Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Motel

Astoria, OR – Arson fire at Comfort Suites hotel extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A homeless man has been indicted in connection with a gas leak and fire at the Comfort Suites in Astoria last September. Matthew Jay Burke, 26, allegedly removed a plug from a gas meter near the hotel. Natural gas eventually leaked into and outside of the building on Lief Erikson Drive, causing a spark outside. Flames from the fire extended into the laundry room. The fire was extinguished after a water pipe burst and a ceiling sprinkler activated, causing several inches of water to flood the ground floor. The incident caused the hotel to temporarily close.

Dozens of guests from 75 rooms were evacuated and transferred to other hotels in Astoria and Warrenton. No injuries were reported. Burke was indicted in late January but has been held in a California jail for a separate probation violation. It is unclear whether Burke intended to cause a fire at the hotel or simply damage property. He has been charged with eight counts of recklessly endangering another person and two counts of first-degree criminal mischief.

“Frankly, the motel was full,” Clatsop County Deputy District Attorney Ron Brown said. “The risk to the public could’ve been pretty substantial.” Burke has yet to be transferred to the Clatsop County Jail, and an arraignment has not been scheduled.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Fort St. John, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at Sushi Heaven restaurant

The Fort St. John Fire Department has extinguished a kitchen fire at the Sushi Heaven restaurant this morning.

Fire Chief Fred Burrows said firefighters were called out to the restaurant in the plaza next to No Frills in Fort St. John shortly after 7:00 a.m. Wednesday.

The Fort St. John Fire Department has extinguished a kitchen fire at the Sushi Heaven restaurant this morning.

Fire Chief Fred Burrows said firefighters were called out to the restaurant in the plaza next to No Frills in Fort St. John shortly after 7:00 a.m. Wednesday.

He said that the fire investigator is currently conducting their investigation, and while the cause of the fire is currently not known, it is not deemed suspicious.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Warren, MI – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling fire at Extended Stay America hotel

Warren Fire Department investigators believe an electrical problem in a bathroom vent fan may have sparked an early morning blaze Thursday at a city hotel that forced the evacuation of approximately 100 guests. Officials credited employees of the Extended Stay America, on Civic Center Drive, east of Van Dyke Avenue and north of 12 Mile Road, with helping patrons escape the burning building shortly after 3 a.m.

Flames in the ceiling of a third-floor unit spread into the upper portion of the three-story building and broke through the roof, Warren Fire Commissioner Wilburt McAdams said. Firefighters cut through a portion of the roof in order to determine whether flames had spread across other upper areas of the hotel. The fire triggered an internal alarm system, and employees who began checking the building noticed smoke on the third floor.

“They knew right away it was not a false alarm and not someone playing games, and immediately began knocking on doors telling people to get out,” McAdams said. All of the approximately 100 hotel guests got out safely without injury. Firefighters extinguished the flames in approximately 20 minutes, the commissioner said. No injuries were reported. The blaze caused severe damage to the bathroom where the fire started and the adjoining guest room, which had not been rented to a patron Wednesday night. The hotel sustained smoke damage and several rooms on the second floor had significant damage from water.

McAdams said the sprinkler system had activated in the bathroom where the fire began and smoke alarms in the building functioned properly. The hotel is located just south of the Warren Police Department and Warren City Hall. Most of the displaced guests were relocated to other hotels in the area. A Warren Fire inspector was still at the scene after 9 a.m. “The fire does not appear to be suspicious or arson. It appears to be electrical in nature,” McAdams said. “We’re very thankful that once again we avoided any kind of serious incident and that it was able to be brought under control in a few minutes,” he added.

Restaurant

Buellton, CA – Restaurant fire contained with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire that began in the kitchen area at the AJ Spurs Restaurant in Buellton Tuesday afternoon was contained with the help of the building’s internal sprinkler system, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.  Four engine companies and a battalion chief were dispatched shortly after 4 p.m. to the popular bar and eatery at 350 E. Highway 246, said Mike Eliason, a Fire Department spokesman.  It took crews about 25 minutes to knock down the flames, which traveled up through a ventilation pipe to the roof, and also extended to a nearby attic area, Eliason said.

The building’s internal fire-sprinkler system helped contain the blaze.  An investigator was dispatched to the scene to look for the cause of the fire.  The restaurant was expected to remain closed for an unknown period of time, Eliason said.  No injuries were reported in the incident.

Restaurant

Marquette, MI – Restaurant kitchen fire extinguished with assistance from sprinkler system

Minor injuries were reported after a small stove flare up at a Marquette restaurant Saturday afternoon. At 4:01 p.m., the Marquette City Fire Department was dispatched to the Border Grill restaurant at 800 North Third Street on a report of an explosion. As fire crews arrived to the scene, the building was being evacuated. Restaurant staff explained that a small explosion had occurred in the back kitchen area on top of a stove. The building’s sprinkler system, along with the stove’s Ansul system, quickly extinguished the fire that occurred as a result of the explosion. Fire crews secured the building and assisted the Border Grill staff with removing the water from the building to keep water damage to a minimum. Crews cleared the scene at 4:57 p.m. Two minor injuries were reported in the incident. The cause of the explosion and fire remain under investigation

Hotel / Motel

Atlantic City, NJ – Fire on 44th floor of Tropicana Casino and Resort contained by sprinkler system

Four floors of the Tropicana Atlantic City’s West Tower were temporarily evacuated last Wednesday morning when a fire broke out in a hotel room.  Fire Chief Scott Evans said the fire broke out just before 10 a.m., in a room on the 44th floor.  Evans said a Tropicana employee used a fire extinguisher to put out the room fire before firefighters arrived. The hotel room bed and bathroom were both on fire. The hotel’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading, said Evans. The fire was put out by 10:34 a.m.  Smoke quickly filled the hotel room hallways and adjacent rooms. Crews then worked to remove smoke from the building, which proved difficult because the hotel windows do not open. Fans were used throughout the emergency staircase to push smoke out to the roof.

Guests from the 43rd, 44th, 45th and 46th floors were evacuated for safety reasons. Evans said guests of 27 rooms on the 44th floor are being relocated to other hotel rooms. The three other floors were allowed to return to their hotel rooms.  Evans said one hotel employee was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus for treatment of smoke inhalation. The employee’s condition was not released.  A spokeswoman for Tropicana said the fire was immediately put out. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Motel

Fort St. John, BC, Canada – Laundry fire at Super 8 Hotel put out by sprinkler system

Firefighters in Fort St. John were called out to a small laundry room fire at the Super 8 Hotel.  Fire Chief Fred Burrows said that crews were called out to the hotel in the 9500 block of Alaska Road North at approximately 6:30 in the morning. Burrows said that a small fire had broken out in the hotel’s laundry room and that the small fire was extinguished by the hotel’s sprinkler system by the time firefighters arrived.  Burrows said the hotel’s occupants were evacuated to the hotel’s lobby when the fire alarm sounded and were given the all-clear to return to their rooms once crews ensured that the fire was put out. The hotel’s General Manager Lourdes Samodio said that the incident lasted only roughly five minutes and that no one was hurt in the incident. She declined to comment further on the matter.  Burrows said that the laundry itself sustained minor damage and that apart from the appliances and cleaning supplies stored in the room, the rest of the hotel was unscathed. According to Burrows, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but that the fire at this point is not deemed suspicious.

Restaurant

Brookfield, WI – Restaurant chimney fire is kept from spreading to attic by sprinkler system

Firefighters on Monday night, Feb. 12 were called out to Mr. B’s restaurant on Capitol Drive in Brookfield for a possible chimney fire. The call came in around 6:55 p.m. According to the City of Brookfield Fire Department, a passerby noticed heavy smoke and fire embers from a chimney and informed the business operator. Business patrons and employees evacuated without injury or incident.

During the chimney investigation, an attic-space fire sprinkler activated and extinguished the fire that had extended beyond the chimney. The alarm was upgraded and firefighters from the City of Brookfield were assisted on scene by crews from the Town of Brookfield. Other neighboring departments provided standby assistance at Brookfield fire stations.

This fire was burning in a concealed space and was quickly controlled by a single-fire sprinkler — preventing further threat and minimizing property damage. State and Federal agencies are assisting the City of Brookfield with the investigation. The cause and origin remains under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Hagerstown, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes blaze at Villa Italian Kitchen

A cooking fire Thursday afternoon caused about $2,500 in damages to Villa Italian Kitchen at Premium Outlets, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

A sprinkler system activated when the 2:20 p.m. fire broke out and the system extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived, according to a news release.

The fire was discovered by Jeffrey A. Bohrer, general manager of the eatery, the release said.

The blaze caused $1,000 in damages to contents in the shop, the release said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Centralia, WA – Overnight fire at restaurant doused by sprinkler system

A kitchen fire damaged Centralia’s Casa Ramos restaurant Saturday night, according to the Riverside Fire Authority.  Smoke was reported coming from the restaurant in the 900 block of Harrison Avenue at 11:56 p.m. Saturday. The business was closed and no employees were at the location.  Deputies from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office were at the scene and confirmed seeing smoke in the bar area.  Firefighters forced entry and found a small fire burning on the floor near a “large natural gas burner,” according to the RFA.

The restaurant’s sprinkler system extinguished most of the fire, and firefighters used a small amount of water to take care of the rest.  The kitchen sustained heat and smoke damage. According to the RFA, the building’s owner believed the business would be open the following day.  The fire is not considered suspicious, but the cause is under investigation, according to the RFA.  The Chehalis Fire Department, West Thurston Regional Fire Authority and the Centralia Police Department also responded.