Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Union City, CA – New Year’s Day restaurant fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Employees and patrons evacuated a popular Filipino restaurant in Union City on New Year’s Day, and no injuries were reported after a water-heater fire broke out, according to the Alameda County Fire Department. Crews responding Monday at 4:33 p.m. to Gerry’s Grill, at 31005 Courthouse Drive, where the eatery’s sprinkler system extinguished the blaze, isolated the water flow to prevent flooding throughout the restaurant, the agency said. The fire was contained to the area around the water heater in the rear of the building, the department said, adding that although the fire extended to a wall, it did not spread inside the wall.

“As a result of the quick actions of firefighters to prevent further water damage and a functioning sprinkler system, Gerry’s Grill sustained minor damage,” fire officials said. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters, restaurant employees or guests, but Gerry’s was temporarily closed. In addition to the Union City locale,Gerry’s, which serves traditional Filipino dishes, has locations in Artesia, Hawaii and Manila, Philippines. No cost estimate for the fire damages was available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Myrtle Beach, SC – Arson fire at hotel contained to room of origin by sprinkler system

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The Horry County Police Department arrested and charged a man in connection to a fire that displaced dozens of hotel guests in Horry County. According to J. Reuben Long Detention Center booking records, Tracy William Nelson, 45, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with second degree arson. Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the fire Tuesday evening at City Studios Hotel, located at 401 Hospitality Lane in Myrtle Beach. Responding crews say the fire was confined to a room on the second floor. A sprinkler system activation helped keep from spreading.

An official report from the Horry County Police Department says officers were “informed that it appeared a fire was started intentionally, due to a stove-top burner being left on with a box on top of it.” According to the report, officers were told no one was staying on the second floor because of ongoing renovations, with the exception of people hired to help with the project. Guests at City Studios Hotel were relocated to different hotels in the area, according to Horry County police. No injuries were reported. Nelson remains in jail Wednesday night on a $10,000 bond.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Colorado Springs, CO – Hotel sprinkler system activates in response to dumpster fire started outside

A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly setting several dumpsters on fire and vandalizing cars in downtown Colorado Springs.

Police responded about 7 p.m. to a call about a man starting dumpster fires and damaging cars. One fire was so big that it triggered the sprinkler system at a local hotel. Witnesses followed the suspect, later identified as Steven Roche, 51, to East Bijou and North Tejon streets.

Police say Roche became difficult when they tried to contact him. Police said Roche apparently used a rock to damage several cars.

He was arrested on suspicion of felony criminal mischief as well as resisting arrest and two counts of fourth-degree arson, all misdemeanors.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lake Delton, WI – Fire at Great Wolf Lodge contained to one room by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Emergency crews and firefighters were dispatched to a fire at Great Wolf Lodge around 6:15 on Sunday morning.

Firefighters arrived to discover guests evacuating the hotel and encountered smoke on the second floor. The fire was contained to one unoccupied room by the building’s sprinkler system, but five rooms sustained significant water damage.

At the time of the fire, 400 of the 435 rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge were occupied. There were no injuries to hotel guests or first responders.

Crews remained on scene for three hours putting out hot spots and investigating.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but foul play is not suspected.

Preliminary damage to the hotel is approximately $100,000.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Austin, TX – Sprinkler system controls car fire in W Hotel parking garage

A car fire at a downtown parking garage has prompted the closure of a portion of 3rd Street Sunday afternoon.

Austin Fire Department officials said crews were called to the W Hotel parking garage at 200 Lavaca St. at around 2:45 p.m. Firefighters made quick work of the blaze as it was confined to a single vehicle and a sprinkler system helped dampen the flames before emergency workers’ arrival.

But the fire set off a series of related events led by the road closure at 3rd Street between Guadalupe and Lavaca streets. A nearby Starbucks at 3rd and Lavaca streets reportedly was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Restaurant

McKinney, TX – Sprinkler system keeps restaurant dumpster fire from spreading

The McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to an incident at 8 p.m. Thursday at Spring Creek Barbeque, 1993 U.S. 75, where first responders saw smoke and heard the fire alarm upon arrival.

An investigation revealed the fire sprinkler system had activated and suppressed a fire within the dumpster. A single sprinkler head is credited for the minimal fire damage and reinforced the value of fire sprinkler systems in commercial structures.

Twenty five MFD personnel and investigators from the fire marshal’s office responded to the fire. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was determined to disposal of ashes into the dumpster.

“This successful sprinkler save continues to demonstrates the effectiveness of automatic fire sprinkler systems in a commercial environment. Had a fire sprinkler system not been present, the outcome may have been very different,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Andrew Barr.

For additional information on fire protection systems, code requirements or other fire prevention topics, visit mckinneyfire.org or call 972-547-2862.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Greensboro, NC – Motel fire caused by cigarette doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Sprinklers doused a fire inside a motel room and kept it from spreading to others, firefighters said. Firefighters responded about noon Saturday to the In-Town Suites at 501 Americhase Drive for a reported fire. Chief Jim Boggs with the Greensboro Fire Department said some of the fire trucks that were en route were called off because the sprinklers took care of the fire. He said the fire was accidental and caused by a cigarette.

“It was controlled pretty quickly,” he said. The fire was contained to one room at the motel which had 133 guests at the time, including the one in the damaged room, according to a fire department news release. The occupant of the damaged room had to be relocated. Boggs said there was some fire and water damage to the room. No injuries were reported. To avoid such fires, the department urges people to use fire safe cigarettes, smoke outside and not smoke when sleepy or after having consumed medicine or alcohol. Firefighters also say people should check furniture before going to bed to make sure smoldering cigarette butts have not fallen out of sight.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Tampa, FL – Fire at Courtyard Marriott hotel limited by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire forced guest and staff to evacuate a Tampa hotel. Tampa Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Marriott Hotel located at 3805 W. Cypress Street on Thursday night. The fire started around 9:15 p.m. Firefighters said a flight attendant who was staying at the hotel started the heater/AC unit and it sparked. She immediately called 911 about the fire. “My husband and I were in there. We were watching TV and heard some commotion. I opened up the door and a lady was running down the call, everybody out!” said Yvonne Wesley Payne, a hotel guest. Firefighters said the third floor had water and smoke damage. The sprinkler system worked. Firefighters believe the cause of the fire was electrical/mechanical malfunction of the room heater. No one was hurt.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Brockton, MA – Sprinkler system keeps overnight hotel fire from spreading

A sprinkler system is being credited for averting a possible major fire or disaster at a downtown hotel early Friday morning. The Brockton Fire Department received a 911 call about 1 a.m. reporting there was an unknown fire in one of the rooms at the Elmcourt Hotel, at 33 West Elm St. When firefighters arrived, they learned that the sprinkler system had been activated on the fourth floor.

“The contents of the room, including the mattress, were on fire,” said fire Capt. Jeff Marchetti. “The sprinkler heads were flowing and kept the fire from spreading.”

The fire was caused by the careless disposal of smoking materials, the captain said.

The actual fire was contained to only the one room on the fourth floor. Firefighters had to tap into a standpipe system in the building to use a small amount of water to extinguish the parts of the fire that the sprinkler didn’t, Marchetti said.

The fire was extinguished about 12 minutes after the initial 911 call reporting it.

Although the fire was contained to one room, there was a large amount of water damage to multiple floors due to the sprinkler system, Marchetti said.

“Because of the water damage from the sprinkler heads flowing, they had to shut down power to some of the hotel,” he said.

The fire is estimated to have caused about $100,000 in damage, Marchetti said.

Fire officials said several people had to be relocated because they couldn’t stay in the rooms directly below where the fire occurred due to water damage.

But Chip Yannone, the owner of the Elmcourt, said everyone was able to stay in the hotel, some just had to switch rooms.

“We are fortunate enough to be able to keep everyone here,” he said.

Yannone said that insurance adjusters hadn’t been to the building as of late Friday morning and he wanted to wait for their investigation to be complete before discussing the possible damages.

Restaurant

Waterloo, ON, Canada – Suspicious early morning fire at restaurant controlled by sprinkler system

The Ontario Fire Marshall has deemed a fire in a Waterloo restaurant suspicious. Firefighters were called to a restaurant on King Street North, south of University Avenue just before dawn Friday morning. Fire officials say a sprinkler was able to mostly keep the fire under control before firefighters arrived at the scene. No injuries were reported.