All posts by viking210

North Platte, NE – Sprinkler system activated for fire at linen company; No injuries reported

At 5:15 p.m. Saturday evening, The North Platte Fire Department received a call of a fire at Ideal Linen and Uniform.

According to battalion chief Jeff Hankla, the fire was caused by dirty and oily linens that caused a spontaneous combustion. No one was injured.

Hankla also said that the sprinkler system knocked the fire down and the department put it out. The sprinkler system also saved the frame and structure of the building as well. The fire was extinguished about 10 minutes after the dispatch received the call.

Employees who work at Ideal Linen and Uniform were allowed back into the building just after 6:30 p.m.

Portland, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at community college

A fire broke out early Friday morning at Southern Maine Community College, but the South Portland Fire Department says a sprinkler system prevented major damage.

Fire crews responded to SMCC just after midnight following an alert from the campus fire alarm system.

They found the college’s automatic sprinkler system had activated, containing the flames in the SeaWolves Café, the department posted on Facebook. The fire did not extend beyond the initially ignited contents.

Without the automatic activation of the sprinklers, South Portland Fire Chief Phil Selberg said damage to the building could have been substantial.

“This fire occurred in the middle of the night when no one was in the building to discover it,” he said in a statement. “The sprinkler system worked as it was designed and saved the Campus Center.”

Due to the location of the campus, the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department automatically responded. The cause of the fire was found to be accidental, but more details were not released.

AIEA, HI – Sprinkler system extinguished building fire; No injuries reported

On March 11, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) received a 911 call at 11:57 a.m. for a building fire at 98-199 Kamehameha Highway in Aiea and responded with 7 units staffed with approximately 26 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene at 12:03 p.m. to find a small fire extinguished and contained to a single room due to the activation of the building’s sprinkler system.

Fire fighters shut down the sprinkler system and conducted a search to confirm there were no occupants in the structure. All HFD personnel were accounted for with no reports of injuries.

An investigation has been initiated to determine the fire’s origin and cause and to provide damage estimates. An update will be sent out once the final investigation report is complete.

Fremont, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at historic carriage house building; No injuries reported

A small fire damaged the front porch area and front door of the historic Chadbourne Carriage House in Fremont on Tuesday, the Fremont Fire Department said. The noontime fire was extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system.

The fire department reports that some smoke got into the building.

There were no reports of injuries.

According to the City of Fremont, the Carriage House was once a part of the old Chadbourne Ranch. It dates back to the 19th century horse and buggy days. This house and the surrounding Williams Historical Park were donated to the City by Burdette Williams in 1960.

The park grounds are open to the public daily throughout the year.

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at two-story residential facility

Several dozen people had to be evacuated from a two-story residential facility due to a fire in southwest Fresno Wednesday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews say they responded to M.L.K. Jr. Blvd and Annadale Avenue for a small fire on the first floor, which was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The facility had extensive water damage and many of the occupants were temporarily displaced.

Fire officials say one person was transported to a local hospital with smoke inhalation. Fire investigators say an oxygen generator may have been the cause of the fire.

Gainesville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for two separate residential fires

Early this morning, Monday, March 4, 2024, Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) firefighters were called for two working building fires back to back.

Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the area of 6000 NW 26th Street, just before 6:04 a.m.  Firefighters arrived on scene in just under five minutes and immediately began extinguishing the fire and searching for victims. The 27 firefighters who responded had the fire extinguished within 4 minutes of arrival. Building damage was limited mostly to the apartment of origin. Damage to an adjacent apartment was minimal. No civilian or firefighter injuries resulted from this fire. Two neighbors were displaced. The fire is under investigation.

While firefighters were finishing up at the first fire, a second multi-family residential building fire was reported at 6:23 a.m. near the 3000 block of NE 28th Drive (GRACE Marketplace). Firefighters arrived on scene in six minutes to find the building full of smoke and immediately began efforts to locate the fire and search for victims.

Prior to the arrival of firefighters, the building’s fire sprinkler system controlled fire growth, allowing occupants time to escape and limiting building damage. The 27 firefighters who responded completed extinguishing the fire within 10 minutes of arrival. The fire caused minimal damage to the building. One civilian suffered a very minor injury, and no firefighter injuries were reported. Ten neighbors were displaced.

The fire appears to have been caused by several charging battery packs.  Fires caused by batteries and battery chargers are a growing problem. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you avoid charging a device under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch, and do not keep charging the device or battery once it is fully charged.

Campbellsville, KY – Sprinkler system activated for forklift on fire at commercial building; No injuries reported

The run was upgraded to a working fire and additional units were dispatched from mutual aid departments due to the size and contents of the building, after entering the structure firefighters found a forklift on fire and water flow from the buildings sprinkler system.
Units extinguished the fire, checked for any extension and ventilated the structure. Fire damage was contained to the area of the fire by the sprinkler system. No injuries reported.

Athens, GA – Sprinkler system contains fire at tavern

“From what I know so far, it seems there was a small fire contained by the sprinkler system,” said Nate Moss, chief of the Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services Department. “Crews are still at the scene clearing smoke and checking for extension.”

The incident resulted in the closure of North Lumpkin between Broad and Clayton streets.

Moss said additional information would be available later today.

The Globe is one of the landmark establishments in downtown Athens and was designated among Esquire magazine’s “Best Bars in America.”

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire on university campus

The Madison Fire Department reported an automatic sprinkler prevented further damage to a building on UW-Madison’s campus overnight.

Spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said firefighters were dispatched to 30 East Campus Mall at 12:33 a.m. for a fire alarm activation. Schuster said no one was around to report the fire to 911.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met by members of the UW-Madison Police Department and UW Security.

The crew entered the building and noticed an odor of smoke. The odor was followed to a wood workshop, where the crew found the room full of smoke and an automatic fire sprinkler activated.

Beneath the active sprinkler was a burned-up garbage can and its contents on the floor. Just one sprinkler head activated, but it extinguished the fire and prevented the fire from spreading, according to Schuster.

Damage from the fire is estimated at about $2,000. Damage was contained to some paint cans, a portable electric sander, cabinets and other items.

Firefighters moved the burned items outside, ventilated the area, and turned off the fire sprinkler system.

With the sprinkler systems temporarily shut down, UW Security provided fire watch until a responsible party returned to the building.

Fremont, CA – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at electronic recycling storage area; No injuries reported

A building’s sprinkler system activated in response to a fire in Fremont on Tuesday, keeping the fire in check until Fremont Fire Department crews arrived. Firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire within 25 minutes of arriving at the scene.

The fire was reported at 5 p.m. at the Fremont Recycling & Transfer Station at 41149 Boyce Road. The fire was in the electronics recycling storage area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters or employees.

The fire was contained to the area of origin and operations were able to resume in the remainder of the facility.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers