All posts by viking210

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Kansas City, MO – Sprinkler system activated for fire at dance studio; No injuries reported

Authorities are investigating the cause of a building fire in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported building fire in the 500 block of Walnut in the City Market area, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.. Crews reported light smoke and fire visible on arrival of a three-story commercial mixed-use building.

A small fire had started on the third floor of the structure which houses a dance studio. The third-floor units sprinkler system had activated and held the fire in check until KCFD’s arrival.

Fire crews shut down the sprinkler and began salvage and overhaul operations. No injuries were reported.  Power to the entire building was shut off. Several businesses were displaced temporarily until the building can be evaluated.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Centreville, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes electrical fire at high school; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system is being credited with saving a Maryland high school after an electrical fire broke out Tuesday night — but students still got the day off while crews cleaned up, officials said.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire happened at Queen Anne’s High School on Ruthsburg Road in Centreville around 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

The school’s alarm company alerted 911, and a custodian also discovered the blaze after the alarm activation.

Investigators said the fire started in a rear first-floor office and was caused by “an unspecified electrical event involving a power surge protector.”

The sprinkler system extinguished the flames before they spread further.

Crews from the Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company responded with 36 firefighters and brought the situation under control in about 30 minutes.

No injuries were reported, but the school was closed Wednesday, Sept. 10, for cleanup.

The fire caused an estimated $15,000 in structural damage and another $15,000 in contents.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system contains dumpster fire in garage; No injuries reported

An automated fire sprinkler is believed to have contained a dumpster fire on Madison’s southwest side Sunday evening, the Madison Fire Department reported.

Firefighters were dispatched shortly after 4:53 p.m. to the 4600 block of Atticus Way after smoke was detected in a lower garage area. Witnesses reported a dumpster on fire.

Bystanders moved the dumpster to a driveway just before crews arrived. Firefighters then applied water to extinguish remaining hot spots. The activated sprinkler had already largely contained the fire.

According to MFD, the sprinkler activation triggered the building’s fire alarm and prompted an evacuation.

Firefighters met with on-site building staff to provide guidance on restoring the sprinkler system and replacing a nearby smoke detector.

Beyond the dumpster, its contents, the affected sprinkler head and a damaged smoke alarm, no other building damage was reported. No injuries were reported.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Chesterfield County, VA – Sprinkler system contains battery fire at technology park

A fire sparked at Charisa Technology Park in Chesterfield County on Monday morning, according to Chesterfield Fire and EMS.

According to a Monday afternoon update, the fire was contained to a battery room by the sprinkler system and crews stayed on scene through the day to control flare-ups, which can happen when dealing with fires involving batteries.

“This is the fourth incident in the last year at this facility,” Chesterfield Fire and EMS said in a Facebook post.

The first call for a fire at the facility was on Dec. 5. They returned on June 10 and again on Aug. 20, just over two weeks before Monday’s fire.

Chesterfield Fire and EMS noted that fires at data centers are “rare” and that the number of calls does not affect its ability to respond to other emergencies, but the frequency of calls prompted Chesterfield to respond in a statement saying in part:

“The company is actively working with the Chesterfield Fire Marshal’s Office to address the root cause of these incidents and to reduce the risk for future fires.. We are optimistic that proposed improvements at this facility will address the current concerns,” they said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Norwood, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at chemical plant; No injuries reported

The Norwood Fire Department says there are no air quality concerns for residents or businesses after a fire broke out on Monday at a chemical plant.

The fire broke out a little after 5:30 p.m. at the Shepherd Chemical Company. It makes custom metal chemistry products for manufacturers.

Investigators are still determining the cause but said it started in the middle of the building and spread to the roof. The fire was contained by Shepherd’s sprinkler system before agencies arrived at the scene.

Reading, Deer Park-Silverton, St. Bernard, and Little Miami provided mutual aid.

“Every time we get a run to this facility or the next one down, they are chemical companies, and you have this in the back of your mind: ‘This could be a hazmat issue, and we’re concerned about the chemicals.’ But like I said, we work well with these two companies. We train with them,” said Norwood Fire Department Captain Brett Cartuyvelles.

All employees on the second shift got out safely and are back to work. No firefighters were injured.

The Norwood Fire Department will be driving past the plant every 20 minutes to make sure the fire doesn’t rekindle.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Claremont, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at college residence hall; No injuries reported

A small fire broke out in a second floor residence hall room in Marks Hall at Claremont McKenna College this morning. No one was injured. 

The sprinkler system was activated in response to the fire, which began just before 8:00 a.m., and the Los Angeles Fire Department quickly made it to the scene. The fire department is still determining the fire’s cause, according to an email from Associate Vice President Alex Boekelheide to the CMC community.

There was some water and smoke damage to five residence hall rooms.

“The Dean of Students Office has set up a staging area in McKenna Auditorium for the residents until the building is cleared later this morning,” the email read. “We will work with the impacted residents to relocate them, inventory and replace any damaged belongings, and to support students emotionally throughout the situation and beyond.”

CMC has not provided TSL with any further information on the fire, or whether the building is now clear.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Louisville, KY – Sprinkler system activated for fire in high-rise; No injuries reported

A high-rise apartment building caught on fire in downtown Louisville, leading to about 100 temporary evacuations.

Around 12:30 a.m., Louisville Fire Department said they responded to a fire at a building in the 400 block of South Eighth Street.

When firefighters got there, they found that a fourth floor apartment was on fire.

They did a complete search of the building, and no injuries or victims were reported.

The building’s sprinkler system had already turned on, but it still took around 50 firefighters almost half an hour to bring the fire under control.

The fire was contained to the apartment, but smoke and water damage required an evacuation of the building’s fourth floor and the floors below it.

Upper floor residents were allowed to shelter in place.

Two TARC buses were brought in to provide shelter for the evacuated residents. Those residents were allowed back to their homes within hours.

Louisville Fire said its preliminary findings suggest the fire started in an air conditioning unit.

Maintenance was able to relocate the resident of the fire unit to a new apartment.

Louisville Fire’s Arson Unit is investigating the cause of the fire.

Louisville Metro Housing Authority released a statement on the fire:

“The Louisville Metro Housing Authority thanks the Louisville Fire Department for its swift and professional response to the fire at Avenue Plaza, a property owned and managed by LMHA. Thanks to their efforts and the building’s sprinkler system, the fire was quickly contained to a single unit. The resident has been safely relocated, and LMHA is providing social services support. We are grateful that no injuries were reported.”

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Elizabethtown, NC – Sprinkler system contains structure fire

Crews extinguished a structure fire at Specialty Product Technologies in Elizabethtown on Sept. 1.

The Elizabethtown Fire Department (EFD) arrived at the scene to find heavy smoke coming from the building.

The fire was contained in the plating room, which was suppressed significantly due to the sprinkler system.

“This incident is a powerful reminder of just how critical sprinkler systems are in protecting lives, property, and the community. Their quick action, combined with our firefighters’ response, helped prevent major damage and ensured everyone’s safety,” EFD wrote on its Facebook page.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Salt Lake City, UT – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at restaurant supply store; No injuries reported

A restaurant supply store in South Salt Lake was evacuated Friday afternoon after a fire sparked in an attached section of the building, according to employees.

The fire broke out just before 1 p.m. at Standard Restaurant Supply, located near 3500 South and West Temple. The building’s sprinkler system activated and quickly extinguished the flames.

Some retail products were damaged, but no injuries were reported.

The store reopened by 1:45 p.m., officials said. The South Salt Lake Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Nitro, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Chevy dealership; No injuries reported

Cleanup was underway at Walker Chevrolet on Wednesday following Tuesday night’s fire that destroyed several cars and caused damage to the outside of the building.

The large fire caught the attention of many drivers passing by on Interstate 64 like Russell Heater.

“It looked huge,” Heater said. “That’s why I came by, because I assumed it actually did more than what it did. Because from what I saw coming down the interstate I’m like, ‘Oh wow.'”

Walker Chevrolet took to its social media, posting no one was in the building at the time and no one was injured. The dealership also said none of their customers cars were damaged and its service and body shop would be open under normal conditions.

Heater said he was amazed no more damage was done after seeing the roaring flames.

“I know there was a lot of commotion and a lot of lights like all the way down the main drag,” Heater said. “And then this morning I saw it on Facebook. It came up and I actually just drove by to see what all it did, because I assumed it did more than that actually.

“It was amazing that they got it put out before it did any more than that.”

City of Nitro spokesperson Joe Stevens said multiple crews responded to the scene, including units from as far away as Lincoln County. Stevens said much of the damage was contained to the outside of the building thanks to the sprinkler system.

“What the first arriving units found were a number of vehicles on fire in front and side of the dealership, and that’s where all the damage is right now,” Stevens said. “It’s exterior.”

The inside of the building has minimal water and smoke damage. There is still no indication as to what caused the fire and it is now being investigated by the West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal.

“It’s going to take a while to figure out exactly what happened, how it happened, where it started,” Stevens said. “That will all be done in an investigation.”

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers