Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

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.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lexington, KY – Fire at Clarion Hotel contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire led to an evacuation of a Lexington Hotel Friday evening. It happened around 10 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel on Athens-Boonesboro Road, near Interstate 75. Firefighters say the fire started around the pool and fitness area, but the sprinkler system kept it from spreading too far.

Firefighters say it caused minimal damage to the building. The hotel was evacuated but guests were allowed back inside shortly after. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Durango, CO – Sprinkler system helps knock down fire at historic bar

El Moro, a popular downtown bar and eatery, filled with smoke early Wednesday, activating the sprinkler system and closing the 900 block of Main Avenue. (BLOG NOTE: Smoke does not cause a sprinkler system such as this to activate.  Only the substantial heat from a fire will activate a sprinkler).

The fire was reported at 7:11 a.m. at 945 Main Ave. The fire had been mostly knocked down as of 8 a.m., said Karola Hanks, fire marshal with the Durango Fire Protection District.

El Moro was named one of the 12 historic bars to visit in Colorado by The Gazette.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

San Diego, CA – Sprinklers help contain kitchen fire at Chinese restaurant; No injuries

A kitchen fire damaged a Chinese restaurant in Rancho Bernardo Tuesday afternoon and prompted evacuations of the eatery and several adjacent businesses.

The non-injury blaze erupted about 3:45 p.m. at Chef Chin, 11828 Rancho Bernardo Road, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Aided by built-in sprinklers, firefighters were able to contain the flames to the kitchen, attic and roof of the restaurant and had them under control within 35 minutes, SDFRD spokesman Lee Swanson said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing hotel fire

Firefighters have extinguished a blaze that broke out early Wednesday morning at the Regent Hotel in Vancouver.  Vancouver Fire and Rescue spokesman Capt. Jonathan Gormick says crews were called out shortly after 4 a.m. to the fire, which started in a suite of the hotel, located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

When they arrived, firefighters found heavy smoke in the building and a small fire contained to one suite, with the sprinkler system activated.  Hastings Street was shut down between Columbia and Main while firefighters put out the blaze, but has since reopened.

No one was injured. Gormick says at this time the fire does not appear suspicious.

 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Gurnee, IL – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) Sprinkler puts out trash can fire in hotel room; Small dog found during search

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE — FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED *** On September 25, 2016 at 9:57 a.m., Gurnee Fire Department responded to the Extended Stay Hotel for a True Alarm. Upon arrival, firefighters found that the building was evacuated.

The first engine went to the panel and noted a water-flow on the 3rd floor. Engine 1311 investigated and found water coming from room #302. Engine 1311 made entry and found a trash can fire that had been put out by the sprinkler in the room. A primary search revealed a small dog in the room.

Truck 1331 ventilated the room and Engine 1312 checked for extension and water damage. Rescue 1344 took the panel and had lobby control. Power was shut off to room #302. The sprinkler system was shut down and the hotel posted a fire watch. Hotel management will take care of clean-up and will contact alarm company.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system halts hotel fire started by careless smoking

Careless smoking is suspected after a fire this morning at a Fremont Street hotel forced the evacuation of three floors.

Firefighters responded just before 12:50 a.m. at the Golden Nugget Hotel, 129 Fremont St., according to a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue news release. The fire was reported on the ninth floor of the Carson Tower. The building has 18 floors. Guests on the eighth, ninth, and 10th floors were evacuated.

When firefighters arrived on the ninth floor, they found moderate smoke in the hallway. When they entered the room, they found the fire had already been brought under control because of an automatic fire sprinkler in the room. No one was in the room when firefighters arrived.

Firefighters found a small portion of a mattress was smoldering. There was also damage to the head board on the bed, and the rest of the hotel room had minor smoke damage. Damage was estimated at $10,000.

Investigators said they believe the fire is smoking related. The guest was in bed sleeping when the fire sprinkler activated allowing her to leave without injury.

The hotel returned to normal services within 90 minutes.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Wichita, KS – Cooking fire at high-rise hotel extinguished by sprinkler system

The Wichita Fire Department was busy early Tuesday evening. Fire crews were called out to a high-rise building fire at the Value Place Hotel in the 3400 hundred block of N. Great Plains, near K-96 and Oliver around 6:45 p.m.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Troy, MI – Fire at Korean barbecue restaurant stopped by single sprinkler head

A fire inside the Korean BBQ Dae Jang Keum at 2947 E. Big Beaver demonstrated the importance of commercial sprinkler systems.  According to Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Riesterer the fire was reported at 9:21 pm.

“Upon arrival, firefighters reported that the fire sprinkler system was active, all occupants were out of the building and that the fire had been extinguished. The fire was located in the Korean BBQ restaurant at the west end of this large, one-story strip mall,” Riesterer said.  “Firefighters turned off the water flowing from the sprinkler system. The fire sprinkler system contained the fire damage to the immediate area.  No extension was found in the adjoining spaces. Damage was located in a small dining area in the restaurant. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Damage estimates are incomplete at this time.”

Sprinklers are not required in all restaurants, but because Dae Jang Keum was located in a large strip mall it was necessary.

“The requirement for sprinklers comes from the Michigan Building Code, which is based upon the International Code Council’s Building Code,” Riesterer said.  Factors include height and area limitations, type of materials in the building and the ease of occupant egress.

“The fire was contained to the one space, and only one sprinkler head was used to contain the fire. Had the fire sprinkler system not been in place, patrons may have been injured, and a more severe impact to the community would have been felt with the possible loss of several businesses.  As it is, with a small amount of clean up, Dae Jang Keum should be open for business this week, if not already.”

The benefits of sprinkler systems have been well-documented, including by demonstrations in Rochester Hills and Ferndale.

Watch video of a side by side burn demo with a sprinkler system at http://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/11/22/burn-demo-shows-value-of-residential-sprinklers-video/.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Madison, WI – Overnight restaurant fire contained by sprinkler system; Business reopens next day

An automatic sprinkler system saved a Downtown restaurant from significant damage after a kitchen fire early Wednesday. Aichan Weng, who goes by “Wendy,” said she should have her restaurant, Dragon I, 422 State St., back open by 2 p.m. Thursday after meeting with her insurance adjuster and the city health department. 

Her insurance agent Brad Dillman of Dillman Insurance said Weng just needs to replace a sprinkler head and clean up a bit.   A passerby noticed a fire inside Dragon I just after 12:30 a.m. and called 911, said fire department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster. The caller said the fire was in the back kitchen and that the sprinkler system had already been activated.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw the fire and broke a glass door to enter the restaurant, Schuster said in a release.  In the kitchen, they found a large pot with something burning inside and around it. They believe what was burning was a plastic cutting board laid on top of the pot while the stove burner was still set on “low,” she said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire, and turned off the burner and the automatic sprinklers. “Fire damage had been well contained thanks to the automatic sprinkler,” Schuster said, adding that there was no water damage to the restaurant because of a floor drain under the activated sprinkler head.

Weng, who also owns Ichiban on Park Street, bought Dragon I in 2014 from Ray Sze, who also used to own Nam’s Noodle restaurant on Regent Street.  She said she couldn’t yet put a price tag on any damage to the restaurant. “It’s no big deal,” she said. “It’s so lucky there are no big problems.”

The 4-year-old Dragon I serves all types of Southeast Asian cuisine: Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian. It also offers some Korean, Japanese and Chinese selections.