All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential

Ithaca, NY – Sprinkler system puts out apartment fire before fire department arrives

At around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Ithaca Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire at 217 S. Cayuga Street “The Loft” apartment building.

Firefighters arrived on the scene minutes later to find the building’s sprinkler system flowing. They were told by a maintenance worker that there was a fire in the bedroom on the second floor. Crews immediately headed up to search for occupants and to confirm that the fire was out. Other firefighters worked to shut down the sprinkler system and ventilate smoke from the building.

Ithaca firefighters worked alongside building maintenance personnel to minimize the water damage to the fire apartment and those directly below. Occupants were displaced for about 45 minutes before they were allowed to return.

The Ithaca Police Department and Bangs Ambulance assisted at the scene. There were no injuries to occupants or firefighters.

The fire was determined to be caused when a combustible object made contact with a halogen lamp in the apartment. The Ithaca Fire Department reminds everyone that light bulbs, especially halogen bulbs, can get extremely hot. Always exercise caution when using them and keep flammable objects a safe distance away.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Centralia, CA – Forklift fire in warehouse contained with help from sprinkler system; No damage reported to structure

The Riverside Fire Authority responded last Monday to the north end of Centralia after a forklift caught on fire, threatening the contents of a warehouse. Firefighters responded at 2:50 p.m. to the 2000 block of Industrial Drive to a report of a forklift on fire at the Wayne Dalton warehouse, a manufacturer of wood garage doors. Crews arrived to find black smoke coming from the bay doors of the warehouse. A sprinkler system activated and helped contain the fire to the forklift. Fire crews contained the remainder of the fire, preventing it from spreading to the products in the warehouse. The forklift sustained heavy damage, but no damage to the warehouse structure was reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Grand Forks, ND – No injuries in apartment blaze put out by sprinkler system

The Grand Forks Fire Department was dispatched to 8½ S. Third St. for a fire alarm at 9:09 a.m. last Wednesday, according to Battalion Chief Mike Sandry. A fire marshal was working to determine the cause of the fire Wednesday morning. Sandry said it appeared there had been a fire that was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system in an apartment on the third floor.

Water had been coming through the floors in the building, dripping from third-floor apartments to second-floor apartments and into Trojan Promotions and True Colors, two businesses on the ground floor. By 9:45 a.m., the situation was under control and firefighters were mopping up water with squeegees. “We’ll see what the extent of the damage is and go from there,” Sandry said.

Duane Bundy lives on the third floor and said he heard the fire alarm shortly before 9 a.m. At first, he paid the noise little mind, but when it didn’t stop he went out to investigate. Water was flowing from the third to the second floor of the building, he said. Bundy decided to not go back to his apartment for his phone and was heading to a local business to call the fire department when he saw a police officer pull up, followed shortly by three fire engines. A four-year resident of the building, Bundy said he was concerned by not seeing any of his neighbors vacate their units. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

New Philadelphia, OH – Dust collector fire at manufacturing facility limited by sprinkler system

A dust collector fire Monday evening at a Ohio manufacturing plant caused $100,000 in damages, the New Philadelphia Times-Reporter said in an article published Tuesday. Responding to the Gradall Industries Inc. facility in New Philadelphia, OH at about 10:15 p.m., firefighter discovered smoke coming from the building’s powder coating area and determined the fire’s source was the dust collector, New Philadelphia Fire Department Capt. Jim Sholtz told the newspaper. A sprinkler system in the powder coating area helped contain the flames to the immediate area. Fire crews remained on scene for about an hour and 45 minutes, the Times-Reporter said.

Other Business

Burlington, WI – Sprinkler system activates to help control carport fire at banquet facility

A van owned by a contractor working at Veterans Terrace in Burlington Monday evening caught fire and triggered the building’s sprinkler system in the carport area. No injuries were reported, however, witnesses said two dogs that were in the van were rescued. The fire broke out shortly before 7 p.m. and caused only minor damage to the carport canopy. Claude Lois, president of the Veterans Terrace Management Group, said the sprinkler heads must be replaced and the system recharged. The lower level of the building is being repaired as the result of flood damage that occurred July 12 and 13.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Marquette, MI – Storage room fire in university science building extinguished with help from sprinkler system

The Marquette Fire Department was on scene at Northern Michigan University for about 3.5 hours today after being dispatched to a report of a fire on the third floor of the West Science Building. On arrival, NMU Public Safety confirmed a small fire in a third-floor storage room. The Marquette Fire Department supplemented the building standpipe system that had one sprinkler head activated. The fire suppression team made entry to office and quickly extinguished container involved. A third alarm page was called for manpower, and efforts to minimize water damage in the building started. After the scene was stabilized, NMU Public Safety and Maintenance Staff could enter the building to continue the work. The cause is under investigation.

MARQUETTE — Due to a fire that started in a chemistry storage room, the NMU New Science Building was evacuated, and has been shut down until further notice.

Around 8:30 this morning, a fire alarm located near the chemistry storage room went off. Though the Marquette Fire Department responded promptly, NMU spokesperson Derek Hall says that the fire suppression system installed in the building put out the fire very quickly.

Hall estimated between 50-60 students, staff, and faculty in the building at the time of the fire. Thankfully, everyone was evacuated safely.

Currently, fire officials are still securing the building before they can turn it back over to begin cleanup.

The fire department believes that the fire started in a garbage can in the chemical storage room.

Hall says that they have not yet been able to assess the damages, but are hoping to have the building back open by tomorrow.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Laconia, NH – Fire in circuit courthouse contained with help from sprinkler system

A fire in a trash can caused the evacuation of the Laconia Circuit Court Monday afternoon.  Meredith’s Vikki Fogg said she opened the door to a ground floor restroom to be met by flames. She told her grandson Nathan, 7, to go tell the bailiff conducting security screenings at the courthouse entrance that there was a fire.

“It was really going,” said bailiff Bill Barnard who grabbed a five-pound dry chemical extinguisher and doused the fire.  Court was in session at the time the fire broke out and security personnel had smelled smoke and were searching all three floors of the building for the source when Fogg opened the door to the first-floor restroom at the end of the hallway between the offices for the probate and family court and the circuit court.

The fire triggered the building’s smoke alarms but not the sprinkler system. Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson said his department responded to the fire alarm activation and were advised en route to 26 Academy St. there was smoke in the building, and that security personnel were looking for the source.

“Any time you have a report of a fire in a courthouse it’s of concern. It’s a government building and you have to think whether something else might be going on. Someone trying to create a diversion to get someone out or a disgruntled person trying to lash out,” Erickson said.

Courthouse staff directed people to leave the building after smelling smoke and then joined them gathering in the rear parking lot as firefighters arrived. Fans were set up to help clear the air. Damage was limited to the ruined trash can and to the mess made by the dry powder from the chemical extinguisher.

Security cameras are mounted throughout the building and bailiffs were confident that recorded video images coupled with observations made by people in the courthouse would lead to the source of the fire.

 

Place of Worship

Chattanooga, TN – Sprinkler system limits spread of early morning church fire

Fire officials say a sprinkler system saved a local church from burning down this morning. Chattanooga firefighters, responding to an alarm around 4:30 a.m. at Silverdale Baptist Academy at 7236 Bonny Oaks Drive, found a small fire in a utility room, Lt. Joe Ervin said in a news release. The sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire, saving the church, which is valued at $4 million, according to the news release. Water from the sprinkler heads was still flowing until firefighters were able to shut it off, leaving some significant water damage. No injuries were reported. Firefighters said the fire might have originated around a melted mop bucket in the utility room. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Spring Valley, IL – No injuries in high-rise residential fire extinguished by sprinkler system

*** Please See Sprinkler Saves Blog Note to Editor Below ***   Sprinkler damage: Spring Valley high-rise residents displaced.  No one was hurt in a Sunday night fire at the Spring Valley high-rise, but 24 residents were displaced by heavy water damage from the sprinklers. At Monday’s city council meeting, Mayor Walt Marini commended the Spring Valley Fire Department and first-responders for the speedy response to a third-floor fire at 419 W. Erie St., which fortunately was equipped with a sprinkler system that put out a fire that’s still under investigation.  Spring Valley fire chief Todd Bogatitus said the American Red Cross assisted the 24 residents who had to vacate the building.

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To: Tom Collins

Good Afternoon,

I just read your article citing “Sprinkler Damage” in the high-rise apartment fire in your community. Of course, it is the fire that caused the damage, not the sprinkler. The sprinkler would not have activated if not for the fire. And, the fire, had it not been put out by the sprinkler, would have caused much more significant damage, and could have seriously injured or killed the residents.

While my thoughts and prayers go out to the displaced residents, I was so thankful to see that no one was hurt or killed. The automatic fire sprinkler system, and the quick response from the fire service, are to thank for that positive outcome. We have seen to many recent and tragic examples of fires in high rises that were not equipped with fire sprinkler systems (London/Grenfell Tower, Honolulu/Marco Polo Tower).

Please let me know if you would like to discuss this point of view further. Thanks for your consideration.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Stamford, CT – High rise apartment fire contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The occupants of four apartments at 66 Summer St. were displaced Sunday by a small fire that broke out in the kitchen of a sixth-floor unit of the 14-story building, according to the Stamford Fire Department. No one was reported injured in the fire shortly after 2:30 p.m., which drew a major response from the fire department. At 2:39 p.m. the Stamford fire department received an automatic alarm notification for the building, followed by reports of smoke on the sixth floor, according to Deputy Fire Chief Pat Tripodi.

The fire was quickly doused by the sprinkler system of the building, but firefighters sounded a second alarm, bringing a total of five engines, two trucks, a heavy-rescue vehicle and a deputy chief to the scene based on finding smoke on the sixth floor, according to the fire department. The sprinkler system contained the fire to the kitchen area where it started, Tripodi said. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the city’s Fire Marshal’s Office. The occupants of the four apartments were being relocated, according to the fire department.