Category Archives: Hotel / Motel

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Washington, D.C. – Early morning laundry fire at Capital Hilton controlled with help from sprinkler system

A small fire at the Capital Hilton in D.C. sent guests out into the streets Tuesday morning. Fire crews were called to the hotel at 1001 16th Street about 5 a.m. after the fire in the laundry room activated the sprinkler system.  No injuries have been reported.  Guests have returned to their rooms.  Investigators will determine the exact cause of the blaze.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Bellevue, WA – Sprinkler system credited with quickly stopping hotel fire

A fire broke out in a downtown hotel Wednesday morning, but the fire department is saying that the hotel’s sprinkler system put the fire out quickly.

In all, seven units responded to the fire, the department said, but the fire was out when they got there. Firefighters salvaged items from the room and found no one injured as a result of the fire.

“This shows the importance of a functioning suppression system in residential and commercial structures,” the department wrote on its Facebook page.

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Austin, TX – Fire at Crowne Plaza Hotel extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Austin Fire Department responded Friday night to a hotel just off of I-35 in North Austin after a fire inside a third floor room. Guests were evacuated from the Crowne Plaza Hotel around 9:00 p.m., but were allowed back in a short time later. No injuries were reported.  The Austin Fire Depart. says a sprinkler system extinguished the fire believed to be related to an electrical problem in an HVAC system. One room was damaged with smoke, while other parts of the hotel have water damage. In all, there’s about $250,000 worth of damage.  Guests who cannot return to their room have been relocated by the hotel.

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Temecula, CA – Hotel room fire contained by sprinkler system; Further damage prevented

Two rooms were damaged and one victim suffered minor injuries after a mattress caught fire at a hotel Friday, Nov. 25. The fire happened at the Quality Inn located in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue, north of Winchester Road in Temecula.

The victim, who has not been identified, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and declined further treatment. It was not immediately known if the victim was an employee or guest of the hotel.  17 Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters from four engine companies and one truck company were dispatched to the hotel at 11:54 a.m., according to Cal Fire Spokeswoman April Newman.

“Firefighters responded to reports of smoke coming from a room,” Newman explained after the fire was contained at 12:03 p.m. “The fire was contained to a mattress by the structure’s sprinkler system.”

The damage to the two hotel rooms was estimated at about $25,000. The hotel’s fire sprinkler system saved the rest of the hotel from further damage, estimated at $6.8 million dollars.

At 12:30 p.m., Newman updated that fire resources were expected to remain at the scene for about one hour for water salvage and mop up operations.  There were no evacuations related to the fire.

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Williamsburg, VA – Suspicious overnight fire at Ramada Inn controlled by sprinkler system

Officials in York County say a fire at a Williamsburg hotel is being considered suspicious. The York County Fire Department was dispatched to the Ramada Inn- Williamsburg located at 500 Merrimac Trail at 4:24 a.m.  When crews arrived they found fire in a conference room and two other rooms. The hotel’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading, fire officials said.

The fire was put out quickly and damage was limited to the three rooms. Smoke was found in nearby areas of the hotel. Officials are working to determine the exact cause of the fire, however, at this time the incident is being considered suspicious.  The Williamsburg and James City County fire departments assisted in putting out the flames.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Ottumwa, IA – Fourth floor hotel fire held in check by sprinkler system

At approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday morning, October 30th, the Ottumwa Fire Department responded to a report of a room on fire at the Hotel Ottumwa. Upon arrival, fire fighters discovered a fourth floor room on fire. Two sprinkler heads had activated, keeping the fire from growing and spreading. An employee of the Hotel Ottumwa, Trevor Medina, heard the fire alarm activation and went to the fourth floor. Medina kicked in the door and pulled a female occupant to safety. The occupant was immediately transferred to the Ottumwa Regional Health Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Ottumwa Police Department personnel assisted with the safe evacuation of the upper floors of the hotel. Ottumwa Fire Chief Tony Miller credits the courageous action of Medina with preventing a tragic ending. 

The hotel sustained smoke and water damage; mostly limited to the original floor of origin with minor smoke damage on the fifth floor. Tenants and guests were allowed to return their rooms shortly after the fire was extinguished and the smoke was removed. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ottumwa Fire Department. 

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Irondale, AL – Sprinkler system helps limit hotel fire to one room

Fire crews are on the scene at the Hampton Inn off Grants Mill Road in Irondale.

Irondale and Birmingham Fire Department responded. According to officials, the fire was contained to one room. After the blaze began, the sprinkler system kicked in and helped limit the fire from spreading.

At this time, everyone is still outside of the hotel. The fire is under control now.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Gastonia, NC – Guest and staff safe after sprinkler system helps contain hotel kitchen fire

A small kitchen fire activated the sprinkler system at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel early Sunday morning and all 300 guests had to leave their rooms temporarily, according to fire officials.

The 6:42 a.m. fire did not cause any injuries at the hotel on Remount Road, according to officials.

“There was a small fire in the kitchen that activated the sprinkler system,” said Chris Stowe, a spokesman with Gastonia Fire Department.

About 20 firefighters responded because of the size of the building and number of people involved. The fire was put out in about 10 minutes.

The hotel has 130 rooms and approximately 300 guests were put out of their rooms in the early morning hours, said Olivia Popplewell, general manager of Courtyard by Marriott.

“All of our guests are safe. All of our employees are safe,” Popplewell said.

Guests were allowed to start returning to their rooms around 7:20 a.m.

The hotel was even able to serve a continental breakfast of fruit and yogurt to guests, Popplewell said.

There was a little water damage to the kitchen area, but business was back to normal soon afterward, Popplewell said.

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San Antonio, TX – Sprinkler system quickly put out hotel kitchen fire during wedding reception

Two people were taken to a nearby hospital and two floors were evacuated after a fire erupted Saturday night during a wedding banquet at a downtown hotel.

San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Bryan Patten said the fire started on the second floor at about 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Gunter hotel, 205 E. Houston St.

According to San Antonio Fire Department Captain Craig Balter, a cooking stove caught fire during a wedding banquet, producing heavy smoke that filled the first and second floors.

The sprinkler system quickly put the fire out, but the floors were soaked and the smoke had to be vented from the building.

Residents were evacuated and two people were treated for minor injuries, officials said.

Groomsman Matthew Guevara said they had just sat down to eat their food when their wedding planner told them to evacuate.

“I did not feel the reality of it until I walked out and was hit hard by the smoke,” Guevara said. “It’s a real specific kind of smoke with plastic burning.”

Guevara said he saw one person being escorted by first responders with a burned arm and another person had a breathing mask, possibly for smoke inhalation.

The 200 block of East Houston Street was closed off for at least two hours as more than 15 units initially responded to the scene.

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Fredericksburg, VA – Sprinkler system helps extinguish fire at Value Place Hotel

A fire at Value Place extended stay hotel at 1455 Carl D. Silver Parkway displaced half the guests Friday night, October 7, 2016. The Fredericksburg Fire Department responded at about 10:47 p.m. to an alarm activation, and upon arrival discovered smoke in the fourth floor public hallway and water pouring from under the door of room 425, said Deputy Fire Chief Mike Jones.

The call was upgraded to an active fire, and additional units responded from Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania.  Firefighters found the bed in room 425 on fire, but almost extinguished by the sprinkler system. The occupant had already evacuated. “The sprinkler did exactly what it was supposed to do,” Jones said.

All guests were evacuated. “A few people were looked at for possible smoke inhalation, but all refused transport,” Jones said. There were no injuries to guests or firefighters.  Fire damage is estimated at less than $5,000, but water damage is significant, Jones said.

The building is a stick-built wood structure, with more sheet rock than concrete between the floors, according to Jones. The water from the sprinkler system ran down from the fourth floor, causing significant damage. The fire marshal determined about half of the building could not be reoccupied. Hotel staff worked through the early morning hours to find alternate places for displaced guests to stay. The cause of the fire is under investigation.