Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Evanston, IL – Sprinklers keeps fire at Subway restaurant from spreading; Firefighters extinguish blaze

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire inside a restaurant at an Evanston strip mall Saturday afternoon, preventing injuries and preserving the building with the help of a functioning sprinkler system, according to the Evanston Fire Department. Fire crews were called shortly after 1 p.m. to the 1900 Dempster St. for a report of a fire inside the Subway restaurant during a busy lunch hour. The alarm was soon upgraded to call in firefighters from nearby communities for cover.

Firefighters found heavy smoke billowing from the front of the building and were told of the active fire inside. After entering the building they noticed an active sprinkler system keeping the fire in check and allowing crews to quickly extinguish the blaze, according to Division Chief Paul Polep. All patrons and employees were able to exit the building before the arrival of firefighters, and there were no injuries reported.

The department credited the working sprinkler system and the rapid response of firefighters for saving the Subway and other attached business in the Evanston Plaza shopping center, although the restaurant suffered a significant level of smoke and water damage. There were no signs of foul play and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Des Moines, IA – Fire in restaurant on 2nd floor of high rise limited by sprinkler system

Des Moines firefighters quickly extinguished a kitchen fire at 801 Grand Ave. early Thursday morning.  The Des Moines Fire Department got the call at 5:55 a.m. for a kitchen fire at the 801 Chophouse restaurant on the second floor of the 44-story Principal Building, said Capt. Randy Jones.  When firefighters arrived, there was no smoke or flames showing from the high rise, he said.  The source of the fire was a pot that was burning on the stove. Jones said building employees told him the restaurant typically leaves a pot warming overnight.

The building’s sprinkler system had activated, but it did not reach the pot because the pot was under a shelf, Jones said. Firefighters put a lid on the pot to slow it down and used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze in about 10 minutes.  Jones said he’s not sure what was burning in the pot.  “I don’t know. It’s burned up beyond recognition,” he said.

While firefighters briefly closed part of Grand Avenue, it has since reopened. Jones said there was “quite a bit of smoke” on the second floor that firefighters were ventilating Thursday morning, but the rest of the building would be open as usual.  Damon Murphy, 801 Chophouse’s general manager, said there wasn’t any damage to the restaurant, just some cleanup that was required.  Murphy said he expected the restaurant to be open as normal Thursday evening, pending an inspection.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lufkin, TX – Fire at Comfort Inn & Suites suppressed with help from sprinkler system

Lufkin fire crews battled a fire at the Comfort Inn & Suites early Tuesday morning.  No injuries were reported.  Jessica Pebsworth, a spokeswoman for the City of Lufkin, said that fire department personnel were dispatched out to the Comfort Inn & Suites located at 4402 S. First Street after the fire was reported at 12:25 a.m. Tuesday.

“Though the cause of the fire is unknown, the blaze appeared to have started on the building facade,” Pebworth said. The fire then worked its way into the hotel’s attic, triggering the sprinkler system, Pebsworth said. She added that a pipe burst during the incident, causing significant water damage.  Comfort Inn & Suites employees evacuated and relocated all of the hotel’s occupants, Pebsworth said.  The Lufkin Fire Department is still investigating the incident.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Colorado Springs, CO – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing hotel fire; Fire started in room heater

A small fire at a Colorado Springs hotel was quickly contained late Monday night.  Guests and staff were evacuated after the fire sparked at Quality Inn on Aerotech Drive around 11:30 p.m. The heat from the fire triggered the sprinkler system.  Firefighters say the fire was started by a heater in one of the first floor rooms. It was quickly extinguished, and guests were able to return to their rooms.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Richmond Heights, MO – Early morning fire at St. Louis Bread Company contained with help from sprinkler system

A St. Louis Bread Company store suffered a brief fire in the early hours of Thursday morning.  Around 4:20 a.m., firefighters responded to the store at 6734 Clayton Road in St. Louis County for reports of a fire. Upon arrival, one of the kitchens in the oven had been partially set ablaze.  The investigation is underway, but the Richmond Heights Fire Department believed a gas pocket may have formed inside the over, igniting a small fire within. The sprinkler went off inside the store which caused minor water damage.  None of the employees were injured during the incident.  The store was set to open at 6 a.m., but it will remain closed until the water is cleaned up and an inspection by the St. Louis County Health Department is completed.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Baton Rouge, LA – Trash compactor fire at Golden Corral restaurant limited by sprinkler system

Investigators say something thrown into the garbage compactor at a Golden Corral sparked a trash fire around lunch Wednesday.  The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to the call on Millerville Greens Boulevard just before 11 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters say some trash was accidentally ignited after someone tossed an unknown item into the compactor.  BRFD says the fire was contained to the compactor itself, but a sprinkler did trigger just inside the rear entrance of the business.  Firefighters say the restaurant should be able to reopen soon.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Vancouver, WA – Activated sprinkler assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at La Quinta Inn

Firefighters responded to a call Saturday afternoon at a hotel, where they found a fire in an empty room. Clark County Fire District 6 responded to the call at 4:11 p.m. at the La Quinta Inn & Suites, 1500 N.E. 134th St., Vancouver. Battalion Chief Bryan Baum said the first responders forced entry into the ground room floor after a hotel employee said there might be guests in that room.

When the firefighters entered, there were no guests, but there was a fire, which heated up and set off the sprinkler system. The firefighters put out the fire in less than 10 minutes, Baum said, adding there was some water damage and smoke damage in the room. Vancouver Fire Department assisted on the call.

He added that while the fire is currently under investigation, it could’ve been the air conditioning unit that started it. The curtains near the air conditioner were burned, as was the unit itself. There were no injuries from the fire, and the damage was primarily contained to the room with the fire, although Baum said there might’ve been some water damage in the hallway near the room.

The hotel was evacuated during the fire. Baum said that as of an hour after the fire, the guests from that room still hadn’t returned to the hotel, and the firefighters gave their personal belongings to the hotel staff at the front desk.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Cape Girardeau, MO – No injuries reported after sprinkler system extinguishes trash can fire in hotel bathroom

Hotel guests were evacuated from their rooms after one of the units caught fire on Saturday, April 21 in Cape Girardeau.

It happened at the Drury Plaza Hotel on Percy Drive just after 1 a.m.

According to the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, a fire was started in a trash can placed in a bathroom which activated the sprinkler system. 

The department attributes this system with extinguishing the fire. 

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department says the fire was contained to the bathroom, which sustained some smoke damage.

Officials say a guest overcooked food in a microwave, disposed of the food while not aware of any fire, and left the room.

According to authorities, a second guest was in the room at the time and was able to escape unharmed.

There are no injuries to report.

Guests were allowed back to their rooms a couple of hours later.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Cottage Grove, MN – Overnight hotel fire knocked down by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A hotel in the east metro was evacuated early Thursday after a blaze broke out. At about 2:45 a.m. emergency units responded to a report of a room on fire at the Country Inn and Suites in Cottage Grove.

The building sprinkler system had knocked down the fire and Cottage Grove crews extinguished any remaining blaze.

Crews from St. Paul Park and Woodbury assisted on the scene. There were no reports of any injuries.

Restaurant

Erie, PA – Sprinkler keeps dumpster fire from spreading inside restaurant

A restaurant near the Millcreek Mall had to be evacuated Friday afternoon after a fire broke out in a dumpster. It was reported at Cheddar’s Restaurant on Interchange Road just after 2 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the back of the building. That’s where the dumpster is located in an attached garage. The fire activated the sprinkler system, which quickly put out most of the flames. The flames did not spread, but they caused heavy smoke in the restaurant, which was open at the time. Firefighters had to ventilate the restaurant. Kearsarge’s assistant fire chief said the cause is under investigation. The Millcreek Township fire inspector and Erie County Department of Health were both called to the restaurant.