All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Officials said an apartment fire was extinguished by a single fire sprinkler before crews arrived Friday evening.

Crews with the Charleston Fire Department were called to the Element at Carolina Bay Apartments just before 7 p.m. after automatic sprinklers were activated, Deputy Chief Michael Julazadeh said.

Firefighters arrived to find an extinguished fire in one of the apartments in the three-story building. Julazadeh said the fire was suppressed by a single fire sprinkler head.

Investigators with the Fire Marshal’s Office were called to review the incident. They said the fire started on a mattress in a bedroom of the unoccupied apartment. Remains of an electric blanket in the debris.

The cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported at the scene.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Levittown, PA – Sprinkler system contains warehouse fire

A fire involving two pallets of wood triggered a sprinkler system at a local warehouse early Thursday morning.

Firefighters were dispatched to a business in the 5000 block of Bristol-Emilie Road shortly after 2 a.m. for a water flow alarm activation, according to Levittown Fire Company No. 2.

Crews used a key from a Knox box to enter the unoccupied industrial building.

Once inside the building, they encountered heavy smoke and an active sprinkler system that had successfully contained a blaze involving two pallets of wood pallets, the fire company said.

Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said an investigation determined the wood had been slowly burning for some time.

According to Dippolito, the wood caught fire after being placed in a kiln. Company staff pulled out the wood, didn’t see any signs of fire, and left the facility around 1 a.m.

The wood ignited after the staff left and led to the fire call, Dippolito said.

Firefighters extinguished the remaining hot spots and ventilated the warehouse.

Levittown Fire Company No. 2 was assisted at the scene by the Edgely and Third District fire companies.

Apartment Building, Residential

Caribou, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

A fire was quickly put out in an apartment building in Caribou. On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 12:22 a.m., the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department was dispatched to a fire alarm at Hilltop Apartments, located at 19 Marshall Avenue in Caribou. According to the Caribou Fire Department, while crews were responding, multiple 911 calls were received from tenants reporting smoke and fire in a hallway.

Initial crews arrived to find smoke conditions in one wing of the building and an activated sprinkler head. A partial evacuation was already underway, and firefighters immediately completed evacuation of the remaining residents. The fire was determined to be out prior to fire department arrival due to the sprinkler activation and the quick actions of a resident who used a fire extinguisher. The source of the fire was identified as a malfunctioned battery powered string lights device, located in a decorative item in the hallway.

A total of 36 residents were displaced from their apartments. The Caribou Fire Department says the area of origin sustained extensive water damage as a result of the sprinkler activation. RSU 39 provided a heated school bus for affected residents to remain warm during below-zero temperatures until fire department operations were completed.

The Caribou Fire Department says properly working smoke detectors and sprinkler systems played a critical role in preventing the fire from spreading beyond its area of origin.

Assistance was provided by the Caribou Police Department, the Caribou School Department and the Presque Isle Fire Department for providing station coverage during the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Harborcreek Township, PA – Apartment fire quickly stopped by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system helped stop a fire quickly this morning in Harborcreek Township. Fire crews responded around 9 a.m. to an apartment in the 1100 block of Arnerman Court.

The fire was contained to a bedroom thanks to the apartment’s sprinkler system. No one was hurt, but a few residents are displaced, and the Red Cross is helping.

The fire chief reminds everyone to take extra precautions during cold weather to help firefighters respond quickly and safely.

James Hawryliw Fire Chief and EMT at Fairfield Hose Company VFD stated, “Always make sure your fire hydrants are clear of snow, so that when we arrive, if we need to access that hydrant, and also have a plan for this cold of weather.”

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Harrisonburg, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Walmart; No injuries reported

A properly functioning fire alarm and sprinkler system contained a serious fire at the Walmart in Harrisonburg early Monday morning, January 19, 2026.

According to a release, Harrisonburg firefighters were called to the Walmart on Burgess Road at approximately 4 AM with what was initially dispatched as an automatic fire alarm. The incident was upgraded by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center when they received a 9-1-1 call from the store reporting a fire in the warehouse area.

Upon arrival, firefighters confirmed the presence of a fire and an activated sprinkler system actively containing the fire. A second-alarm assignment was requested, bringing a total of approximately 40 firefighters to the scene. The fire was contained within 15 minutes and completely extinguished within 30 minutes. Personnel remained on location for an extended period of time clearing smoke from the 207,000-square-foot facility.

The cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental as a result of button-cell (or coin-cell) lithium-ion batteries that ignited inside combustible packaging within a heavy-duty wire framed storage unit.

“The presence of a properly functioning fire sprinkler system contained what could have otherwise been a catastrophic fire,” HFD Fire Chief Matthew Tobia said. “Lithium-Ion batteries, even properly stored, have the potential to fail, causing a fire. As we are seeing globally, these batteries are posing new challenges for firefighters in an ever-evolving technologically driven marketplace. Firefighters did an outstanding job of completing extinguishment, preventing further damage.”

The building was evacuated prior to the arrival of firefighters, and there were no injuries to employees, community members or responders. A damage estimate has not been set while clean-up and recovery efforts are underway. HFD was assisted at the scene by units from Rockingham County Fire Rescue, Harrisonburg Rescue Squad, Harrisonburg Police Department and the Merck facility (located in Elkton).

The majority of fire department personnel cleared the scene by 7:30 AM, and the last fire department unit left the scene at approximately 8:45 AM.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Clearfield County, PA – Sprinkler system contains fire at Walmart distribution center

Emergency crews were called to the scene of the Walmart Distribution Center in Bradford Township, Clearfield County around 11:15 p.m. Friday evening.

According to the Lawrence Township Volunteer Fire Company, crews arrived at the scene to assist the BJW Volunteer Fire Company after a robotic machine had caught fire.

Emergency officials said crews were on scene for approximately one hour.

Officials also said that, after emergency crews cleared the scene, they were immediately paged back to the same location after another fire had broken out.

According to the Morris Township Volunteer Fire Company, the sprinkler system contained the second fire to the second and third floor racking systems, and crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Beaumont, TX – Sprinkler system controls fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire caused by electrical issues has forced the temporary closure of a restaurant in Orange Friday morning, according to the fire department.

Firefighters were called to Two Amigos, located at 2308 Lutcher Drive, shortly after 7:30 a.m. As firefighters arrived at the fire they reported “light smoke showing from the outside” of the building. They determined the fire started in the dining area just outside the kitchen and was caused by electrical problems, according to the fire department.

The fire was quickly brought under control by the restaurant’s sprinkler system, preventing further damage, according to firefighters at the scene.

Firefighters also confirmed there was a small fire at the same restaurant the day before. As a result, the business has been closed until proper repairs can be completed. Officials said Entergy and the gas company were called to the scene and were “pulling the meters” as part of the response.

No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.

This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Minot, ND – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A hotel’s sprinkler system in Minot put out a fire.

The Minot fire department responded to the Baymont Hotel in the southwest part of town Monday afternoon.

A fire started in a storage room. The building’s sprinkler system put out the flames, and there were no injuries.

Due to the damage from the fire, guests were asked to collect their personal belongings with the help of crews.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the hotel is closed until necessary repairs and inspections can be made.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Mount Crawford, VA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium battery fire at Buc-ee’s; No injuries reported

Fire crews responded to a structure fire at the Buc-ee’s location in Mount Crawford on just after 9 p.m. on Friday evening.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they discovered smoke billowing from the building. Upon entering to investigate, crews found flames in the storeroom area. The facility’s sprinkler system automatically activated, helping contain the fire and prompting an immediate evacuation of the building.

Chief Jeremy Holloway of the Rockingham County Fire and Rescue explained that the fire originated from lithium batteries on a golf cart used to service the fuel pumps.

“The battery started to smoke, and within a minute or so, the golf cart was engulfed in flames,” Holloway said.

Employees attempted to extinguish the fire using portable fire extinguishers, but the effort was unsuccessful against the rapidly spreading flames.

Holloway credited the building’s sprinkler system with preventing a catastrophe.

“Due to the good working sprinkler system, the fire was contained and held to the storeroom area until the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire,” he said.

After firefighters finished extinguishing the blaze, they placed several large fans inside the building to exhaust the smoke.

According to a Facebook post by the Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department fire was completely cleared within two hours and five departments responded to the incident:

  • Rockingham County Department of Fire & Rescue
  • Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Company
  • Bridgewater Volunteer Rescue Squad
  • Weyers Cave Volunteer Fire Department
  • Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department

No injuries were reported.

Chief Holloway issued an important safety reminder regarding lithium batteries.

“If these batteries heat up, please get them out in the open air immediately because they will ignite and burn rapidly,” Holloway said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

New Lenox, IL – Sprinkler system activated for machine fire

The New Lenox Fire Protection District responded to a reported structure fire in the 2200 block of Berens Drive in New Lenox just after 1:10 Thursday afternoon.

Upon arrival, crews found a baling machine on fire in an isolated room, with smoke conditions throughout the building. The facility’s automatic sprinkler system activated and successfully kept the fire in check. Fire crews then supplemented the sprinkler system with additional suppression efforts to further extinguish the fire. 

The incident remains ongoing but is under control at this time. 

Multiple agencies assisted on scene and provided station coverage to ensure continued service to the community, including the Frankfort Fire Protection District and Manhattan Fire Protection District. 

Additional information will be released as it becomes available. 

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers