All posts by viking210

College/University (on campus), School / University

Gorham, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire caused by vape pen; No injuries reported

A lithium battery from a vape pen caused a fire inside a trash can at the Gorham Campus of the University of Southern Maine Monday.

In a letter to students, USM’s President says the sprinkler system at the Upton/Hastings residence hall kept the fire from spreading. However, water damage forced 23 students living there to be relocated.

No one was injured in the fire that started on the third floor of Upton/Hastings around 2 p.m. Because the fire was a state academic building, the fire was investigated by the state fire marshal’s office.

The president’s office reminds students that USM is a smoke & vape free campus.

Lithium batteries can cause fires if the battery is damaged. The smoke and fumes from a lithium battery fire can be fatal.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Kennewick, WA – Sprinkler system contains fire at Toyota Town Center

Kennewick Fire Chief Chad Michael credits the sprinkler system for containing a fire at the Toyota Town Center Friday. 

The fire started in one of the HVAC units in the basement of the facility at 7000 West Grandbridge Boulevard, prompting an evacuation of the center on September 22, 2023. 

The building was evacuated, and firefighters entered the building to find the rapid activation of the sprinkler system confined the fire to the unit.

Crews shut down the sprinkler system to minimize water damage and the facility was able to reopen a short time after the incident. 

Fire Chief Michael says the incident is an excellent example of the important role sprinklers play in both the protection of life and property.  

According to the National Fire Protection Association, “From 2015 to 2019, sprinklers operated in 92 percent of fires large enough to activate sprinklers and were effective at controlling the fire in 96 percent of the incidents in which they operated.”  

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Murfreesboro, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire in hotel mechanical room

Around 7:32AM Sunday (9/24/2023) morning, Murfreesboro Fire-Rescue was called to Clarion Inn and Suites at 2270 Old Fort Parkway about a fire in the hotel’s mechanical room. There was smoke in the lobby’s atrium when the first responders entered the building. 

According to officials with Murfreesboro Fire-Rescue, the sprinkler system worked perfectly, and it came on and put-out the fire.

Firefighters used fans to clear smoke from the building.

A few guests in the immediate area were briefly evacuated until it was safe to return to their rooms.
A firefighter was injured at the scene when stepping into a hole and injuring her ankle. As a precaution, she was taken to the hospital, treated and released. Since there was a minor injury to a firefighter, the Fire Marshal’s office is investigating.
WGNS thanks fire crews with District 11, District 9, District 4, District 1, Battalion Chiefs 1 & 2, and Safety officers 1 & 2 who assisted with the fire. Also, thanks to Murfreesboro Police as well as Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services for making certain all was fine at the Clarion Inn and Suites.
Apartment Building, Residential

Cedar Rapids, IA – Fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department is investigating into the cause of an apartment fire.

Emergency crews arrived at the complex on 59 Miller Ave SE Friday at around 7:00 p.m. to see the fire already put out from the building’s sprinkler system.

The firefighters say the sprinkler system was crucial in preventing the flames from spreading.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

Atlanta, GA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire in senior living high-rise; No injuries reported

Seniors living in an Atlanta high-rise building got a scare after a fire broke out overnight.

The fire happened at the Friendship Towers on Northside Drive around midnight.

Firefighters tell FOX 5 that senior residents had to be evacuated after someone set fire to trash on the 13th floor of the building.

Thankfully, the building’s sprinkler system was able to keep the flames under control and no one was injured.

Arson investigators are now working to find out who started the blaze.

If you have any information about the fire, call the Atlanta Police Department.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Waukesha, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at senior living facility; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system reportedly extinguished a fire at Linden Grove, 425 N. University Dr., in Waukesha at 5:35 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Staff brought residents outside the building and gave them blankets to keep them warm while firefighters investigated the fire’s aftermath. The residents were reportedly brought back into their rooms within approximately one hour. Attempts to obtain further information about the fire before deadline were not successful.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in condo; No injuries reported

A condo building fire Sunday night in Kelowna left water damage to multiple units.

Platoon Capt. Robert Skeldon with the Kelowna Fire Department says crews were called about 8:45 p.m. to the building at 1740 Richter St.

Crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a single unit on the third floor, with water in the hallway.

Firefighters found signs of an obvious fire inside the unit, with two sprinkler activations.

There was no fire extension to the rest of the building, however there was water damage to multiple units, says Skeldon.

A search was conducted to ensure all occupants were safely out of the building.

There were no injuries in the incident.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is not considered suspicious.

KFD responded with four engines, a rescue unit, ladder truck, command unit, and 20 personnel.

RCMP, paramedics and emergency support services assisted at the scene.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Surprise, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Surprise Fire-Medical Department and Arizona Fire and Medical Authority crews responded to a fire at a senior living facility Saturday evening.

Crews were sent to Kingswood Place, a senior living facility near Bell Road and Parkview Place, where a small fire had broken out in a bedroom. Sprinkler systems were able to keep the majority of the fire at bay as firefighters arrived, according to Surprise Battalion Chief Larry Subervi, a spokesperson for the department.

About 25 residents were displaced during the fire, but after an hour all were able to return to the building. Four residents were not able to return to their rooms due to damages from the fire or the sprinkler system. They were relocated to different rooms at the facility.

A medical treatment center was set up for residents during the fire for heat-related complaints, but no residents were significantly injured, according to the department.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation.

Kingswood Place could not be reached for comment.

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashville, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire on apartment building 27th floor; No injuries reported

The Nashville Fire Department (NFD) said 350 units were displaced after a fire broke out at a downtown apartment complex on Sunday morning.

NFD said a kitchen fire started on the 27th floor of the 505 apartment complex. The sprinkler in the unit put the fire out, however, the water caused the unit to flood and created another electrical fire.

“A resident had placed a wicker basket on a stove that had burned, and their sprinkling system did activate so that fire was technically out upon arrival of our crews, but that water had begun to flow throughout that unit and the floor, because of the sprinkler activation,” Kendra Loney with NFD said.

Firefighters said the water poured into an electrical room and sparked another fire on the 24th floor.

“There were multiple fires that started throughout the building, and they had to be put out, the sprinkler system did what it was set to do, but water and electricity just don’t work,” Loney said.

NFD said 528 units were evacuated. the unit the fire started in is significantly damaged and several units have water damage.

“Honestly we thought it was like one of those drills,” said Eya Dufresne, a 505 resident. “I woke up to the fire department knocking on our door and saying you have to be evacuated. We had like what felt like minutes to be out.”

Dufresne and her boyfriend Chris Clark had to rush out of their 26th-floor apartment at 505 Church Street.

“We had 52 flights of stairs to go down and we had to bring our 40-pound dog down,” Clark said.

Even though Clark and Dufresne brought their dog down, they had one other worry.

“I’m a little nervous, we brought our dog down, but we left our cat,” Dufresne said.

While firefighters worked to make sure that some of the units were safe to re-enter, Dufresne prayed for her cat, Pluto.

“Things could come and go, but as long as Pluto is okay, we’ll be fine,” Dufresne said.

NFD said no one in the building was hurt. People living on floors 30 through 45 were able to go back inside, but those living on floors 3 through 29 were not let back inside and NFD said it could be a couple of days before they can return.

NFD added that floors 3 through 29 will remain without power and that the building remains on a fire watch.

Department Store, Retail

Buena Park, CA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Target; No injuries reported

Buena Park police have arrested a woman for allegedly setting a fire at a Target store as cover for her attempt to steal baby formula.

The fire on Sept. 5 led to the evacuation of the Orange County store as flames quickly reached to the ceiling and spread through the children’s clothing section.

A store employee with a fire extinguisher and the building’s sprinkler system were able to put out the blaze.

No injuries were reported but merchandise and the store itself were damaged by flames, smoke and water.

The damage is estimated at $1 million in retail goods and $500,000 to the interior of the building itself.

Buena Park police say they “determined the fire was intentionally set during an attempt to steal baby formula.”

They identified and arrested a suspect, Cynthia Torres, 40. Her city of residence was not disclosed in the police statement.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers