Category Archives: Hospital/Care Facility

Hospital/Medical Clinic

Holmdel, NJ – Fire in hospital ICU limited with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire at Bayshore Medical Center caused patients to be transported to Riverview Medical Center. Hospital officials said the fire started in a toaster oven inside the break room of the ICU. Six patients were transported to Riverview Medical Center, according to April Dunic, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

“While the fire damage was very limited, water from the sprinkler system damaged certain areas of the hospital,” Dunic said. “As a result, several patients were relocated to different parts of the hospital and six patients were transferred to Riverview Medical Center. Clean up is underway and we expect normal operations very soon.”

The hospital did not yet have a damage estimate. No patients or staff were harmed by the fire. Bayshore has 211 beds and Riverview Medical Center has 492. Holmdel police said that several agencies responded, including Holmdel Fire and First Aid as well as the Monmouth County Fire Marshal, Hazlet, Union Beach, Keyport Fire Departments and Hazlet, Keyport and Union Beach First Aid.

Apartment Building, Hospital/Medical Clinic, Residential

Newport News, VA – Trash chute fire in multi-use residential building extinguished by sprinkler system

Newport News multi-purpose building was evacuated Thursday afternoon after a fire started in a trash chute, an official said. Firefighters responded to a report of an alarm activation reporting smoke inside the building in the 200 block of Nat Turner Blvd. shortly before 3 p.m., Battalion Chief Matthew Haraburda said at the scene. The building has a medical facility on the first floor with apartments above it, he said. There, they found that fire had started in the chute, but it was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, he said. Firefighters checked to make sure the fire had not spread and cleared smoke from the building, he said. No injuries were reported.

Haraburda said it was a good thing the building’s alarm system and sprinklers were working properly. It helped prevent the fire from spreading and ensure people inside got out safely. “When we got here, everybody had evacuated the building, which was good for us,” he said.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Other - Residential, Residential

Portland, ME – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at YMCA serving as temporary housing

Fire officials in Maine are investigating a fire at the Portland YMCA that temporarily affected 31 men living there as part of a housing support program.  The Portland Press Herald reports crews responded to the Portland YMCA around 4 p.m. Thursday. Assistant Fire Chief Keith Gautreau said a sprinkler system helped contain the small fire.  No injuries were reported.

According to a YMCA statement, the 31 residents are living in the dormitory through a housing support program called GROW. YMCA officials say the program provides temporary shelter for men moving into stable housing from homelessness.

YMCA of Southern Maine CEO Helen Brena said the Red Cross was quick to offer help for any residents who may have been displaced by the fire, but that after a cleanup effort Thursday night, the residents were able to return to stay there.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Temecula, CA – Overnight fire at women’s health clinic extinguished by sprinkler system

A Temecula women’s clinic was damaged in a possible arson fire Wednesday, but no one was injured. Firefighters were called out just after 1 a.m. to a reported fire inside FPA Women’s Health at 41715 Winchester Road after an alarm company was alerted, according to officials. The fire was extinguished by the time crews arrived on scene, apparently by a sprinkler system at the location, officials said.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Birmingham, AL – Sprinkler system knocks down dryer fire at rehabilitation center

A small dryer fire forced patients at UAB’s Spain Rehabilitation Center to be evacuated early Thursday morning.

The fire was reported before 4:00 a.m. on the fifth floor of the building. Birmingham Fire-Rescue says the flames were put out by the building’s sprinkler system before they arrived.

Patients covered in blankets waited outside the building for approximately 30 minutes according Birmingham Fire-Rescue. 

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Other-Government/Military

South Bend, IN – Sprinkler system activates to help control arson fire at work release detention center

Two men who were inmates at the DuComb Center have been charged with arson for allegedly setting a fire at the center in August.  South Bend Fire responded to a fire at the DuComb Center on W. Lathrop Street on August 17.  Firefighters located the fire in the ceiling of a bathroom at the facility.

The building’s sprinkler system was activated and firefighters reported heavy smoke in the building.  The fire was extinguished by firefighters.  An investigation into the cause of the fire determined someone lit a piece of cloth and placed it above the ceiling tiles.

The damage was estimated at over $100,000.  Surveillance video showed between 11:09 p.m. and 11:35 p.m., inmates Austin Lamberson and Theodore Carney went into the bathroom, stayed for a short time, then walked out, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Investigators said Lamberson was carrying a white cloth when he walked into the bathroom, but was not carrying it when he walked out.  The video also allegedly showed Lamberson carry a blanket into the bathroom, returns saying, “It’s still going, I don’t need to put that up there,” according to the probable cause affidavit.

A short time later, Lamberson returned to the bathroom with the blanket and left without the blanket, according to the probable cause affidavit.  A short time later, an employee discovers the fire in the ceiling.  Lamberson and Carney are each charged with one count of arson.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Residential

Portland, OR – Fire in residential room at behavior health facility put out by sprinkler system

A fire broke out at a behavioral health facility in southeast Portland early Thursday morning. Portland Fire & Rescue said firefighters were called to the fire that ignited in an apartment unit at Cascadia Behavioral Health, located at 7511 Southeast Henry Street. The small fire was put out by a sprinkler before firefighters arrived to the scene. Firefighters helped evacuate all the occupants of the smoke-filled building and searched for any additional flames.

PF&R said the fire didn’t do much structural damage, and the bit of damage done was contained to the room where the fire started. Two or three people were evaluated for non-life-threatening issues related to smoke, and one patient was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation of smoke inhalation.  PF&R said the water cleanup could take a couple of hours. The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.

Child Care Facility

Ridgefield, CT – (No Media Coverage) Fire at child daycare extinguished by sprinkler system

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE ** A “Sprinkler Saves” blog follower has reported that an activated sprinkler system helped put out a fire at Almost Home Childcare last week in Ridgefield, Connecticut.  No injuries were reported to children or staff.  There was no media coverage of the fire, however, the Almost Home Facebook page includes additional details … https://www.facebook.com/AlmostHomecc/

 

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

New Iberia, LA – Late night arson fire at medical center extinguished by sprinkler system

A man has been arrested after, fire marshals say, he intentionally set a fire at Iberia Medical Center early Friday morning. Ruddy Romero, Jr., 25, of New Iberia, allegedly set fire to a hospital blanket on a set of chairs in an Intensive Care Unit waiting room on the second floor. Romero set the fire before leaving the hospital, according to Chief Deputy Brant Thompson. State fire marshal investigators say the fire alarm system activated, hence alerting hospital employees, patients, and visitors. The alarm was immediately followed by the activation of the fire sprinkler system, which quickly extinguished the fire shortly before 1:30 a.m. Romero was later interviewed by investigators and admitted to lighting the blanket on fire, directly threatening more than 100 patients, staff members, and visitors, Thompson says. Romero was arrested on charges of aggravated arson. He is being held in the Iberia Parish jail on a $20,000 bond.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Watertown, WI – Sprinkler system halts nursing home fire in wing occupied by many nonambulatory patients

The Watertown Fire Department continues to investigate a structure fire that injured one resident at Dycora Transitional Health on Hospital Drive early Saturday morning. “We’re not exactly sure of the cause of it yet, possibly electrical,” fire Chief Greg Michalek said. “The fire burned the bed with the patient in it and part of the wall.”

Michalek said the blaze was contained to a single room of the 112-bed nursing home, but the wing it is located in also suffered water and smoke damage.

He acknowledged that the casualties could have been much worse if things had transpired differently because many of the residents in the wing could not walk by themselves. Thankfully, firefighters along with a number of police officers and Dycora personnel were able to evacuate the 20 patients in the affected wing.

“Most of the people in that wing were nonambulatory,” Michalek said. “They had to be taken out in wheelchairs. The sprinkler system activated and put the fire out but there was a lot of smoke.”

A call to Dycora’s administrator was not returned before the Daily Times press time this morning.