All posts by viking210

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Allentown, PA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at courthouse

The Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown is shuttered on Wednesday due to, what officials called, “a minor fire.”

In an update to the county court’s website, officials said the courthouse– at 455 West Hamilton Street — would be closed for the day on Dec. 20, and all matters scheduled for the day would be rescheduled.

On Wednesday morning, Allentown Fire Department Captain John Christopher told NBC10 that a minor electrical fire in the supply room in the basement parking garage had caused the need for a closure.

The fire, he said, was knocked down by the building’s sprinkler system and electricity was shut off.

After services were shut down, he said, a decision was made to close the courthouse for the day in order to perform repairs.

The Historic Lehigh County Courthouse and Magisterial District Judge’s office will remain open, officials said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system controls fire at two businesses

A fire sprinkler system saved two northeast Bend businesses from major damage when a fire broke out in a bathroom Monday night, a Bend Fire official said.

The fire in a commercial building on Northeast 18th Street was reported around 9:35 p.m. by a fire alarm company, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said. As crews responded, the business owners called 911 and reported seeing smoke on their security cameras, so more firefighters were dispatched.

Crews found the fire had been controlled by the sprinkler system in an upstairs bathroom.

“The cause is still under investigation but not believed to be intentional,” Derlacki said in a news release Tuesday. Damages were limited to about $10,000 an the two businesses were able to resume normal operation by Tuesday afternoon.

The cause remained under investigation Tuesday, but Derlacki said it was not believed to be intentional.

Derlacki said the fire sprinkler system extinguished the fire with only one head activating.

“National data show that the presence of fire sprinklers in a building drastically reduce the fire damage and down time for businesses,” the fire official said. “In this case, staff were able to clean up the water within a few hours and prevent any damage to stored goods in the building.”

“With no one in the building at the time of the fire, without the sprinklers, this fire would’ve gotten out control before it was large enough to be noticed in a large industrial park,” Derlacki added.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Salisbury, MD – Sprinkler system controls fire at hospital

An early morning fire at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional has been ruled accidental.

The fire was reported at around 1:25 a.m., in an Environmental Services Storage Closet. Crews were able to control the blaze in just over 20 minutes.

Maryland State Fire Marshals say the fire involved an electric vacuum cleaner attached to the wall and was caused by the failure of a lithium-ion battery. The incident reportedly took place in an employee-only area and was controlled by the automatic sprinkler system. No patients were displaced or required evacuation, and hospital operations were not affected. The sprinkler and alarm system were placed back in service.

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Grand Forks, ND – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at correctional center

At approximately 2:04 am on Tuesday, December 12th, the Grand Forks Fire Department was dispatched to 1701 North Washington Street, which is the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, for a report of smoke and flames in the laundry room.

Fire crews arrived on the scene and were met by employees who had found smoke and flames in the laundry room. Crews found that the clothes in the dryer had caught fire, and the sprinkler system had activated. Fire Crews quickly extinguished the fire and removed the smoke from the building. The cause of the fire is undetermined. One inmate was transported to Altru with unknown injuries. There were no injuries to fire personnel or corrections staff.

The fire department responded with five engines, one aerial truck, one command vehicle, and twenty personnel. The fire department was assisted by the Grand Forks County Corrections Staff, Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office, and Altru Ambulance.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Fairfield, CT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at abandoned building

Fairfield police say the old Fairfield Cinema has once again been damaged.
Patrol officers noticed plywood missing from the doors Tuesday night.
Police say they heard a fire alarm coming from the building. Upon entering, they say the interior of the building had been badly vandalized.
They say a fire was put out on the second floor by the building’s sprinkler system.
Authorities say the vandalism is under investigation.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Sooke, BC, Canada – Fire at middle school extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes resumed Wednesday (Dec. 13) despite a small fire Tuesday evening at Journey Middle School.

The Sooke Fire Rescue was called out for a fire in a utility room during the evening band concert. All students, staff and community members were safely evacuated from the building when the fire alarm sounded and no one was injured, School District 62 said in a news release.

The fire was extinguished by the school’s sprinkler system. Staff and firefighters worked together to clean up the water from the sprinkler system and the systems were reset.

“Thank you to everyone involved in safely evacuating the school,” the statement reads. “We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Sooke Fire Department and the SD62 staff who worked well into the night to ensure the school could open this morning.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system contains third floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters quickly doused a blaze that erupted in an Exposition Park apartment building this morning, officials said.

The fire, which was contained in a single unit on the third floor of the four-story structure at 3671 S Western Ave., was subdued by the building’s sprinkler system before the fire department arrived.

Upon receipt of a 9-1-1 call at 9:07 a.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.

According to LAFD, firefighters made entry and were able to extinguish the fire completely within 16 minutes, preventing the spread of flames and ensuring no injuries were reported.

The buildup of water from the sprinklers led to salvage operations by the crew to mitigate damage to the property.

The unit, part of a modern apartment complex comprised of three residential floors over parking, showed light smoke when the first responders arrived.

“Firefighters located fire in one unit on the 3rd floor being held in check by sprinklers,” stated LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

As a precaution, crews conducted thorough investigations to ensure that there were no remaining threats. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and details as to the extent of the damage have not been disclosed. According to the fire department’s estimate, the swift action of the sprinkler system and the efficiency of the responding teams curtailed what could have been a much more severe incident, a testament to the importance of fire safety systems in residential buildings.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Salvation Army

A fire at St. Cloud Salvation Army’s emergency shelter forced dozens of people out of the place they were calling home for the holidays.

According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, the fire started around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Fire damage was limited to one room because of the sprinkler system.

Lt. Nathan North of the St. Cloud Salvation Army feels fortunate the fire didn’t spread but says the water damage left most of their space needing full renovations.

“In that moment, it just, it fell off, and my heart sank,” North said about getting the phone call about the fire.

“Unfortunately, our shelter [became] unsafe to be in until we can assess everything,” North said. “So unfortunately, it displaces all of our residents that are here with us.”

That’s around 40 people, many of whom are now with Place of Home Ministries.

“It’s terrible for the people,” Pastor Carol Smith, with Place of Home Ministries, said.

“We were able to get [a floor at] our facility ready that we were not occupying at the moment, miraculously,” Smith said.

She adds pillows, blankets, and bedding would be warmly welcomed and that donations can be dropped off at 511 9th Ave. N. in St. Cloud.

“We’re just trying to provide what we can for support and all that this holiday season,” Smith said.

As for the St. Cloud Salvation Army, North is asking people not to share physical donations with them as they work to clean up their facility. He added that donating to the Salvation Army’s red kettles is the best way to help.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Palmer, MA – Sprinkler system activated for trash fire at food distribution center; No injuries reported

The Palmer Fire Department was sent to Iberia Foods on Saturday for a trash fire.

According to the Palmer Fire Department, at 2:35 p.m., crews were sent to Iberia Foods on Wilbraham Street for a report of the water flow activation. When crews arrived, they found a pallet full of trash in flames directly below an activated sprinkler head.

The sprinkler system successfully kept the fire down and stopped it from spreading. Crews were able to put out the remaining fire. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Palmer Police and Palmer Fire Department. Three Rivers Fire, Bondsville Fire, Monson Fire, and the Palmer Police Department assisted in putting out the fire.

Iberia Foods Crop. is a leading food and beverage distributor in the U.S. Hispanic and Caribbean markets, according to their website.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Ottawa, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hospital; No injuries reported

Police charged an Ottawa man with arson Friday after an early-morning fire inside the Civic Hospital emergency department.

The department remained open and operational throughout the day.

Jean-François Lalonde, 43, was to appear in court Friday to face charges of arson endangering life, arson to property, possessing incendiary materials and breach of probation, the Ottawa Police Service said in a news release.

Police said hospital security had already taken a suspect into custody by the time emergency services responded to the fire at 6:34 a.m. The fire was extinguished by the hospital’s sprinkler system.

The Ottawa Hospital declared a “Code Red” at 6:30 a.m. because of the fire. About 30 patients had to be moved to other areas of the facility, hospital spokesperson Rebecca Abelson said.

A spokesperson for Ottawa Fire Services said a sprinkler head was activated when they arrived and firefighters helped clean up the water.

No staff or patient injuries were reported, Abelson said.