All posts by viking210

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Smithers, BC, Canada – Arson fire at sawmill controlled by sprinkler system

A 49-year-old man is reportedly in police custody, in connection with two fires at the Pacific Inland Resources sawmill in Smithers.  RCMP and the Smithers Fire Department were called to the mill shortly after 10pm last night.

Fire chief Keith Stecko says mill employees activated fire supression systems quickly. “PIR has a sprinkler system in its building so the system quickly detected the fire and was able to control it; when we arrived we put out some spot fires, but the sprinklers largely did the work,” he said.

Stecko says it appears some sort of accelerant was used — and there was considerable damage.  “We’re estimating between $50,000 to perhaps $100,000; we are currently investigating what was used to start the fire, so we’re not sure at this point what it was,” he said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Peosta, IA – Hotel fire caused by electric heater/AC unit contained by sprinkler system

A late-afternoon fire today forced the temporary closure of a Peosta hotel. Centralia-Peosta firefighters were called to Quality Inn & Suites at about 4:30 p.m. today after a fire was reported. Scanner traffic indicated that the hotel had been evacuated and that smoke was spreading in the bottom floors.

Ray Stephan, assistant chief for the Centralia-Peosta Fire Department, said the fire began in a small entryway in a staircase leading to the first floor. “The sprinkler head was going off as we entered the building,” Stephan said. “We found it was a combination electric heater and air conditioning unit that had shorted out and burned.”

Nicole Minnihan, a sergeant with the Peosta Police Department, confirmed that guests were present at the time of the fire but said there were no injuries. “Right now, the accommodations (for the guests) are still being worked out,” Minnihan said as of about 5:30 p.m.

Stephan said at 6:10 p.m. that the hotel’s status for tonight was “in limbo.” He said hotel staff were pushing to keep the hotel open, but that the establishment could not reopen until sprinklers were back in service. He noted that a pipe was damaged during the fire.

Minnihan said the fire was contained to one space inside the hotel, but smoke spread beyond that area to damage other portions of the hotel. She said the fire had been extinguished by 5:15 p.m. In addition to Peosta police and firefighters, officials with the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.  “Everything is still under investigation at this point,” she said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

O’Fallon, IL – Sprinkler system keeps dumpster fire from spreading into restaurant and brewery

The Peel Pizza will be closed for the next few days following a four alarm fire.  The fire happened on Sunday in a dumpster behind the restaurant.  Though the fire was contained to the dumpster, the sprinkler systems inside the restaurant were activated, causing water damage within. The fire was so intense that the dumpster melted.

Investigators are still searching for the cause of the fire, but no indication has been found that the fire was malicious or suspicious. The interior of the restaurant did not sustain any fire damage, but they will be closed for a few days while they clean up water damage

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Orland Park, IL – Fire at assisted living and retirement home limited by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system installed at the Lexington Health Care assisted and independent living retirement home, 14601 John Humphrey Drive, is being credited with saving lives and helping to significantly minimize damage caused by a small fire there this morning.

The fire started in the basement maintenance area of the assisted living home just after 8 am on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Investigators identified the cause as a coffee maker that was located on a shelf above a desk.

The fire quickly spread to objects on and around the desk, and up the wall of the room when the water sprinkler system activated and suppressed the fire instantly.

The Orland Fire Protection District was alerted and responded to a fire alarm activation due to the sprinkler system operating. The initial crews reported a water flow alarm and investigated to find smoke in the basement with water flowing from a sprinkler head.

A fire extinguisher was used to completely extinguish the smoldering material. The smoke that was confined to the basement and workshop area was removed by firefighters using power fans.

Because the fire was controlled quickly no residents had to be moved or evacuated and normal operations were maintained throughout the incident. All floors were evaluated for hazards and deemed safe. Fire damage was limited to the desk and items on the shelves above.

“Every year at our Open House, we demonstrate how important fire sprinkler systems can for businesses, properties like assisted living centers and even in private homes in saving lives, and fighting and preventing damage caused by fires,” Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Schofield said.

“This was a perfect example of how the sprinkler system quickly prevented the fire from spreading throughout the property, and minimized the intrusion on the lives of the residents in the home. We didn’t have to evacuate the property or disrupt the healthcare services there. We made the property safe and completely extinguished what could have been a far worse fire.”

Schofield also credited the fast response of the District’s firefighting teams. Orland Fire personnel were assisted by a fire truck and team from neighboring Tinley Park.

Other - Residential

Waterville, ME – Fire at assisted living home suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Five people were displaced from a residential assisted living home on Pleasant Street Sunday morning when a small fire broke out in a bedroom. The fire, reported at 7:56 a.m., was mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, according to a news release from the Waterville Fire Department.

The home is operated by Motivational Services Inc., an Augusta-based organization that provides services and programs for individuals with mental illnesses, according to their website. The five residents who were displaced have been moved to other area programs run by the organization, Executive Director Michael Provencher said.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at 8:01 a.m. and completely extinguished the fire by 8:06 a.m. Firefighters worked quickly to ensure that the fire had not spread, which they determined by 8:17 a.m., according to Captain Shawn Esler. Since the home is a licensed health care facility, it is protocol for the fire department to call the state fire marshal’s office.

Investigators from the fire marshal’s office cleared the scene around 1:30 p.m. Sunday after completing safety inspections in the home. Ken MacMaster, an investigator with the fire marshal’s office, said the investigation is ongoing and could not comment on the cause of the fire, though he said it had been determined. He also could not say whether it was believed to be of suspicious origin.

No additional information will be available from the fire marshal’s office until Monday, MacMaster said. Provencher could not comment in regards to the individuals who lived in the home, stating their conditions are “confidential.” He said that once minor repairs and alarm checks were completed the individuals would be able to return to the home.

Twenty-one firefighters from the Waterville Fire Department responded to the call. Mutual aide from the Winslow Fire Department and the Fairfield Fire Department were dispatched to the scene but were released once the fire was under control, the news release said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

San Antonio, TX – Fire at Riverwalk restaurant contained by sprinkler system; No other business affected

An overnight fire inside Tony Roma’s restaurant at the Shops at Rivercenter mall has left the business with heavy damage. The restaurant was not open when the fire broke out shortly after 1 a.m. Monday, and no one battling the fire suffered any injuries.

Fire officials said the fire started in a pile of towels on top of a cabinet. The fire spread to a storage area where wine and plastic containers were kept. Firefighters who responded to the fire said the sprinkler system had gone off, dumping water on the flames but also causing water damage inside the business. There was about 2-3 inches of water on the floor of the restaurant.

Firefighters said the restaurant also sustained some smoke damage. A hazardous materials team and an arson team were called to the scene to investigate, but officials said it appears the cause of the fire was accidental. No other businesses at the mall were affected.

Storage / Warehouse

Omaha, NE – Warehouse fire contained by sprinkler system; Portions of business re-open same day

The Nebraska Furniture Mart is open for business with some restricted access in the aftermath of a Sunday morning fire.  A Mart spokesperson tells WOWT 6 News that the flooring warehouse is closed. That’s where people pick up flooring.

All main roads were opened at 10 a.m. Sunday.  Gordman’s shares some of the space involved. The full extent of the damage is still being tallied.  All of this follows a small fire in the Furniture Mart warehouse Sunday morning.

It happened just after seven o’clock Sunday inside the wood and tile warehouse at NFM and took about 40 minutes to contain, according to an Omaha Fire Department official.

Batallion Chief Kathy Bossman said crews were initially called to NFM for a “water flow alarm” which typically indicates that the sprinkler system has been activated. Crews noticed smoke and then observed that it began to change colors, becoming a darker gray. She said crews then discovered that wooden pallets inside the warehouse caught fire.

“There was a little bit of delay because the pallets were beginning to crumble a little bit so we had to move pallets to really get all of the fire extinguished,” said Chief Bossman.

Bossman said wood flooring in addition to the wood pallets burned. No one was inside the building at the time, and there were no injuries. Chief Bossman said there was no structural damage to the building but there was some damage to contents inside.

Omaha fire eventually turned the scene over to Furniture Mart personnel for clean-up. They removed burned debris from the building and stacked it in the parking lot.

Other - Retail, Retail

Salem, VA – Storage room fire at Big Lots store doused by sprinkler system

On Saturday, the Salem Fire & EMS Department responded to a fire at the Big Lots retail store located at 1227 West Main Street. According to authorities, it happened at approximately 10:39 a.m.. The fire was contained to a storage room in the back of the building, however, the store did sustain some smoke damage.

Officials said the first units arrived within four minutes of receiving the call and found heavy smoke in the back of the structure. The majority of the fire had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. Crews were able to bring the fire under control within five minutes of arrival, officials said.

It took crews approximately 30 minutes to remove the smoke from the building. Approximately 17 personnel from the Salem Fire & EMS Department (Engine 1, Engine 2, Engine 3, Tower 1, Medic 802, Medic 803 & Command 1) responded to the call. The fire remains under investigation by the Salem Fire & EMS Fire Marshal’s Office, and there is no damage estimate at this time.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Germantown, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at popular Mexican restaurant

A popular Mexican restaurant is closed over the lunch rush today after a small kitchen fire earlier this morning.  The Germantown Fire Department responded to a call at about 8 a.m. reporting a fire on a stove in the kitchen, according to Germantown Fire Chief Gary Weiss. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system prior to the arrival of firefighters, Weiss said.

As of about 1 p.m., restaurant manager Michele Roitburd said they hope to reopen later this afternoon, “hopefully by 3 or 4 p.m.”  In the meantime, Roitburd said they are experiencing what she referred to as “technical difficulties” that need to be resolved prior the restaurant reopening. No further information was immediately available

Primary / Secondary School

Mexico, MO – Overnight fire in utility closet at Catholic school extinguished by sprinkler system

At approximately 1 a.m. Wednesday, Mexico Department of Public Safety was called to St. Brendan School on Clark Street. Officers arriving on the scene found light smoke and evidence of the sprinkler system having activated.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that cardboard boxes in a utility room had been ignited by the water heater. The sprinklers had extinguished the small fire. There was very little damage from fire or smoke and there were no injuries. The fire did not cause any damage to the main building of the school.

St. Brendan Principal Kathy Coulson said students would be bringing their lunches for a few days so the school’s kitchen and gymnasium areas, which are near the storage room in which the fire started, could be cleaned of some smoke. Coulson said the school’s sprinkler system will also be replaced in the near future