All posts by viking210

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cedar City, UT – Sprinkler system activated for trash can fire inside commercial building

Fire officials are highlighting the importance of automatic fire suppression sprinklers after a commercial business building was saved earlier this week.

Cedar City public information officer Gabrielle Costello said a fire started inside a trash can inside the Jones Paint and Glass building located at 38 E. 1600 North at approximately 9:11 p.m. Monday.

Chad Barnes, assistant manager of Jones Paint and Glass and also a full-time firefighter with Cedar City Fire Department, was reportedly notified in both capacities that the facility’s sprinkler system had been activated after hours.

According to a news release issued by Costello on Friday afternoon, Barnes wasn’t on duty with the fire department but arrived alongside on-duty fire crews that evening to find that the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire within 30 seconds of being activated.

Prior to the activation of the sprinklers, the fire and smoke had been building up inside the trash can for approximately four minutes, as seen on the company’s surveillance cameras, the statement added.

“This is a prime example of how a sprinkler system can save a business,” Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said in the news release. “Recovery after a fire can often put a business out for a few days or sometimes forever but there are ways to prevent complete devastation and resume operations soon after.”

Barnes noted that even though the initial cost upfront for a sprinkler system can be costly for small business owners, the benefits are far greater if the sprinkler system is activated and saves the business.

“We are thankful to have resumed normal business operations the very next morning,” Barnes said.

“On behalf of everyone at Jones Paint and Glass, we want to thank the firefighters for their prompt response and the time they spent helping clear the water from the building,” he added.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials said.

Small business owners in Cedar City or Iron County who have questions about fire suppression systems are invited to call the Cedar City Fire Department at 435-586-2964.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Fire forced the evacuation of a hotel Tuesday night.

The Rochester Fire Department says it was called to Candlewood Suites – Rochester Mayo Clinic Area just after 7:30 pm.  Firefighters arrived to find an evacuation underway due to a fire alarm and encountered smoke in a hallway.

The Fire Department says the hotel’s sprinkler system had extinguished flames in a single room.  No one was injured in this incident but the hotel room suffered smoke and water damage.

The Rochester Police Department and the Red Cross assisted at the scene.

The Fire Department responded to this incident with units E16, E5, BC1, E1, E2, E3, T12, and Fire Marshal 4.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire in high-rise apartment; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire in a high-rise apartment in Town Center has displaced one person and damaged several other units in the building.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the 4500 block of Commerce Street in Town Center on Tuesday evening. They arrived at about 8:35 p.m. After unsuccessfully attempting to reset the alarm, further investigation found water flowing from the door of an apartment on the ninth floor.

When they entered, firefighters found an active sprinkler head, fire and smoke in the apartment.

The fire was extinguished at 9:03 p.m. There was also water damage to twelve units below the apartment.

One person has been displaced. No civilians, firefighters or pets were injured.

The cause of the fire was found to be accidental from boxes left on a stove.

Other - Residential, Residential

Paso Robles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in multifamily residential building

A fire forced residents to evacuate a three-story Paso Robles multifamily residential building Sunday evening.

The fire on 33rd Street was first reported around 8:15 p.m., according to a news release from Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services.

It was located in an exterior storage space on the second floor of the building, the release said.

The fire suppression sprinkler system was working and helped mitigate the effects of the flames until firefighters could arrive on-scene.

“Due to the fire suppression system and quick actions by firefighters, there was no fire extension into the living quarters, and there was minimal damage to the structure,” the release said.

All occupants safely evacuated their homes during the blaze and were able to return after the fire was extinguished by firefighters, the release said.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, according to the release.

Two fire engines, one battalion chief from Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services responded to the fire, along with two San Luis Obispo County Cal Fire engines and one battalion chief and a ladder truck from the City of Atascadero Fire Department.

Other - School / University, School / University

Suffield, CT – Sprinkler system activated for electrical fire at academy

A private school in Suffield was evacuated because of what a small fire that triggered its sprinkler system.

Emergency crews were called for an electrical fire at the Suffield Academy on North Main Street on Tuesday morning.

It was caused by a faulty power strip, school officials said.

Chief Financial Officer Patrick Booth told Channel 3 that it was minor and that everyone was evacuated and safe.

Apartment Building, Residential

South Portland, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment building

Firefighters in South Portland are crediting a sprinkler system for minimizing the damage to an apartment building at 340 Clarks Pond Parkway.

The fire department was alerted to a fire at the Latitude apartment complex by a building’s fire alarm system. The building is a six-story apartment building  housing 64 units.

The automatic sprinkler system had contained a fire on a third floor balcony.

The building was evacuated while firefighters checked the structure.

The damage was minor, and there was no smoke or water damage inside the building, according to the department.

“This is a perfect example of why fire codes and safety systems are vital,” Fire Chief Phil Selberg said.

Without the activation of the sprinklers, damage could have been substantial and people may have been harmed, according to the chief.

Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth fire departments assisted.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at salon; No injuries reported

A working fire sprinkler system was instrumental in keeping a fire at a Petaluma business from growing any larger, the Petaluma Fire Department said.

The blaze broke out around 5:30 a.m. Monday inside a salon in the 900 block of Lakeville Street. Authorities were alerted to the fire by a water flow alarm at the business, Petaluma FD Fire Inspector Joe Garcia said.

“The first arriving engine found heavy smoke inside the building and requested an upgrade to a full structure response,” Garcia said. “When additional resources arrived, crews made entry and were successful in keeping the fire from spreading into the adjacent businesses.”

After putting out the fire, crews found that a working sprinkler system helped keep the blaze contained to where it started which was at a workstation in the middle of the business.

“This incident is a reminder of how important it is to have a functioning sprinkler system, not only in the home but in businesses, as well,” Garcia said. “Having a functioning system can mean the difference in minimal versus extensive damage to a structure, but it can also allow more time for people to escape in case of a fire.”

The City of Petaluma Building Department and PG&E evaluated the affected businesses for safety and red-tagged the business where the fire started, restricting the use of the building.

The Petaluma Fire Prevention Bureau was still investigating the cause of the fire, Garcia said.

“The Petaluma Fire Department is happy to report there were no injuries to firefighters, and no patrons or employees were on site at the time of the incident,” Garcia said. “Additionally, we want to thank our surrounding partners for their assistance during the incident and for providing station coverage to protect the city.”

Fire / Police Station, Government/Military

Westboro, MA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at police station; No injuries reported

A person was taken into custody after a fire was set in the lobby of the Westboro Police Station on Sunday night, officials said.

Crews responding to a report of a fire at the police station on Main Street around 8:20 p.m. found a smoldering fire being held in check by the building’s sprinkler systems and heavy smoke in the building, according to Westboro Fire Chief Patrick Purcell.

The police station was evacuated.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and ventilated the building.

No one was injured. Policing operations, including patrol, remain operational.

After a search, which included police K-9 units and police drones, a person of interest was located and taken into custody. That person’s name is not being released.

There was minimal fire damage to the building, but the sprinkler system caused significant water damage. Purcell estimated the damage at $250,000.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bend, OR – Sprinkler systems activated for two separate apartment fires

Bend firefighters responded to two apartment fires over the long weekend. The first was on Atwood Drive, Thursday. Everyone evacuated the building after the batteries of an electric skateboard caught fire while charging in a bedroom. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the flames and damage was limited to the bedroom.

Friday evening, a new tenant moving in to a newly constructed building in southwest Bend inadvertently turned on a burner while setting something on the cooktop. They quickly used a hallway fire extinguisher before the sprinklers activated.

Apartment Building, Residential

New London, CT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

Nov. 19—NEW LONDON — A fire at an apartment complex on Jefferson Avenue displaced a family of five Sunday.

At 11:41 a.m., New London firefighters responded to a call for a kitchen fire in apartment B7 in Jefferson Commons, 432 Jefferson Ave., Battalion Chief Mark Waters said.

When firefighters arrived, they evacuated the family, and cleared smoke and water from the apartment, he said.

The American Red Cross provided assistance to the family and caseworkers will be working with them to come up with a long-term recovery plan.

The fire had been controlled by the apartment’s sprinkler system, he said. Crews were at the scene for about half-an-hour.

The fire caused damage to the stove, cabinets and range hood, as well as smoke damage to the ceiling, Waters said, adding that repairs will have to be made.

Waters said the cause of the fire is being investigated by the fire marshal’s office.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers