All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential

Bismarck, ND – Sprinkler system suppress third-floor fire at housing development for the homeless; No injuries reported

A small fire in a third-floor apartment prompted the evacuation of Edwinton Place, a housing development for the homeless in south Bismarck.

Firefighters responded to the 40-unit, four-story building shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday. The building’s fire sprinkler system had suppressed the fire, and firefighters put it out with a handheld extinguisher.

Residents were allowed to return. No injuries were reported. There was moderate fire and smoke damage to the interior of the apartment with the fire, authorities said.

Firefighters completed an investigation into the cause of the fire and forwarded the case to police. The fire department didn’t release the cause.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Oglesby, IL – Sprinkler system keeps forklift fire from spreading through warehouse; No injuries reported

A forklift caught fire Friday morning at Advantage Logistics in Oglesby.

Fire crews were called out to the distribution center just after 2:30.  Oglesby Fire Chief Ronald Papurello says the business’ sprinkler system was activated and put out the fire.  The forklift apparently caught fire as it was being charged.

As a precaution a mutual aid request was put out to Peru, Tonica and Utica Fire Departments.  Nobody was injured.  The forklift was heavily damaged but the fire didn’t spread to anywhere else.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Lancaster, PA – Sprinkler system control fire at mall food kiosk

A fire caused damage at Park City Center in Lancaster on Friday morning.

The fire started in a food warmer at a kiosk in the center of the mall around 6:30 a.m., firefighters said.

The fire activated the sprinkler system. According to firefighters, there were two to three inches of water in the center of the mall and smoke throughout every wing.

There was moderate to heavy smoke in the center court.

Fans were brought in to clear out the remaining smoke. Some stores are now open.

Because there are restaurants in the mall, the health department was brought in to inspect them.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Single sprinkler head extinguishes unattended apartment cooking fire; No injuries reported

A cooking fire at an apartment building displaced two families with children Sunday night.

The Rochester Fire Department was called to a fire alarm around 8:20 p.m. Sunday at 920 40th St. NW, according to a news release from the department. Firefighters arrived to find smoke in the building. The sprinkler systems were on.

“When crews arrived at the apartment unit with the fire, they discovered an unattended cooking fire that had been extinguished by an activated sprinkler head,” the statement said.

The fire had been completely extinguished. Crews turned off the sprinkler system to limit the amount of water damage to the building and then ventilated the building to remove smoke and other toxic gases.

No one was injured, but the fire damaged the apartment’s stove, microwave and cabinets, while smoke and water damaged other parts of the building.

“Cooking is by far the leading cause of structure fires in Minnesota; almost half of all structure fires are due to cooking, which is over 4 times more than the next cause according to a 2017 report by the MN State Fire Marshall,” the statement said. “The top three factors in cooking fires is unattended cooking, combustibles too close to cooking equipment, and cooking equipment accidentally turned on.”

Staff from the American Red Cross said Sunday night that the organization was helping the two families secure a place to stay after the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

McKinney, TX – Apartment grease fire controlled by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A McKinney resident cooked up more than she was hungry for after grease splashed from a frying pan, sparking a fire in her kitchen.

But two fire sprinkler heads activated and quickly extinguished the flames, eliminating a potential “disaster,” according to the McKinney Fire Department.

“Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries,” said Merit Ossian, McKinney Fire Dept. Public Information Officer. “The biggest problem is unattended cooking. If you have to step away from the stove, turn off the heat first.”

The structure fire happened at the Treymore of McKinney apartments at 901 S. Wilson Creek.

No one was injured and damage was limited to the area around the stove.

  • Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires.
  • Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the heat. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
  • For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
Apartment Building, Residential

Palatine, IL – Fire sprinklers put out apartment bathroom fire; No injuries reported

No injuries resulted from a small fire early Saturday in an apartment building on the 1100 block of North Sterling Avenue in Palatine, officials said. Firefighters called to the building at 12:40 a.m. found moderate smoke and two sprinkler heads activated in a bathroom, which extinguished the flames. The fire damage was limited to the bathroom in the unit, with moderate water damage to the apartment below.

Officials said the fire remained under investigation Monday. A damage estimate was not yet available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Mooresville, NC – Sprinkler system successfully extinguishes grease fire at hotel

Mooresville fire officials are crediting a hotel sprinkler system at the Hilton Garden Inn for protecting occupants and $11 million in property after it successfully extinguished a grease fire Sunday.

The March 1 grease fire began around 5:30 a.m. in the kitchen of the hotel located at 159 Gateway Boulevard in Mooresville.

“Although the hood suppression system activated, the fire spread to nearby cardboard boxes but was successfully extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system when three sprinkler heads activated,” and put the fire out before firefighters arrived on the scene, Mooresville Fire-Rescue said Monday morning in a statement.

Damage was limited to a small area of the kitchen, according to fire officials, who say the incident is a reminder to stay vigilant about fire safety when traveling.

“According to the US Fire Administration, each year, there are an estimated 3,900 hotel and motel fires that cause 15 deaths, 100 injuries, and $100 million in property losses,” MFR said. The hotel has a fire sprinkler system because building codes required it at the time it was built in 2007.

Apartment Building, Residential

Virginia Beach, VA – Fire contained to apartment balcony thanks to sprinkler system

Virginia Beach Firefighters responded to a commercial fire in the 4700 block of Alicia Drive Sunday morning.

Dispatchers received the call around 11:30 a.m.

Units arrived on the scene to smoke on the 4th floor. The fire was contained to the balcony by the sprinkler system.

Officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Louisville, KY – Sprinkler system contains fire after man sets trash can in dorm at U of L on fire

 A man was arrested Saturday after police said he started a fire inside a University of Louisville dormitory bathroom. 

According to an arrest report, police took Antonio Spuria, 18, into custody after witnesses and evidence pointed to him setting a 55-gallon garbage can on fire around 2 a.m. Saturday inside the men’s restroom on the second floor of Miller Hall Dormitory, located on U of L’s Belknap Campus. 

Multiple students were inside the dorm at the time of the fire, and the building had to be evacuated for several hours while crews with the Louisville Fire Department cleaned up and repaired its sprinkler system, according to Spuria’s arrest report. 

Spuria was booked at Louisville Metro Corrections around 2:30 p.m. Saturday and was charged with first-degree arson and wanton endangerment, according to his arrest report. 

Other - Residential, Residential

Macon, GA – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at Home for Children and Youth; No injuries reported

The Methodist Home for Children and Youth says they’re thankful after Macon-Bibb firefighters put out fire near one of their buildings Saturday night.

CEO of the home, Alison Evans, says she got a call around 6:45 p.m. that a golf cart parked under a breezeway to an administration building had caught fire. 

The golf cart was battery powered, and something in it malfunctioned, according to the Macon-Bibb Fire Department.

The department says there was no major damage to the breezeway itself other than soot buildup and some water damage inside the building due to a sprinkler. 

Evans says the fire was not near any of their children’s homes, and there were no injuries. The home is operating as normal. 

They lost a golf cart, but Evans says she’s happy with the fire department’s response. 

The Methodist Home for Children and Youth is located off Pierce Avenue.