All posts by viking210

College/University (on campus), School / University

Salt Lake City, UT – Sprinklers douse fire in University of Utah chemistry lab

Authorities say a small explosion at a University of Utah chemistry building was caused by a chemical reaction inside a storage cabinet.

Salt Lake City firefighters say the Thursday morning explosion was contained inside a sheet metal cabinet but emitted hazardous chemicals into the air.

Salt Lake City fire department spokesman Jasen Asay says firefighters evacuated the building to clear chemical residue from the air and vent smoke.

Asay says the explosion caused a small fire, but sprinklers doused it before crews arrived.

Classes were canceled and the building is expected to remain closed for hours.

Firefighters are investigating what chemicals were stored in the room.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Hugo, MN – Sprinklers credited with containing fire to one room of townhome

No one was injured after a fire broke out at a group of townhomes in Hugo on Thursday morning.

The fire was reported at 4625 Victor Path when a woman awakened to the smell of smoke and called the fire department.

Crews from Hugo, White Bear Lake and Forest Lake all responded.

Firefighters say the fire started on the deck and moved into the unit. A sprinkler system is credited with confining the fire to one room of the house, which was the main living room.

No other units were damaged.

The woman was the only person home at the time and escaped uninjured.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Old Town, ME – Mill fire doused by sprinkler system; no injuries

Fire crews from four towns battled a fire at the Expera Mill in Old Town today.

Flames broke out in the number-four turbine area just after 10 this morning.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke between the first and second floors.

We’re told oil and debris caught fire.

“We sent two crews in, one to the bottom floor, one to the top floor. We worked our way down to it, and the sprinkler system had gone off and that extinguished most of it. And we just continued with extinguishing the hot spots and making sure that everything was all right. And it was turned back over to mill personnel, probably within a half an hour, 45 minutes,” said Captain Mike HIldreth of Old Town Fire Department.

Hildreth says damage doesn’t appear to be too extensive.

No word on a cause yet.

No one was hurt.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Kansas City, KS – Sprinklers help extinguish oil fire at GM Fairfax plant

A Wednesday night fire at the General Motors Fairfax plant caused an estimated $600,000 in damage, according to the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department.

Sparks from a welding torch ignited lubricating oil stored inside a paint shop at the plant in the 3200 block of Fairfax Trafficway, according to the fire department.

The building’s sprinkler system doused most of the flames. Firefighters extinguished burning oil on the surface of standing water from the sprinklers.

The fire department reported about $100,000 in damage to the structure and $500,000 in damage to its contents.

No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler helps contain afternoon apartment fire

One person has been displaced following an apartment building fire Wednesday afternoon in Roanoke County.

Firefighters arrived around 1:30 p.m. to a six-story apartment building in the 5300 block of Hawthorne Road in Hollins, said Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Jennifer Conley Sexton.

An overhead sprinkler system extinguished most of the fire in a kitchen on the fourth floor before crews from North County, Hollins and Roanoke arrived, Sexton said.
Nursing Home/Senior Living

Bar Harbor, ME – Sprinklers douse fire at low-income and senior housing facility

Smoke coming from a window of an apartment at Harbor Hill Estate on Highbrook Road drew a quick response from firefighters just after 1 p.m.

Firefighters tapped into a hydrant on Route 3 and ran the line across the road, while police detoured traffic through College of the Atlantic for the better part of an hour. The fire was doused by the apartment’s automatic sprinkler system as firefighters arrived.

The smoke-filled apartment was ventilated.

No one was home at the time of the fire, according to reports.

As of 3 p.m., Fire Chief Matt Bartlett remained on scene investigating the cause.

Harbor Hill Estate is a low-income and senior housing facility.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Puyallup, WA – Fire at Walmart kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries

Firefighters controlled a large, smoky fire that forced customers and employees to leave a Puyallup Walmart store on Tuesday night.

KOMO-TV reports that Central Pierce Fire and Rescue spokesman Ed Hrivnak said the fire started about 9:30 p.m. The fire department received multiple reports of a fast-moving fire in the garden area.

No injuries were reported.

Hrivnak says the store’s sprinkler system kept the fire in check. It was under control by about 11 p.m.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Ridgeland, MS – Sprinklers activate in hotel grease fire; Guests safely evacuated

Some 70 people were forced from an Extended Stay Hotel on Ridgewood Road Monday night when fire broke out.

Assistant Ridgeland Fire Chief Allen McCluer told WLBT-TV that a grease fire activated the sprinkler system.

McCluer described charring on the wall, a little fire damage and about 3 inches of water in the room where the fire started.

Much of the water also drained from the second floor down to the first floor, WLBT reported.

Crews will be working throughout the night to check electrical systems, the sprinkler system and to clean up the water and fire damage.

Evacuees are being put up at other area hotels.

Government Office, Government/Military

Minneapolis, MN – Fire at City Hall extinguished by sprinklers

A fire broke out at Minneapolis City Hall overnight, forcing 911 dispatchers to evacuate. The fire started in a Minneapolis police evidence room around 1 a.m. Monday.

The city hall sprinkler system put out the fire, but also caused some water damage. City hall offices will be open for business as usual Monday, but the police evidence room will remain closed.

The 911 dispatch center is located near the evidence room, so workers were moved to the third precinct headquarters to continue handling calls. By 5:30 a.m. Monday, all 911 staff returned to the call center at city hall, with services operating normally.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Santa Rosa, CA – Restaurant blaze put out with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a report of a water flow alarm activated at Red Bee BQQ at 750 Stony Point Road near Sebastopol Road around 12:15 p.m., Santa Rosa fire Battalion Chief Ken Sabastiani said. Fire crews arrived to find water coming from the front door and determined a small oven fire triggered a sprinkler head to turn on, Sabastiani said. The sprinkler system was properly functioning and helped put out the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.