Mankato authorities investigate the cause of a fire early Sunday morning.
The city says a commercial dryer fire started near 6:00 a.m. at 100 Raintree Road. The building’s internal sprinkler system was able to extinguish the fire by the time responders arrived.
The estimated damage cost is around $25,000.
According to the city, all occupants of the building got out safely with no reported injuries.
Officials credit a sprinkler system for limiting the spread of an Appleton apartment fire. Crews were called to the units along the 400-block of North Richmond Street around 6:00 this morning on the report of a water flow alarm. They found that a fire had started in the vent hood of a microwave–but was put out by the sprinklers. The apartment was vacant at the time and was being cleaned out. No one was hurt. Damage is estimated at 60-thousand dollars.
The fire occurred in the SeaLife Center’s avian curatorial on the second floor of the facility around 6:37 p.m. Wednesday night, according to the release. Firefighters saw smoke coming from the building upon arrival and discovered that the fire sprinkler system had already extinguished what was believed to have been a small electrical fire.
Staff from the avian curatorial recovered two long-tailed ducks that were being held in the curatorial. SeaLife Center veterinary staff and avian staff treated the birds, and the animals seem to be recovering, according to the release. No staff or other animals were injured in the fire.
The SeaLife Center sustained water damage in the avian curatorial as well as the first floor BP Theater and Exit Exhibit/Donor Recognition area. The SeaLife Center was closed to the public on Thursday for cleanup and to replace the sprinkler heads and sensors, and resumed normal operating hours on Friday.
“I’m so proud to work with this staff who, as a team, are willing to take on the challenges, learn from the experiences and go on with the important mission of the Alaska SeaLife Center,” center Chief Operating Officer Chip Arnold said in the release. “Thank you Fire Chief Clinton Crites and the Seward Volunteer Fire Department for handling the situation with speed, professionalism and tact.”
Firefighters rescued a man from a fire at an auto repair shop in Burien Saturday morning.
The fire happened at the Kansai Collision Center in the 15200 block of First Avenue South at about 8 a.m.
“Looks like we had a car fire inside of a paint booth inside the repair shop,” said Chief Mike Marrs of King County Fire District #2.
KIRO 7 talked to a woman named Miriam who works nearby.
“Suddenly I just heard this alarm but I didn’t know where it was coming from,” said Miriam.
Miriam said she and another coworker quickly realized it was coming from the repair shop.
“I was kind of scared and she said, ‘Miriam there’s smoke coming from the collision center.’ So right away I called 911,” she added.
Firefighters arrived to heavy smoke coming from the building. Fortunately, the building had a working sprinkler system. Marrs said it not only kept the fire from spreading; it was a lifesaver.
“The activation of the sprinkler system probably saved this building as well as saving the occupant’s life,” Marrs explained.
The man suffered smoke inhalation.
He was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
KIRO 7 also learned the shop was closed at the time. A manager told KIRO 7 the man did not work there but was allowed to stay there because he had no other place to go.
The cause of the fire is unknown right now.
All eight operating rooms of the hospital suffered water damage after the sprinkler system was set off to extinguish the fire.
The fire itself ignited in a single unoccupied operating room last weekend, according to the report.
“Fortunately, no patients were in surgery in any OR,” Brian Taylor, a spokesman for the Detroit Medical Center, told the News. “Our staff responded quickly, and the fire was extinguished in minutes. Three patients in pre and postop areas were safely evacuated. We are working collaboratively with [state officials] to address the area impacted.”
The hospital filed an emergency certificate of need request for $100,000 with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Royal Adhesive is a commercial plant that manufactures specialty adhesive products that are used in all industries. “This site houses numerous hazardous products and always put the Fire Department and EMS on guard when we are called to the site,” said Bob Minnarick the Wayne Fire Commissioner.
Initially, Wayne Fire Companies 1 and 2 were summoned by the first alarm, but as more calls came, reporting smoke coming from the building, a second alarm was raised and Fire Companies 3 and 5 came to the scene. Once it was confirmed that there was a sprinkler activation in the plant and two pull stations were activated, Wayne went to a third alarm activating Company 4.
At the same time the Wayne Special Response Team (SRT) the Hazmat team was activated.
The Royal Adhesive management team informed the Fire Department that the substances in the area of the fire were not hazardous materials which made the job easier for the volunteers.
With the help of the in-house sprinkler system, the fire was extinguished in thirty minutes. The burning pallets of rubber pellets was extinguished and subsequently removed from the production area.
The sprinkler company responded to the scene and replaced the activated heads and recharge the system. The alarm system was able to be reset and placed back into operation. The fire was declared under control at 2:11pm. The last fire unit cleared the scene at 3:43pm.
Ten pieces of apparatus responded to the scene and Company 4 stood by for coverage. There were no injuries and approximately forty firefighters responded to the scene.
Captain Charles Vaught said in a statement, Sergeant J. Spragins was working off-duty at Chapel Ridge Apartments shortly before 6:30 p.m. when he heard a fire-alarm go off in one of the buildings of the complex.
He immediately started checking the building to ensure everyone was OK.
Upon smelling something burning in the building he began evacuation until he could determine the source of the smoke.
The fire department arrived and located the burning apartment.
With assistance from firefighters, detectives canvassed the apartment to determine what happened and were able to speak with the tenant who lives in the dwelling.
Detectives are currently investigating to determine if charges will be filed.
Roanoke Rapids Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Gray said this morning there were multiple areas of origin. In two of the areas ignited, two of the sprinkler heads activated. “There was a lot of water damage,” he said. “It was more water than fire damage.”
Gray said the sprinkler system kept the fire in check.
Firefighters from Station 2 observed smoke coming from the door of the apartment and made forced entry to check for anyone inside. There was no one in the dwelling.
Gray would only say the fire appeared to be suspicious and firefighters assisted the police department with the initial investigation before handing the matter over to investigators.
Some residents had to be relocated until the sprinkler system was restored.
Crews responded to the 1900 block of Sutter Avenue in English Woods around 7:15 a.m. following a report of flames in the basement and smoke in the atrium at Marquette Manor apartments.
Firefighters found a fire in the trash compactor with smoke spreading through the building.
The fire was upgraded due to the size of the building and the number of residents. 81 firefighters were on the scene.
District Chief Curtis Goodman says the fire was contained by the sprinkler system and quickly extinguished by fire crews.
Goodman says residents sheltered in place until smoke was cleared from the building.
One resident was treated by paramedics on the scene but did not go to the hospital. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
Goodman says one resident tried to jump from a fourth-floor window but other residents and firefighters were able to convince that person to stay in their apartment and shelter in place.
Damage from the fire is estimated at $1,000.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
No injuries were reported to workers or firefighters as a result of three explosions at Buckley Oil Company on S.E. Industrial Parkway, off U.S. Highway 180 East adjacent to Southwire, Reeder Distributors and Mineral Wells Fire Department Station No. 2.
Three explosions were reported around 1:15 p.m., and heavy, black toxic smoke billowed from the property – which became a concern though conditions were such that the smoke rose largely straight into the air and dissipated. Mineral Wells ISD was not in session Monday so there were no health or safety concerns about high school students or faculty.
Mineral Wells Fire Chief Mike Pool said five workers were inside a large covered, but not totally enclosed, area preparing what he described as two 600-gallon totes containing volatile chemicals heptane and toluene. Heptane is a main component of gasoline, while toluene is a gasoline additive and is used as a solvent.
“They are very volatile,” Pool said of the chemicals. “They have a very low flashpoint.”
With low humidity, Pool said the working theory is a static electrical charge sparked a flash fire. He said that is not an official cause and an investigation into what ignited the chemicals and caused the fire remains under investigation.
“It definitely was an accident,” said Pool. “It wasn’t intentional.”
A high-density sprinkler system inside the covered area dumped large amounts of water quickly on the fire, Pool said. He said firefighters were able to quickly respond and spray the area down with a smothering foam. The fire was brought under control within about 30 minutes and within an hour was out, leaving a large clean up operation.
The chief said weather conditions and the quick response helped prevent the fire from becoming worse. He said it is also likely the chemicals burned up quickly.
“It was probably a best case scenario,” Pools said. “Our people and equipment were available.”
He said it was also fortunate the five employees were able to escape uninjured.
“The smoke and wind was something I was concerned about,” Pool said of the scene’s initial assessment. “I thought we might have to evacuate Southwire and Reeder.”
Pool said he believes chemical runoff was contained thanks to the parking lot’s design and a containment tank. He said he was unsure about the eastside of the property where there was no access. Pool said the company would bring in an environmental team to assess and clean up.
“I don’t think we had an issue,” he said.
Because it was a chemical fire firefighters and equipment involved were put through portable decontamination showers at the scene and personnel were instructed to completely shower immediately so as not to possibly spread chemicals elsewhere.
“If we are exposed we have to decontaminate people and gear,” Pool said.