All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential

Boise, ID – Dryer fire at apartment quickly put out by fire sprinklers

A sprinkler system in the Fowler apartments in downtown Boise was triggered early Friday morning by a dryer fire, according to Boise Fire Department officials.  

The fire occurred shortly after 9 a.m. and was put out quickly by the sprinklers. However, several apartments on four floors incurred water damage, Boise firefighters said. 

One lane was closed on Myrtle Street while crews responded to the incident.

The Fowler located on West Broad Street between Trader Joe’s and WinCo Foods in Boise is one of the more recent housing developments in the past few years.  

The side of the apartment that faces Myrtle Street displays one of Idaho’s largest murals painted by David Carmack Lewis. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Fargo, ND – Sprinkler system extinguishes fifth floor apartment fire

Fargo firefighters responded to a report of fire alarms sounding at 400 Broadway this afternoon.  On arrival, firefighters found smoke coming out of an apartment window on the fifth floor.  Upon entry to the apartment, firefighters found the sprinkler system in operation and the fire extinguished.  The tenant had safely evacuated the apartment prior to the fire department’s arrival.  One cat was located in the apartment and returned to the tenant. 

Due to the sprinkler activation, fire damage was limited.  Several apartments sustained water damage but the management company had a contractor on scene to begin cleanup before firefighters departed.  A monetary damage estimate is not available at this time.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.  The Fargo Fire Department responded with a full dispatch of 16 personnel on 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, and 1 command vehicle.  The Fargo Police Department and FM Ambulance also responded and assisted with the scene.

A fire sprinkler system can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Oklahoma City, OK – Sprinkler system immediately puts out second floor apartment fire

Firefighters responded to an apartment fire Thursday morning in northeast Oklahoma City. 

According to authorities, the fire was near North Kelley Avenue and Northeast 23rd Street. 

Fire officials said it was a small fire that started on the second story of the apartment. The Sprinkler system immediately put out the fire. 

There is small smoke damage on the inside of the apartment, firefighters said. There is also some sprinkler damage on the inside of a first story apartment.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Wenatchee, WA – Single sprinkler head controls commercial fire between two businesses

Chelan County Fire District 1 was dispatched to a commercial fire a little after 9 a.m. at the corner of 5th and Mission. Locals may know the area as the strip of businesses such as Garlinis, Jimmy Johns and others.

“Crews arrived to find light smoke coming from a vacant occupancy as well as the EarthWise pet store,” said Chief Brian Brett. “We were able to make access, get in and locate the fire.”

According to Chief Brett, the sprinkler system had been activated and one head was controlling the fire. The sprinkler pretty much extinguished it and crews may have had to use one water can to complete the job.

“Now we’re just clearing out the smoke and to get the water mitigated so we can get these businesses on both sides back open,” said Chief Brett.

The cause is still under investigation. Nobody was inside at the time of the fire. Douglas Fire District 2 also responded with an engine.

Casino, Other Business

Cape Girardeau, MO – Trashcan fire in casino bathroom put out by fire sprinklers

A fire at the Century Casino, formerly Isle Casino, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri caused the building to be evacuated.

It happened early Wednesday morning on Dec. 18 at 777 N. Main St.

Chief Travis Hollis said crews were called out just before 3 a.m.

When officials got to the scene the building was being evacuated. They smelled smoke in the front lobby.

Firefighters found the source of the smell in the men’s restroom in the front lobby. Officials said a small fire was in a trashcan.

This activated the building’s sprinklers.

Hollis the building only suffered water damage.

The sprinkler system puts out around 13 gallons of water each minute.

Hollis said without the system, the situation could have been much worse.

The fire was contained within minutes after firefighters got to the scene.

The incident is under investigation.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Moline, IL – Fire caused by incense left burning in shopping mall put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Incense that was left burning inside a store at SouthPark Mall has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, according to Moline’s fire marshal.

The fire started just after 11 a.m. on Monday, December 16.  The mall was evacuated as the halls filled with smoke.

According to Fire Marshal Jerry Spiegel, the fire started inside the Fig Tree bookstore.  He said incense had been left burning with the ashes falling into a cardboard box; that’s what ultimately caused the fire.

Spiegel said the fire was contained within minutes.  Four sprinklers went off and helped put out most of the flames before crews arrived, but smoke continued to filter through the mall hallways.

Damage to the Fig Tree has been estimated at about $50,000, said Spiegel.  That combined with the smoke damage to other stores adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Spiegel said the biggest challenge for crews was getting the smoke out of the building.  TMI came to help activate the mall’s ventilation system to get the smoke out.

There were no injuries.

The inside of the mall was set to remain closed for Monday.  The anchor stores, JCPenney, Dillards and Von Maur opened from the outside, according to mall management.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Easton, MA – Fire sprinklers keep fire at bay after candles set advent wreath on fire; No injuries reported

A candle-lit wreath caught fire Monday morning, triggering an evacuation at the Museum of Family Prayer at the Father Peyton Center.

An evergreen Advent wreath, which was inside the museum’s chapel, ignited shortly after multiple candles were lit on candle holders within the center of the wreath, Fire Chief Kevin Partridge said in a press release. The wreath was located near the altar and three people were inside the chapel at the time of the fire.

The Easton Fire Department received an alarm around 11:15 a.m. and a 911 call reporting a fire inside the chapel at the museum at 518 Washington St.

Upon arrival of firefighters, the building had been evacuated and the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system and a maintenance worker who used a fire extinguisher, according to Partridge.

No injuries were reported.

Once the fire started, the sprinkler system in the chapel activated and a maintenance worker heard people yelling about a fire and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher to help put out the flames, Partridge said.

Firefighters arrived minutes later and shut down the sprinkler system and helped to carry wet furniture and other items out of the chapel.

The fire was contained to the wreath, but the chapel had a significant amount of water inside from the sprinkler, Partridge said. Firefighters used wet-vacs to remove as much of the water from the floor as they could before clearing the scene at approximately 12:20 p.m.

The chapel will be closed temporarily until the water can be completely dried.

“Thankfully the sprinkler system activated and kept the fire at bay and the maintenance worker sprung into action prior to our arrival,” Partridge said, “We are glad that no one was hurt and this incident should serve as a reminder that evergreen is extremely flammable and should never be kept near an open flame. Many churches use Advent wreaths this time of year, but we recommend that they use fake wreaths and keep a close eye on any candles with open flames.”

Partridge also reminded residents to regularly water their Christmas trees and to keep them away from any heat sources or open flames.

In addition, Chief Partridge would like to share some candle safety tips from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services:

Burn candles within a 1 foot circle free of anything that can burn.

Before you leave a room or the house, blow out candles. Never leave candles burning unattended.

Always extinguish candles after use.

Use a non-combustible saucer or candle holder.

Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.

To be safe, consider using flameless candles. Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage instead of candles.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Glendale, WI – Fire contained to maintenance closet on third floor of motel thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A Motel 6 in Glendale caught fire Tuesday morning, Dec. 17. Thankfully, the building’s fire sprinklers did their job. 

The alarm came at about 11 a.m., sending the North Shore Fire Department to the motel on Port Washington Road. 

Everybody inside the building was evacuated; some of them elderly and some in wheelchairs. 

The fire was confined to a maintenance closet on the third floor and the sprinkler system helped crews control the fire quickly. 

“Unfortunately one of the things that comes with fire sprinklers is a lot of water, because they’re doing their job to put the fire out. So we’re dealing with a lot of water damage. Not a ton of fire damage, it’s just primarily contained to that affected room,” said Capt. Dan Tyk, North Shore Fire and Rescue. 

One occupant of the hotel reported a minor injury that occurred while evacuating the building. She was evaluated by paramedics on scene and declined transportation to a hospital. There were no other injuries reported.

Fire and smoke damage is minimal, but there is extensive water damage on all three floors due to the activation of the fire sprinkler system.  

The preliminary damage is estimated around $100,000. 

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by North Shore Fire/Rescue and the Glendale Police Department.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Canby, OR – Fire at horticultural manufacturer controlled by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

No one was injured in a one-alarm fire that broke out on SW Berg Parkway in Canby Friday. The blaze originated bat OBC Northwest, a manufacturer and distributor of nursery, greenhouse and horticultural supplies.

The fire was active and staff had already evacuated when Canby Fire crews arrived on the scene, Division Chief Matt English said. The building’s sprinkler system kicked on and helped control the fire’s spread until CFD extinguished it.

Canby Police assisted in closing Berg Parkway for a short time to give CFD access to a nearby fire hydrant.

“We received mutual aid from Aurora, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, and Clackamas Fire District 1,” English said. “The Canby Fire Rehab group also responded to take care of the firefighters on scene.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in restaurant’s walk-in freezer

Just after 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to a fire alarm at the Del Taco restaurant on East 32nd Street.

YFD personnel found the Del Taco filled with smoke coming from a commercial walk-in freezer unit.

YFD says the fire began in the freezer unit and had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

YFD Fire Inspectors arrived shortly after the alarm sounded and shut down power to the freezer and the water supply to the sprinkler system.

Firefighters confirmed the fire did not spread from the original wiring where the fire started.

The flame only set back taco sales for a few hours, as the Del Taco was able to reopen a short time later in the afternoon.

YFD says fire systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them.

Thanks to the sprinkler system, this Yuma Del Taco wasn’t destroyed.