All posts by viking210

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Barrie, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling nursing home fire

Barrie Fire says Barrie Police and the Ontario Fire Marshal are investigating a fire at Woods Park Care Centre. Firefighters, police and paramedics were called to the retirement and long-term care facility on Lillian Cres. around 7 p.m. Wednesday evening.  The fire started in a resident’s room on the third floor.

“The resident got out of the room. The sprinkler activated. The affected area was evacuated to a safe zone,” said Barrie Fire’s Samantha Hoffmann. Hoffmann reports that 35 out of the 180 residents were removed from the third floor to a smoke free zone.  Firefighters vented the building and Hoffmann says there’s smoke and water damage.  About 20 residents were unable to return to their rooms and were being housed in another part of the building.

“Because it is a care facility with vulnerable people it’s automatically going to get more response,” Hoffmann said. The building was inspected in October and they did their fire drill in November and they passed, she added.  Sprinklers and staff training were instrumental in the success of the call, according to Barrie Fire.  The cause of the blaze and damage estimate are not yet known.

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, OR – 6th floor apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

A man was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation Wednesday after a fire broke out in a Northwest Portland apartment.  The man, who wasn’t publicly identified, was the only person injured in the blaze that closed Northwest Everett Street between 20th and 21st avenues, said Lt. Rich Chatman, a Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman.  Chatman said a couch in a sixth-floor unit caught fire and that the building’s sprinkler system extinguished the flames.  The building was evacuated as a precaution, Chatman said. Firefighters efforts were hampered briefly by one resident who did not want to leave the building, Chatman said. The man had a weapon but the confrontation ended peacefully, he said.  Firefighters responded to the fire around 3:50 p.m. Some began leaving the area within an hour.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Elkridge, MD – Arson fire at motel snuffed out by sprinkler system

An Ellicott City man is facing charges in connection with a fire at the Hillside Motel in Elkridge on Wednesday. Dennis Charles Turnbaugh, 26, of the 8300 block of Sunrise Court in Ellicott City, was identified as the suspect in the blaze that broke out around 6:21 p.m., according to police.  Authorities said they were called to the 6300 block of Washington Boulevard for a fire that was snuffed out by the sprinkler system. According to police, the damage was minimal, contained to one room.

When officials investigated the blaze, they determined it had been intentionally set. Turnbaugh was found soon after and charged with first-degree arson, five counts of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property, officials reported. He was being held Thursday without bail at the Howard County Detention Center.  Arrests do not indicate convictions.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Myrtle Beach, SC – Townhouse fire put out by residential sprinkler system; Neighboring homes spared

Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue credits a home’s sprinkler system for saving the house and the family. Lt. Jonathan Evans says a cooking fire was put out at a home in Market Common before firefighters could even arrive.

“First off, the sprinkler system is already in your home, so it goes off, it’s going to be a lot easier for it to put out the fire than us. Sometimes it takes us a little bit longer to get to you, get the hoses off and all that stuff. Plus, the amount of water it puts out – it puts out about 20 gallons per minute compared to the 250 or 300 gallons per minute that we put out, so on top of the fire damage you already have, by the time we get there, that water damage is going to be that much more because we want to make sure that fire is out,” Evans said. Evans says if you can’t afford to have a sprinkler system installed in your home, having a fire extinguisher or installing the Stovetop Firestop can help prevent extensive damage from small fires.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Boise, ID – Late night laundry fire at hotel contained with help from sprinkler system

The fire, apparently sparked in oil-soaked towels, was extinguished in about five minutes, the Boise Fire Department reported on Twitter. One employee was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, KBOI-TV, Channel 2 reports.  The fire was called in 8:50 p.m. at the hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., and was confined to a laundry area that is separate from the hotel building, the fire department reports. A fire sprinkler helped control the spread of the fire, according the BFD.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Elmont, NY – Barn fire at Belmont Park race track extinguished by sprinkler system; No horses or people injured

As reported on ESPN.com,  there were no injuries to horses or humans reported as a result of a small fire in a tack room in Barn 61 at Belmont Park on Thursday night. Michelle Nevin has most of the horses stabled in that barn. According to Glen Kozak, the New York Racing Association’s vice president of facilities/racing surfaces, some equipment was placed too close to an electric heater in a tack room, sparking the fire. The sprinkler system in the barn went off and doused the fire before the Elmont Fire Department arrived.  “No horses were moved, no horses were hurt,” Kozak said. “We were lucky, it was a very minor event with minimal damage.” Kozak estimated the damage to be $2,500 and mostly to a wall in the tack room.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Reidsville, NC – Arson fire at Food Lion grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Two fires ignited in Reidsville businesses on Saturday, Feb. 18, but officials say there is no connection … Less than 22 hours later, at 11:24 p.m., Reidsville Police, Reidsville Fire and the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to Food Lion in reference to a fire.  Inside, officials found a man actively damaging property.   The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Annie Penn Hospital, according to a news release.

Harris said a suspect broke a window, entered the store, caused damage and used a lighter to ignite paper products on aisle eight, including toilet paper and paper towels. This set off two overhead sprinklers which suppressed the fire.  There was limited fire damage to the building.  The officials arrived at 11:28 p.m. and the situation was under control by 11:37 p.m.

Other Business

Falmouth, MA – Dryer fire at commercial building controlled with help from sprinkler system

Fire and rescue responded with a full structure response to the report of a dryer fire at 263 Grand Ave, the British Beer Co building in Falmouth Heights Tuesday just after 11AM.  The fire was quickly controlled with the help of the sprinkler system in the Inn that shares the building. Falmouth Fire officials were investigating the fire during overhaul.  No injuries were reported.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Rutland, VT – Firefighters credit sprinkler system with extinguishing fire at manufacturing business

State officials say a sprinkler system, designed to suppress fires, might have helped to contain a fire in a city building last week. According to a statement released by the Vermont Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety, the fire was reported on Feb. 16 at Questech Labs, a business within GSM Properties on Park Street in Rutland.

The Rutland City Fire Department responded to alarms at the building about 8:50 p.m. The first of the firefighters who reached the scene said they heard fire alarms sounding and smelled something burning that seemed to be coming from the second floor. There were also light smoke conditions at the scene, the statement said.

Firefighting crew members noticed heavier smoke conditions and the sound of sprinklers dispensing water in the Questech offices on the second floor. Inside, they found two sprinkler heads had activated, which firefighters believed was responsible for extinguishing the fire within the room.  The offices were ventilated by firefighters and the sprinkler system was turned off. Firefighters found no other fire within the offices.

The origin of fire was found next to a shop vacuum cleaner but the cause has not been determined and no estimate is yet available for the damage. However, initial reports indicate damage was limited to water and smoke inside the office.  Rutland Deputy Fire Chief Brad LaFaso said Tuesday that he wasn’t one of the firefighters on scene Feb. 16, but he understood it was a small fire and there were no injuries involved in the incident.

The statement pointed out that GSM Properties is a large industrial building that provides space for Green Mountain Window, the Vermont Food Bank, Stratabond and Tatum’s Totes. The companies, which collectively employ about 85 people, were able to open as scheduled Feb. 17. “This event illustrates the benefits of a properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler system. The fire was contained to the point of origin, which minimized property damage, curtailed the risk to first responders and ensured businesses in the building could open as usual and employees had a place to work,” the statement said.

LaFaso called sprinkler systems “very important.” He said in many fires, the suppression system keeps the fire in check and limits the hazards the firefighters will face when bringing it under control. Michael Desrochers, executive director of the Vermont Division of Fire Safety, said he had been in the business for almost 30 years. Across that span, he has seen many examples that illustrate the importance of sprinkler system.  “ Automatic sprinkler systems that are properly installed and maintained are likely to contain a fire to the point of origin, reducing property damage and loss of life. A properly installed and maintained sprinkler system will prevent flashover from occurring inside the structure, reducing the risk of first responders being injured,” he said.  During a flashover, a number of very hot objects or surfaces can burst into flames in an enclosed area because of the high temperatures during a fire.

Desrochers said a fire department will likely use a lot more water to contain a fire than the amount of water from a sprinkler head. He pointed out that a sprinkler system can have an economic advantage by protecting buildings, many of them commercial, where people work. In a state such as Vermont, Desrochers said, they can also protect buildings with historic value that cannot be replaced.  Many buildings, especially commercial buildings, may require sprinkler systems based on their use, size and commercial materials, Desrochers said.

A call to Questech was not returned on Tuesday. According to its website, the company makes decorative tiles based on hand-carved designs, made of “a proprietary composite that uses premium metal or natural stone” to be used in interior walls.  The company has about 65 employees.

More information about sprinkler systems in Vermont is available online at www.firesafety.vermont.gov.

Other - Residential, Residential

Charleston, SC – Early morning fire at short-term rental property contained by sprinkler system

Firefighters with the City of Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire in downtown Charleston this morning just after 3:30 a.m., according to Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. The alarm company reported an automatic fire alarm at a residential short-term rental property on Spring Street.  Emergency responders from the Charleston Fire Department were dispatched to the alarm and arrived in less than three minutes, according to Julazadeh.

Additional information was provided by a 911 caller advising that a fire had occurred in the kitchen and the incident was upgraded to a structure fire, sending additional resources from Charleston, North Charleston, and Saint Andrews Fire Departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department, he said. Emergency responders arrived to a four story building, that included retail sales on the first floor and a three story rental unit above, as the tenants were self-evacuating.  Responders searched the property, verified the fire was contained by the fire sprinkler system, controlled the water flow from the sprinkler, and ventilated the building. Investigators from the Fire Marshal Division Fire Investigation Team responded to the scene to review the incident.

The home was occupied at the time of the emergency and the residents woke to the sound of the activated fire alarm, he said. Occupants discovered the fire in the kitchen area and noted an activated fire sprinkler, called 911, and utilized a fire extinguisher to further suppress the fire. The occupants then proceeded out of the building as the fire department arrived on scene. Investigators determined the fire originated within the kitchen trashcan and was likely caused by discarded cooking items.

“A number of critical fire safety elements were instrumental in providing for the safety of the occupants and minimizing the damage to the building,” said Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. “First, fire inspections were previously completed as part of the approval process of the rental in order to verify code compliance and maintenance of the fire protection systems. Second, the fire alarm system detected the incident, alerted the occupants, and provided automatic notification to 911. Third, the fire sprinkler system contained the fire and prevented a significant loss to the property or the adjoining properties that are in close proximity. All of these components created a life safety system that prevented injury and minimized the potential loss.”