Category Archives: Government/Military

Government Office, Government/Military

Riverside, CA – Arson fire at social services building contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A chair and other items in the Riverside County Department of Social Services building in Riverside’s Arlington neighborhood were set on fire Saturday night, authorities say.

Nobody was hurt in the fire, which set off alarms at 7:37 p.m. at the 21,000-square-foot building in the 3900 block of Reynolds Road, behind the Lowe’s on Magnolia Avenue, according to a Riverside Fire Department news release. The statement did not say anyone had been arrested.

Arriving firefighters found that the front door had been forced open and smoke was coming out, the news release said. When they went inside, they found “evidence of vandalism.”

The fire set off the building’s automatic sprinkler system and it was contained to an “office area,” the news release said. That’s where firefighters found a chair and other items that had been ignited. Firefighters shut off the sprinkler system and removed “large amounts of water from the building,” the news release said.

The Fire Department’s Arson Task Force is investigating.

Other-Government/Military

Washington, D.C. – Fire at The Smithsonian Castle contained by sprinkler system

The Smithsonian Castle caught fire and has been evacuated, the D.C. fire department says. A fire broke out on the third floor of the towering, historic building on the National Mall, at 1000 Jefferson Drive SW. The fire was contained by sprinklers and no one is reported to have been hurt, the fire department said about noon Wednesday. It occurred in a non-public area, Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said.

The castle is closed for the rest of Wednesday as the area is cleaned. The fire what accidental and “electrical in nature,” the fire department said in an update. The castle, also known as the Smithsonian Institution Building, is home to the Smithsonian Institution’s administrative offices and information center. It was completed in 1855 and has items from the collections of each Smithsonian museum. Information was not released immediately on whether any art or artifacts were damaged. The fire department initially said the area where the fire occurred had been under construction; they said in an update that it was not.

 

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Portland, OR – Sprinkler system helps stop fire at Metro Transfer Station; No injuries

Portland Fire and Rescue crews quickly put out a fire at Metro Transfer Station in Northwest Portland Monday afternoon.

The fire, which triggered the sprinkler system, was spotted around 12:20 p.m. by employees.

The building was briefly evacuated and no one was injured.

Responding fire crews helped put the fire out and operations were back to normal by 1:10 p.m.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Laconia, NH – Fire in circuit courthouse contained with help from sprinkler system

A fire in a trash can caused the evacuation of the Laconia Circuit Court Monday afternoon.  Meredith’s Vikki Fogg said she opened the door to a ground floor restroom to be met by flames. She told her grandson Nathan, 7, to go tell the bailiff conducting security screenings at the courthouse entrance that there was a fire.

“It was really going,” said bailiff Bill Barnard who grabbed a five-pound dry chemical extinguisher and doused the fire.  Court was in session at the time the fire broke out and security personnel had smelled smoke and were searching all three floors of the building for the source when Fogg opened the door to the first-floor restroom at the end of the hallway between the offices for the probate and family court and the circuit court.

The fire triggered the building’s smoke alarms but not the sprinkler system. Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson said his department responded to the fire alarm activation and were advised en route to 26 Academy St. there was smoke in the building, and that security personnel were looking for the source.

“Any time you have a report of a fire in a courthouse it’s of concern. It’s a government building and you have to think whether something else might be going on. Someone trying to create a diversion to get someone out or a disgruntled person trying to lash out,” Erickson said.

Courthouse staff directed people to leave the building after smelling smoke and then joined them gathering in the rear parking lot as firefighters arrived. Fans were set up to help clear the air. Damage was limited to the ruined trash can and to the mess made by the dry powder from the chemical extinguisher.

Security cameras are mounted throughout the building and bailiffs were confident that recorded video images coupled with observations made by people in the courthouse would lead to the source of the fire.

 

Government/Military

Houston, TX – Terminal fire at Bush Intercontinental Airport suppressed with help from sprinkler system

** BLOG NOTE: Smoke does not cause a sprinkler to activate.  Only heat from a fire **
A spokesman for Bush Intercontinental Airport says a sprinkler system was activated when charging batteries began to overheat and sent smoke into a terminal. Spokesman Bill Begley says the fire alarm in Terminal E was sounded just before 1 a.m. Friday.  Houston police earlier said a small fire occurred in the terminal but Begley says there were no flames. He says the batteries, which were charging in a utility closet, just produced smoke.  There was some disruption because a cleaning crew needed time to clean up the water from the sprinklers.  Police told the Houston Chronicle that flights could be disrupted, but Begley says the incident did not result in any delays.

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Gadsden, AL – Detention center sprinkler system helps stop fire allegedly set by ICE detainee

An investigation is underway after an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainee reportedly set a fire inside a maximum-security unit at the Etowah County Detention Center.

According to the Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin, the fire was reported around 7:43 a.m. Friday in Unit 3. A detainee allegedly sparked a fire inside the common area of the unit, then set his mattress on fire inside his cell.

The fire activated the sprinkler system inside the unit.

Entrekin says the detainee, along with four others, were outside their cells on free time when it happened. The detainees involved are reported to be from the Middle East and Asia.

“All inmates and detainees are accounted for inside the detention center. This was an isolated incident inside Unit 3 and no other units were ever in danger during the event. At this time, there is no need to evacuate any inmates or detainees to other facilities,” a press release emailed to media said. “There are no serious injuries to anyone inside the facility. Inmates who have complained with breathing issues received immediate medical attention and have been returned back to their unit. All Sheriff’s Office employees have also been checked and cleared by medical personnel.”

Sheriff Entrekin said in the release: “I want to personally thank the Gadsden Fire Department for their quick and professional response. They did an excellent job in containing the fire. Words cannot express my appreciation and gratitude to the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, especially those inside the detention center. The detention deputies acted quickly to ensure the safety of all inside Unit 3. Their noble actions saved lives today.”

Fire / Police Station, Government/Military

Burbank, IL – Fire in locker room of police station controlled by building’s sprinkler system

No one was injured when the southwest suburban Burbank Police Station caught fire Sunday night. A small fire broke out about 7:25 p.m. in a locker room on the lower level of the police station, according to a statement from Burbank police. The Burbank Fire Department, as well as several other area fire departments, responded to put out the fire, which was confined to a couple of lockers.  Police said the building sustained heavy smoke damage, some fire damage and water damage. The fire was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system.  An early investigation suggests that the fire originated near an electrical outlet within a locker and does not seem to be suspicious in nature, police said. No injuries were reported, and no prisoners were inside the building at the time of the fire. Neither the communications or emergency operating systems were affected, so the fire will not impede police functions, police said

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Chillicothe, OH – Laundry fire at correctional facility controlled with help from sprinkler system

Chillicothe firefighters responded early today to the Chillicothe Correctional Center, and upon arrival, moderate smoke was coming from the south side of the north service building where they discovered a fire in a large clothes dryer.

A report by Fire Chief Darrell Wright says a pressurized water can was used to extinguish the fire. Materials in the dryer were then removed to the outside of the building and two fans were used to remove smoke from the room.

The fire sprinkler system also was going off above the dryer. The correctional center maintenance crew had shut off power to that area of the building prior to the arrival of the fire department and also shut down the sprinkler system upon firefighters request.

Fire damage was limited to the inside of the dryer with smoke damage throughout the laundry room. There was some water damage from the sprinkler system in the dryer service area as water was also running across the floor into a storage area.

Personnel stated that they were alerted to the fire by the fire alarm system and investigated a nearby room and smelled smoke. Their security staff pulled up the camera in the laundry service room and saw smoke rolling across the ceiling in that room. They attempted to extinguish the fire with 2 dry chemical extinguishers but were unable to put out the fire as smoke got too heavy for them. They then called the Chillicothe Fire Department which was at the scene nearly two hours.

It was just past 12:30 this morning when Chillicothe fire responded to the scene at 3151 Litton Road with two fire engines and six personnel.

Other Business, Other-Government/Military

Wilmington, DE – Fire at Amtrak maintenance building contained to area of origin by sprinkler system

A fire broke out at an Amtrak maintenance building in Wilmington Monday morning but was quickly extinguished, according to officials.  It has been ruled accidental.  Wilmington firefighters were called to 4001 Vandever Ave. just before 7 a.m. for a report of smoke coming from building No. 17, known as the “Powerhouse,” according to a statement on the fire. The building is located within Amtrak’s maintenance facility for the Northeast Corridor.

The fire was placed under control by 7:22 a.m. Prior to the fire department’s arrival, several Amtrak employees attempted to extinguish the fire with portable extinguishers, according to officials. The 120-by-55-feet warehouse-style building sustained both fire and smoke damage, but the building was equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which had activated, confining the fire to the area of origin. Approximately 60 fire and EMS personnel responded.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Riverton, WY – Sprinklers limit spread of fire at school bus garage; Only one bus damaged

Riverton’s bus barn caught fire canceling all bus routes this morning. The fire was reported at 7:00 pm Monday night.   Only one bus caught fire, the other thirty buses were saved by the sprinkler system installed just two years ago.  Buses in the barn are parked inches from each other so the Superintendent of Riverton’s School District said only losing one bus, was amazing.

Right now, bus drivers are cleaning the remaining buses of soot and smoke damage. The actual bus barn structure suffered some damage but was also saved from being a total loss by the sprinkler system.

Riverton schools continued to operate; all children unable to get to school because of the fire will be excused. There is no set timetable for when the buses will resume their regular routes.