Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

North Charleston, SC – Hotel fire sprinkler extinguished cooking fire; No injuries reported

The North Charleston Fire Department (NCFD), St. Andrews Fire Department, and Charleston County EMS on Wednesday responded to a hotel on the 4800 block of Rivers Avenue for an active fire alarm.

Crews arrived shortly after 2:21 p.m. and were advised that the fire was on the second floor.

Upon locating the room, firefighters discovered that a fire sprinkler “had activated and extinguished a cooking fire.”

After ensuring that the fire was extinguished, crews “controlled the sprinkler system and started salvage operations on the first floor to reduce damage.” They also used ventilation fans to remove smoke.

No injuries were reported, and the occupants of the room were relocated.

Following the incident, NCFD is reminding the public of these facts:

  • Ninety percent of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.
  • A home with smoke alarms and fire sprinklers reduces the risk of death in a home fire by 82%, relative to having neither, according to Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.
  • Home fire sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.
  • Modern residential sprinklers are inconspicuous and can be mounted flush with walls or ceilings.
  • Fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and can even help cut homeowner insurance premiums.
  • Nationally, on average, home fire sprinklers cost $1.35 per square foot of sprinklered space in new construction.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant, Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Ocean City, NJ – fire sprinkler systems put out sixth floor fire at hotel and later that day extinguish fire at a condo

The Ocean City Fire Department had a busy day on Sunday with a fire at a downtown hotel in the afternoon and another at a residence later that evening.

Around 2:30 p.m. last Sunday, the Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) responded to a fire alarm activation at the Stowaway Grand Hotel on 22nd Street. First-arriving firefighters located the hotel’s alarm panel and determined the source of the activation was on the fifth floor. Four OCFD firefighters operating in groups of two made their way to the fifth floor from inside the building and found a smoke and fire condition in an electrical closet.

OCFD spokesman Ryan Whittington said crews were able to put out that fire with dry chemical extinguishers and that firefighters wouldn’t use water in a fire of that type because it was electrical in nature. With that situation well in hand, Whittington said while on the fifth floor, firefighters were alerted to another potential fire on the sixth floor above.

The crews made their way to the sixth floor and found an active fire and smoke conditions. As firefighters were preparing to tackle that blaze, the hotel’s sprinkler system activated and put out the fire.

The entire situation was brought under control around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday, or a little over an hour after the first alarm activation. Whittington said the protocol for the fire department in that case was to send the high-rise package, which includes larger apparatus and equipment.

“Because the Stowaway Grand is considered a high-rise in terms of the number of floors, there are certain things we have to do,” he said. “We actually deployed our high-rise package, which includes the ladder trucks and larger apparatus equipped with a larger amount of hose and larger caliber hoses.”

Hundreds of hotel guests were evacuated during the incident, resulting in some quick thinking by the command staff.

“Battalion Chief David Peterson had command and he requested a city bus,” said Whittington. “There were hundreds of guests milling around and waiting to get back in, and having the bus there provided a place for them to sit down and relax in the air conditioning.”

Whittington said the fire department’s protocols and training prevented what could have been a much more serious situation.

“Everything worked like it should have,” he said. “To our guys’ credit, they really saved the building from much more damage.”

Hours later, the OCFD responded to another residential fire at a condominium on Trimper Avenue, according to Whittington.

“We arrived and found a heavy smoke condition on the first floor,” he said. “Crews made their way to the third floor and found a basket of blankets and other materials in a storage closet too close to a heat source and it combusted. We believe a light bulb might have started the fire, but it is still under investigation. In that incident, the condo’s sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Dixon, IL – Suspicious hotel fire put out by sprinkler system

Dixon City firefighters responded to a fire alarm around 8:14 this morning at Quality Inn & Suites hotel, 136 Plaza Drive, just off state 26 and north of Interstate 88.

The engine company arrived to find heavy smoke in a first-floor room; the majority of the fire was put out by the hotel’s sprinkler system, Deputy Chief Dave Lohse said in a news release.

The fire is suspicious, and the state fire marshal is investigating the cause, the release said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Manchester, NH – Fire held in check after Breweries meat smoker caught fire; No injuries reorted

A fire inside a meat smoker Wednesday morning caused significant water and smoke damage to the Backyard Brewery restaurant on Mammoth Road, a fire official said.

Smoke was pouring from the second floor of the large restaurant when firefighters arrived about 8:20 a.m., said Manchester Fire Capt. Jon Starr.

The smoke was coming from a fire in a smoker, he said. The building’s sprinklers kept the fire in check until firefighters could extinguish it with a hose, he said.

Water damage to two kitchens was extensive, he said. The Fire Department turned the restaurant over to the city Health Department, which will determine when it can reopen.

The restaurant and brewery is located at the site of the former Yard restaurant.

In a Facebook post, the restaurant said no one was injured and the building suffered no structural damage.

“We are going to work as hard as possible to get up and running again,” a post read. Four-packs of their brewery products remain available for sale, they said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Newark, DE – Sprinkler system douses hotel fire, ruled arson; No injuries reported

A fire at a Newark hotel has been ruled a case of arson.

The fire was reported just after midnight Saturday at the Red Roof Inn on South College Avenue, Delaware state Fire Marshal’s investigators said.

Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder personnel, along with crews from neighboring companies, responded.

The building’s sprinkler system doused the flames, the alarm system activated, and hotel guests got out safely.

Investigators determined the fire was deliberately set, and they’re urging anyone who knows anything about the incident to call the state Fire Marshal’s Office’s New Castle Division at 302.323.5375 or email at fire.marshal@delaware.gov also callers may call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1.800.TIP.3333.

Information offered to investigators will remain confidential.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Harvey, LA – Hotel kitchen fire contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A fire caused damage to a hotel room in Harvey Sunday.

The Harvey Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched to an alarm around 7:47 p.m. at the InTown Suites Extended Stay, located at 1101 Manhattan Boulevard.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire in the kitchen of a second floor room of the three-story hotel, fire officials said.

A sprinkler system in the room activated, which contained the fire until it was extinguished.

Fire officials reported water damage to a first floor laundry room below the fire.

No injuries were reported. The business remains open.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Santa Monica, CA – Hotel room fire controlled by sprinkler system after microwave caught on fire

A small fire broke out inside a Santa Maria hotel room Tuesday morning, injuring one man and causing significant flooding from the sprinkler system, according to a spokesman. 

Crews received an alert for a fire inside a second-story room of the Hampton Inn and Suites located at the corner of North Broadway and Preisker Lane shortly before 5 a.m., according to Santa Maria Deputy Fire Chief Todd Tuggle. 

The blaze initially triggered a smoke alarm and was quickly followed by a water flow alarm, which is connected to the alarm company and alerted the Fire Department. The Department sent two engines, a truck and a battalion chief to the scene. 

Upon arriving, firefighters noted smoke and located the hotel room with the fire, which was kept in check by the sprinkler system but was eventually put out by crews. 

Additionally, firefighters found a man in his 30s in the hotel lobby who was pulled out of the smoke-filled room by a bystander awakened by the alarms, Tuggle said. 

The man was treated by firefighters for smoke inhalation, abrasions and minor lacerations, then transported to Marian Regional Medical Center via American Medical Response ambulance for further treatment and released. 

An investigation revealed that the room was being rented out by a good Samaritan for a homeless veteran, who was microwaving something and lost track of time, according to Tuggle, causing the microwave to burst into flames and catch the desk on fire. 

The man became trapped in the hotel room and tried to escape out of the window, suffering lacerations in the process. 

Tuggle said the sprinkler system caused significant damage to the room, with the adjacent room and downstairs lobby also suffering significant water damage. 

Two more Santa Maria Fire engines and an investigator and a Santa Barbara County District Attorney arson task force investigator also responded to the scene, Tuggle said. 

“We are currently understaffed in our investigations divisions,” Tuggle said, adding that the District Attorney’s investigator assists with fires that cause significant damage and start under suspicious circumstances. 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Falmouth, MA – Hotel fire doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system douse a fire in a room of a Falmouth hotel. Firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at the InnSeasons Resort Surfside on Menauhant Road sometime after 5:30 PM. The fire was out when crews arrived and no injuries were reported. Inspectors were called to check damage from the fire and water damage from the sprinkler. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In a statement, Falmouth Fire-Rescue tells CWN that 5:13 PM on July 13th, they responded to a fire at the InnSeason Resort Surfside, 134 Menauhant Road in East Falmouth. A guest was cooking on the stove and the oil caught fire. The guest tried to move the pan to the sink. This caused the fire to spread and activate the sprinkler system. The fire was put out by the single sprinkler head. After a quick investigation by the first arriving crew, the sprinkler system was shut down. The fire and smoke damage was limited to the kitchen area and the water from the sprinkler was contained to the room and the hallway directly outside the room.

This incident brings up 2 very important issues. The first being what to do when a pan catches fire. The best and safest way to extinguish a pan on fire is to place a lid on it and then turn off the stove. The lid will smother the fire by restricting the oxygen. Never move a burning pan, you can spread the fire. Never use water to put out a grease or oil fire, it will spread the fire.

The second important issue is that Sprinklers saves lives. This single sprinkler head protected not only the family staying in the room, but the other guests in the building. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have an ongoing campaign to increase the use of residential sprinklers.

Some facts about residential sprinklers from the NFPA:
• The civilian death rate was 81 percent lower in homes with fire sprinklers than in homes without them.
• The average firefighter injury rate was nearly 80 percent lower when fire sprinklers were present during fires.
• When sprinklers were present, fires were kept to the room of origin 97 percent of the time.
• The home fire death rate was 90 percent lower when fire sprinklers and hardwired smoke alarms were present. By comparison, this death rate is only 18 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms are present but automatic extinguishing systems weren’t.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Napa, CA – Hotel fire sprinklers, activated by heat, contained fire to bathroom

Guests at the Hampton Inn and Suites in south Napa were evacuated when smoke activated a fire alarm at 8 p.m. Sunday, the Napa Fire Department reported.

Napa Fire said the smoke was discovered to be coming from a locked guest room. Firefighters found a small fire in a bathroom that had been partially put out by the automatic sprinkler system, Fire Capt. Steve Becker said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Guests were able to return inside after 90 minutes, Becker said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system puts out restaurant fire after oil rags caught on fire

A northwest Bend restaurant’s bagged, laundered kitchen rags still had enough oil on them to spontaneously combust and spark a fire early Thursday morning that was stopped quickly by a sprinkler head, an official said.

Bend Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched around 4 a.m. to the report of a possible structure fire at Broken Top Bottle Shop & Ale Café on NW Pence Avenue, Battalion Chief Trish Connolly reported.

Crews arriving on scene saw smoke in the building, forced entry into the business and found a small sprinkler-controlled fire in the dining area, Connolly said.

The sprinkler system also set off all alarms in the building, alerting occupants in the apartments above the business, who evacuated with the help of police as fire crews arrived on scene. They were able to return to their apartments within an hour, Connolly said.

Fire crews made sure the fire was out and ventilated the businesses to reduce smoke damage, Connolly said.

The sprinkler system put out the fire, which began in the dining room from kitchen rags placed on a table, in laundry bags. Connolly said the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion from laundered rags which still had kitchen oils on them and were not separated after being dried.

Because the linen rags were in laundry bags and were not separated, the heat from the rags rose high enough to ignite the bags of linen.

Connolly said it’s more likely to occur in restaurants, spas and businesses where linens are used to clean up combustible substances, such as oils.

“Laundering does not get out all the residual oil, especially when the rags are used over and over with oil substances, so the residual oil builds up over time,” Connolly said.

Suggested laundry safety guidelines say separating rags after being laundered is important to avoid such fires.

Damage was estimated at $5,000 to the restaurant and $2,500 to the contents.

Fire damage to the building was minimal due to the quick dousing of the fire by the sprinkler system. On average, Connolly said, fires are controlled by activation of one or two sprinkler heads, which not only put out the fire but keep water damage to a minimum.