working sprinkler system in place, this fire had the potential of causing extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the unit.”

Chilliwack Fire had nothing but praise for preventative measures like alarms and sprinkler systems.

“The presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system in conjunction with a working smoke alarm greatly reduces the chance of being injured or dying in a fire, and also significantly improves public and firefighter health and safety by reducing the chance of injury and exposure to harmful contaminants and carcinogens.”

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Minot, ND – Fire sprinkler contains small hotel fire to one room

Minot Fire crews responded to a hotel in south Minot Friday.

A fire alarm went off on the second floor of the Comfort Inn and Suites South Broadway location just after 7 a.m. The Minot Fire Department found a small fire in an unoccupied room. 

Firefighters said the sprinkler in the room kept the fire contained.

The cause is under investigation.