Other - Retail, Retail Iowa City, IA – Early morning fire at Menards store doused by sprinkler system January 9, 2016 viking210 Iowa City Fire officials say a sprinkler system did its job after a fire broke out at Menards on Tuesday. Fire crews responded to a fire alarm at the Naples Avenue business about 3:30 Tuesday morning. But officials say by the time crews arrived the fire had been mostly extinguished by the sprinkler system, with some small spot fires still going in the rack storage of a detached lumber storage building. No one else was at the store at the time and no firefighter injuries were reported. Battalion chief Brian Platz says the building mostly housed lumber and shingles and damage is estimated at $15,000. Platz says the fire appears to have originated in the area of a wood cutoff saw and was accidental in nature.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Leipsic, OH – Nursing home fire kept in check by sprinkler system January 8, 2016 viking210 Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says at 12:48 Wednesday morning it received a 911 call about a fire at the Meadows of Leipsic nursing home on E. Main Street. The Leipsic Fire Department says when firefighters arrived on the scene they noticed heavy smoke coming from inside the building. They say the fire started in one room and a sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading. Two residents were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but are expected to survive. A cause has yet to be determined. The fire has been reported to the Ohio State Fire Marshall’s Office.
Retail, Shopping Mall Panama City, FL – Sprinklers help contain fire at Best Buy January 8, 2016 viking210 A fire at Best Buy on 23rd street in Panama City Monday night has damaged the interior of the store. The first call came in around 10:20 pm about smoke coming out of the building. When Panama City fire crews arrived on scene they saw a “good amount” of smoke and went into attack mode. After getting inside, crews were able to put out the fire just after 10:45pm. As of the time of this writing, 11PM, no cause of the fire had been determined, but smoke continues to pour from the building. An investigator with PCFD is in route. It’s also unknown if the smoke from the blaze has damaged any adjacent businesses. Investigators with the Panama City Fire Department and State Fire Marshall’s Office say the fire began due to a possible electrical short from a printer and has been ruled accidental. Two properly working sprinkler heads are being credited with helping contain the fire to a small area. According to PCFD, none of the business next to Best Buy sustained any fire damage.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Brick, NJ – Single sprinkler head contains laundry fire at nursing home January 7, 2016 viking210 Laundry ignited inside a nursing home early Wednesday morning, but one sprinkler kept the fire from spreading, Brick Fire Safety Chief Kevin Batzel said. Brick police and firefighters were called to the Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation center on Jack Martin Boulevard at 4:40 a.m. where they found smoke in the facility’s basement, Batzel said. The fire was inside a large, industrial-sized laundry cart filled with towels that had been pulled from a dryer, he said. “It was being contained by a single fire sprinkler head, which had activated and caused an alarm in the building,” the fire safety chief said. “What could have been a potential catastrophe was prevented.”
Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic San Leandro, CA – Room fire at mental health hospital controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries January 7, 2016 viking210 The Villa Fairmont Mental Health Rehabilitation Center remained fully functional after a room caught fire Tuesday night. Fire crews responded to a report of a fire at 7:01 p.m. at the center located in the 15000 block of Foothill Boulevard in unincorporated San Leandro, according to the Alameda County Fire Department. The blaze was confined to a room near a fire sprinkler and firefighters quickly extinguished it. There were no reports of injuries. The cause of fire was still under investigation as of Tuesday night. One room suffered moderate smoke and water damage.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Gorham, ME – Machinery fire at tool company held in check by sprinkler system January 6, 2016 viking210 A tool company in Gorham had to evacuate Tuesday morning after a fire broke out inside the building. It happened at Irwin Tools on Bartlett Road just after 7 a.m. Crews from several different departments assisted Gorham in fighting the flames Gorham’s fire chief says employees were inside working at the time. No one was hurt. The chief says the building’s sprinkler system kept the fire under control until crews arrived. “No question, the sprinkler system kept the fire in check inside until the crews could get in and get it knocked down,” Chief Robert Lefebvre, Gorham Fire Department, said. “There’s metal filings from machines that make tools and such, at this point not sure what machines in the area that caused it. We’ll be looking into that down the road.” Chief Lefebvre says it appears the fire started near the ceiling level. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Loudon, TN – Fire at ceramics plant controlled with help from sprinkler system January 6, 2016 viking210 A fire Monday afternoon at a ceramic tile plant in Loudon started when a motor began burning and then ignited hydraulic fluid, fire officials said. The Loudon Fire Department was alerted about 1:15 p.m. Monday to the blaze at the Del Conca USA Plant. According to Mike Brubaker, chief of the Loudon Fire Department, the fire started in a machine that presses and forms the ceramic tiles. The fire grew in intensity and seriousness once the hydraulic fluid caught fire, according to Brubaker. No injuries were reported. The plant’s sprinkler system activated, which helped to suppress the fire. It took crews about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, according to Brubaker. The Lenoir City Fire Department worked with the Loudon Fire Department to fight the fire.
Apartment Building, Residential High Rise Westboro, MA – Fire in trash chute of high rise apartment building controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries January 5, 2016 viking210 Fountainhead Apartments residents who were displaced Friday night after sprinklers were set off by a fire in a trash chute will be allowed back into their units starting Saturday afternoon, according to management. Danielle DeHart, regional property manager at the Fountainhead Apartments, said most of the displaced residents will be allowed back into their units, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. “At 2 o’clock, we’ll start letting the building in slowly with the assistance of local police,” Ms. DeHart said. Ms. DeHart said “well over 200 residents” from about 170 apartments were affected. She said the Fountainhead is asking the tenants of 11 units to allow additional drying time. “We were very fortunate that nobody was hurt and everybody responded very quickly from the management team and also the local police and fire personnel,” Ms. DeHart said. “It was the smoke, of course, that triggered that the sprinkler system. It wasn’t the fire itself.” Ms. DeHart said the lesson to learn here is to be conscientious about what you throw away. She said estimates on the damages is not available yet. “Right now, our focus is on the residents and getting everybody where they need to be, certainly, cold January time, so that’s our priority No. 1, and then we’re worry about the building after that.”
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Naperville, IL – Sprinklers assist firefighters in containing fire in storage room at business January 5, 2016 viking210 The contents of a Naperville business in the 2000 block of Aurora Avenue suffered more damage than the structure following a Saturday afternoon fire, according to a release from the Naperville Fire Department. Firefighters received a call from an employee at 1:05 p.m. stating the fire alarm was sounding and there was smoke coming from a rear storage room, but no flames seen, the release said. The first arriving fire unit reported nothing showing from three sides of the business, the release said. Upon entry, they found heavy smoke, at which time the alarm was upgraded by the shift commander, bringing more equipment and firefighters. Extinguishing the fire was difficult due to the size of the structure, however after the deployment of several hose lines and coordinated operations, including the building’s sprinkler system, the fire was extinguished 46 minutes after the initial dispatch, according to the release. Damage to the structure was moderate, however damage to contents within the structure was extensive due to smoke, fire, and water, the release said. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by departments from Aurora and Plainfield. Units from Downers Grove and Bolingbrook as well as the Warrenville and Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection Districts provided station coverage for the city during the incident.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Lawrence, NJ – Laundry fire at condominium complex doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported January 5, 2016 viking210 Police are investigating a fire that broke out early Saturday in the laundry room of a condominium complex, according to the fire department. Firefighters responded to the complex on Town Court South around 1:30 a.m. Saturday after getting a call about a fire in the laundry room, Lawrence Fire Chief Gary Wasko said. When they arrived they found that everyone had evacuated the room and that the sprinkler system had extinguished much of the fire. They had the rest of the fire under control almost immediately and worked to deal with the smoke removal for a long time after that, Wasko said. The investigation into how the fire started was turned over to Lawrence police, who were not immediately available for contact Saturday evening.
