All posts by viking210

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Bradenton, FL – Overnight electrical fire at elementary school extinguished by fire sprinklers

An electrical fire damaged an office at Manatee Elementary School early Thursday, according to the Bradenton Fire Department.

At 3:47 a.m. Thursday morning, firefighters responded to Manatee Elementary School, 1609 Sixth Ave. E and worked to extinguish a fire that was determined to be electrical in nature.

According to the Bradenton Fire Department, firefighters arrived to find no visible flames, but after going into the school they detected smoke. Firefighters saw the school’s sprinkler system had been activated in the school office area where heavy smoke was detected.

Using thermal imaging, firefighters were able to determine the fire started from electrical wiring and the sprinkler system had already put out the flames.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Chehalis, WA – Restaurant sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading to other businesses

A fire Tuesday night at a restaurant in Chehalis’ Twin City Town Center left one business with fire damage and two more with water damage, but Chehalis Fire Department Chief Ken Cardinale said it could have been a different story altogether.

“The sprinkler system actually kept the fire in check,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the sprinkler system, the damage would have been far, far worse. … It would have most likely spread to the adjacent businesses.”

Fire crews responded at 8:22 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a fire alarm activation at the Twin City Town Center on Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis, according to Lewis County 911 records. 

While firefighters were on the way, they started getting reports of water flowing out of the affected business, then smoke.

“Just prior to arriving they saw a column coming up which bumped it up to a second alarm response,” Cardinale said. 

Fire crews from Napavine to Thurston County responded, he said, and entered the Kobo Teriyaki building to find an active fire. The sprinkler system had kept the fire controlled, and firefighters quickly extinguished what remained. Crews were on site until about 11:45 p.m.

This is a huge point,” Cardinale said. 

While builders might cringe at the added cost of a fire suppression system, Cardinale said, it doesn’t cost as much as they might think, and can potentially save a building in the event of a fire. 

“Actually on residential new construction it only adds an additional 50 cents per square foot for a home,” he said. “The advantages of a sprinkler system is over 90 percent of the time if an occupancy has a sprinkler system and the fire does occur it will keep the fire in its incipient stage, or small stage, until firefighters arrive.”

Kobo Teriyaki’s building was damaged by the fire and smoke, and neighboring Rue 21 and PetSense both suffered water damage. 

Cardinale said investigators were on the scene Wednesday morning, and that the preliminary investigation points to the fire being electrical in nature. 

The fire likely caused $30,000 to $50,000 in damage, he added. 

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Des Moines, IA – Fire sprinklers extinguish fire started by a student in school bathroom

A small fire in a bathroom at Lincoln High School forced the building’s evacuation Monday morning and classes were canceled for the rest of the day.

School officials said the fire started in a first-floor boys bathroom before 8:30 a.m. and the school’s sprinkler system turned on and put out the fire.

“So there’s some water damage, some smoke damage and minimal amount of fire damage in the bathroom. Probably be some structural damage to the walls that will have to be replaced due to the water and the smoke,” Des Moines Fire Lieutenant Chris Clement said.

The Des Moines Fire Department said the cause of the fire is being investigated.

Phil Roeder, with the Des Moines Public School District, said they were able to identify the student involved and they could be facing disciplinary action.

“The police department and our SRO responded very quickly to find out who the person was behind this. Staff was working with authorities both to make sure students were safe, but also helping to identify who they thought triggered this as well. It was a good team effort,” Roeder said.

Students and staff were allowed into the Roundhouse and Commons while fire crews responded.

Roeder said students will be back in class on Tuesday.

“Because the bathroom fire was on the front part of the school, things like the gymnasium and all that are on the backside of the school and pretty far away from where any smell is. So activities are going to go on at school as usual and we expect the clean up for the most part to be completed today and classes will start back up at 8:30 tomorrow morning,” Roeder said.

Students will have to make up the school time that was lost on Monday, but Roeder said they might not be able to start making it up until after the holidays.

“We’ll sit down and look at the hours, look at the calendar and make sure the time we lost today gets made up appropriately and get on with the rest of the school year,” Roeder said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Aurora, IL – Single fire sprinkler keeps apartment fire from spreading to other rooms

An apartment fire in downtown Aurora caused $35,000 worth of damage early Sunday morning.

Aurora firefighters responded to a fire alarm in an apartment building around 1:30 a.m. on the 100 block of East Downer Place, fire officials said in a news release.

Firefighters saw smoke on the upper floors and located the source in an apartment on the second floor where a sprinkler head activated and extinguished a fire in the living room area, officials said.

The fire was contained to the apartment but adjacent units sustained water damage. The resident living in the apartment was displaced and assisted by victim services to find temporary housing.

Apartment Building, Residential

Beavercreek, OR – Cooking fire extinguished by fire sprinkler system in third-floor apartment

One person who complained of breathing in too much smoke was taken to a hospital from a fire at the Lofts at Willow Creek in Beavercreek late Wednesday night.

Cooking left on the stove is being blamed for the fire, which left a third-floor apartment and one below it uninhabitable, Beavercreek Twp. Fire Lt. Matt Clark said. 

The sprinkler system kept the fire in check and extinguished it quickly.

Lt. Clark estimated the damage to the apartments and their contents at $20,000.

The person taken to a hospital suffered from smoke inhalation, he said.

Crews were dispatched to the Lofts, 2621 Hibiscus Way, just after 11 p.m. on the report of a structure fire, according to Beavercreek police and fire dispatch.

Department Store, Retail

Riverside, CA – Fire at Target contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Target store on Arlington Avenue in Riverside was evacuated Sunday afternoon after a small fire broke out and set off sprinklers inside the outlet, firefighters said.

There were no injuries from the incident, reported just before 4 p.m., Riverside City Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said. All employees and customers had left the store, at 3333 Arlington Ave., before firefighters arrived, he said.

The fire was a small one, confined to the ceiling area above the electronics section of the store, a release from the department said later Sunday evening.  Firefighters shut down the sprinklers and helped salvage merchandise and remove water from the store, the release said.

Shortly after 4 p.m. customers and employees were outside the Target, and the only customer cars in the parking lot were occupied by those who had lingered to watch the action, or had just pulled up after the evacuation was ordered.

No smoke was visible from the outside.

Firefighters said they had handed the remainder of the incident over to Target store management. There was no word available Sunday evening when the store might re-open.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Durham, NC – Fire at hotel contained by fire sprinklers

A fire broke out in a Durham hotel room, but the sprinkler system kept it from damaging the rest of the building, authorities said.

The Durham Fire Department said 33 firefighters responded to Marriott at Research Triangle Park, at 4700 Guardian Drive, after a structure fire was reported around 5:30 a.m. Friday.

When crews went to the room on the second floor, they found smoke but no fire.

The sprinklers put out the fire quickly, authorities said, and damage was limited to the room.

Officials said the hotel has been under construction, and there was a problem with the heater in the room.

People in the hotel were evacuated but were later allowed in the lobby.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Sparks, NV – Fire sprinklers in motel room prevented fire from spreading to other rooms; No injuries reported

The Sparks Fire Department responded to a motel room fire at the Windsor Inn on Victorian Avenue early this morning. The fire sprinkler system in that room prevented the fire from spreading to any adjoining rooms. The room was unoccupied at the time and under renovation. There were no reported injuries to civilians or fire department personnel and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Several other rooms on the first floor sustained water damage from the sprinkler activation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Vancouver, WA – Fire sprinklers keep fire from spreading at local restaurant

A fire Wednesday morning set off a sprinkler system inside Lindo Mexico in east Vancouver, drenching the restaurant.

Staff has worked hard over the past two days, and the restaurant plans to reopen Friday morning.

“We were here from early morning (Wednesday) to 6 or 7 p.m., and then all day today cleaning everything up,” waiter Alex Armeta said.

The sprinkler system flooded the business with a couple inches of water but prevented the fire from spreading, Armeta said.

Vancouver firefighters were dispatched shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday to the Bridgeport Retail Center at 316 S.E. 123rd Ave., for a report of a water flow alarm.

The first fire crew to arrive found water on the floor and smoke in Lindo Mexico, Vancouver Fire Department firefighter Eva Scherer said. Crews requested an upgrade to a commercial fire response for additional resources, she said.

One occupant evacuated from the restaurant, and businesses adjacent to the restaurant were also evacuated as a precaution, Scherer said.

Firefighters extinguished a wood stove that was burning and noted several sprinkler head activations in the restaurant and water throughout the structure.  They remained on scene to help with water removal from the building.

Fire damage was confined to a garbage can, pull station for a kitchen hood fire extinguishing system, nearby supplies and a serving counter, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said. There was water and smoke damage throughout the rest of the suite, but no other businesses were affected, Scarpelli said.

The fire was caused when the business owner placed ashes from the wood pellet-fired stove into a garbage can in the kitchen. The owner then left the restaurant to get supplies and returned after fire crews had arrived, according to the fire marshal.

The incident caused $58,510 worth of damage, Scarpelli said. The sprinklers likely saved about $5.8 million in potential total loss to the building and its contents, she said.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Granby, CO – Fire at local market did not spread thanks to sprinkler system

City Market in Granby closed early Saturday evening due to a small fire.

No one was harmed when a maintenance closet at the store caught fire, according to Lt. Dan Mayer, spokesman for the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. However, there was a moderate amount of smoke throughout the store.

There were several customers inside City Market when the fire broke out, and they were all evacuated, Mayer said.

The fire didn’t spread thanks to the combination of the sprinkler system, employees and the fire department. According to Mayer, the fire was confined to the maintenance closet and did not cause significant damage to the store.

City Market closed early Saturday after the fire. The store plans to reopen Sunday, but customers should call ahead to check. Because the sprinkler system was activated, the company must reset the system before customers can enter the store.