Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Ocean City, MD – Restaurant fire extinguished by sprinkler system; Business reopens same day

A mid-morning fire was quickly extinguished thanks to fire sprinklers and a kitchen extinguishing system yesterday. Just before 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 29, the Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched to an automatic fire alarm at The Crab Bag Restaurant located on 130th Street.

Firefighters arrived and found the two story restaurant evacuated and the fire alarm system ringing. Upon entry into the building, firefighters discovered one single fire sprinkler actively flowing water near the propane oven. In the kitchen area and upstairs, crews found light smoke conditions and evidence of a fire that had been extinguished by the kitchen extinguishing hood and the fire sprinkler system.

“There is no doubt in my mind that fire protection systems saved lives and property at The Crab Bag,” said Fire Marshal David W. Hartley. “This is one example why the Office of The Fire Marshal maintains our Fire Protection Quality Assurance Program, to ensure all fire protection systems work as intended during an emergency.”

Because of the quick response of the fire sprinklers, employees of The Crab Bag, firefighters, and fire protection contractors, The Crab Bag was able to open for business the same day with an adjusted menu and is expected to be open for a full menu tomorrow.

The on-scene investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office revealed that the fire started as the result of a propane line being damaged with an ignition source in the area. The fire is classified as accidental.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at Aria Hotel

One person suffered smoke inhalation after a fire Wednesday night on the second floor of the Aria Hotel.

Crews were notified around 10:05 p.m. about the alert at the hotel on 3750 Las Vegas Blvd. South, according to a Clark County Fire Department news release. The response included five engines, two truck companies, four rescue units and two battalion chiefs.

The fire was located in a second-floor kitchen. Crews reported the sprinkler system had activated and that the fire was out. Further investigation revealed the fire had been in large dishwashing machine.

The fire was contained to the machine, and there was no extension or damage to the structure itself.

A damage estimate has not been made.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Las Vegas, NV – Restaurant kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

An automatic fire sprinkler system doused a stove fire in a Centennial Hills restaurant Sunday morning. Las Vegas Fire and Rescue said damage was kept to a minimum and there were no reported injuries.

Fire dispatchers received several 911 calls at 10:35 a.m. Sunday that flames and smoke were showing from the roof of the Fire Rock restaurant at 5990 Centennial Center Blvd., near U.S. 95. On arrival, only a haze was showing on the inside of the one-story building. Firefighters discovered there was a fire on the stove, flames and smoke extended up the exhaust pipe from the vent hood over the stove to the roof.

The fire on the stove was extinguished by automatic fire sprinklers. The flames went up the vent pipe to the roof and damaged an air conditioner and some of the roof decking. The restaurant is closed and will remain closed until repairs are made and an inspection is completed by the health department.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Unalaska, AK – Laundry fire at Grand Aleutian Hotel extinguished with help from sprinkler system

The Unalaska Department of Public Safety responded to a fire in the laundry room of the Grand Aleutian Hotel yesterday evening. The 911 call was received shortly before 5 o’clock, and a fire truck was on the scene within 6 minutes.

Deputy Chief Jennifer Shockley said responders found an active fire and black smoke. The building’s sprinkler system had been activated.  “They were able to get in there, determine that the source of the fire was a large commercial dryer, and get the fire put out,” she said. “I want to say the fire was extinguished in less than 10 minutes after they arrived.”

The fire was contained to the laundry room and did not spread anywhere else in the building. Shockley says that water and smoke damage appear to be limited to the laundry room and the surrounding area.

A staff member trained in arson investigation has inspected the scene, and Shockley says there is no reason to believe the fire was anything but an accident.

Hotel guests and staff were already being evacuated when responders arrived, and the emergency response was quick and effective. “It was a rapid response on our part,” Shockley said. “The fire got extinguished rapidly. The hotel had done the things that they needed to do in terms of getting the evacuation started. That’s great, it says really good things about the Grand Aleutian staff and dealing with a fire alarm.”

Of the eight fire and EMS responders at the scene, Shockley especially thanked the six who were volunteers from the community.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Salisbury, MD – Sprinklers contain overnight fire at LaQuinta Inn & Suites; No injuries reported

An early Thursday morning fire at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Salisbury forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, authorities said.  According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the fire broke out at around 1 a.m. in the kitchen storage area of the hotel, located at 300 S. Salisbury Blvd.

An automatic fire alarm went off and a fire sprinkler activated, according to investigators. It took 20 firefighters from the Salisbury Fire Department approximately half an hour to get the blaze under control. However, authorities said the sprinkler activation contained the fire to the area of origin.

There were no reported injuries. The fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to the structure and another $500 in damage to its contents.  Authorities ruled the fire accidental and said it was caused by the spontaneous combustion of dish towels. 

The hotel was at full capacity at the time of the fire with several hundred occupants, according to Salisbury Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Records. Records also mentioned that many of the people at the hotel were there because of the USSSA softball tournament happening in Salisbury this week. Just about everyone evacuated the hotel on their own without any incidents, but Records said firefighters doing a sweep from room to room had to escort a handful of people, and a few dogs, out of the hotel.

Everyone was let back inside the hotel by around 2:30 a.m. Records added that the hotel would not be serving its usual continental breakfast Thursday morning as the kitchen would remain closed until the Health Department could come to expect it.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Harwich, MA – Fire at Cape Cod resort doused by sprinkler system

Shortly before 2 p.m., Harwich Fire-Rescue responded to a fire alarm from The Wequassett Resort & Golf Club on Route 28. While enroute, additional information was received of a possible kitchen fire at The Twenty Eight Atlantic Restaurant located at the Resort, which upgraded the alarm to a line box including apparatus and firefighters from Chatham and Brewster Fire. Upon arrival Harwich Firefighters found the fire in the kitchen had been contained by sprinklers, thus averting a potentially serious situation, and downgraded the response to a first alarm assignment, canceling the incoming additional towns.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it appeared that aerosol cans stored too close to a heat source ignited which activated the sprinkler and alarm system. Firefighters stretched a single hand-line as a precaution and removed the box of aerosol cans and a commercial oven to the outside of the structure. The fire scene was secured and turned back to the Resort with all units clearing within the hour.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Spartanburg, SC – Sprinkler system activates after explosion at Sleep Inn motel

Several fire department were called to a motel Saturday night after reports of an explosion that came from one of the rooms,the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said.

County dispatchers said crews were called out to the Sleep Inn on South Blackstock Road in Spartanburg County just after 6 p.m.

Deputies said the motel was evacuated and the house sprinkler system was activated.

The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time, and deputies said there is no indication it was a result of a meth lab, officials said.

The Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Billings, MT – Sprinkler system limits spread of fire in bakery’s ventilation system

A Tuesday morning fire in the company’s Grand Avenue location damaged the main bakery operation, but it will only be temporary, said owner Bill Harrison. The small fire started in the ventilation system, he said. That triggered the sprinklers, and now a cleanup effort is underway. But the business is without bagels, for now.

The downtown Grand Bagel location gets its staple supply from the bakery at 2135 Grand Ave. Until everything is up and running again, the downtown shop will remain open with sandwiches, sweet rolls, biscuits and other menu items. The Grand Avenue shop is normally open on a limited basis to customers but will resume operation after the cleanup effort, Harrison said. The damage didn’t affect the front end severely.

“It was mostly isolated to our ovens area where our equipment is,” Harrison Said. He added that the main equipment will need cleaning and not replacement. They’re working with a damage restoration company, and a public health inspector was scheduled to check the space on Thursday, he said.

It’s unknown when full bagel baking will resume. Prior to the incident, business had been good, Harrison said. There had been growth in business at the Grand Avenue location, even with limited hours. The downtown business is steady. “Downtown is doing well,” he said. “It doesn’t fluctuate a whole lot. We appreciate the customer loyalty a lot.”

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Omaha, NE – Sprinkler system activates to help limit damage in overnight restaurant fire

A fire early Wednesday in the kitchen of an Old Market restaurant did not appear to cause significant damage. But the blaze set off smoke alarms and a sprinkler system and forced the evacuation of a nearby nightclub, according to initial 911 dispatch reports.

Roja Mexican Grill, 1212 Harney St., was closed when the fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. Police helped evacuate people from Parliament Pub.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

St. George, UT – Sprinkler system keep fire from spreading at Olive Garden restaurant

Dinner was interrupted late Friday evening when a fire broke out at Olive Garden Restaurant, triggering a heavy response from the St. George Fire Department and a quick evacuation by restaurant staff. No injuries were reported.

Just after 10 p.m. firefighters and emergency personnel were dispatched to a fire reported at Olive Garden Restaurant, located at 1340 E. 170 South St. George. Upon arrival firefighters observed heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building, St. George Fire Department Battalion Chief Darren Imlay said.

The heavy smoke activated the fire alarm initially, Imlay said, which also activated the emergency sprinkler system within a few minutes. The sprinkler system partially extinguished the fire.

“That system did what it was designed to do,” Imlay said.

Firefighters then entered and fully extinguished the area that was still actively burning, he said, and began ventilating the building to remove the smoke.

Meanwhile, the alarm sounded throughout the restaurant which initiated an evacuation, Imlay said.

“The restaurant staff did a great job of evacuating the customers safely, which resulted in no reported injuries during the incident,” Imlay said.

Many customers remained in the parking lot while firefighters extinguished the fire and some folks simply finished their meal or dessert outside as they watched the activity, Bryce Berry said. Berry was dining with friends when the alarm sounded. After being evacuated, the group gathered outside to watch the activity.

“Everybody was calm and just eating in the parking lot,” Berry said, “I’ve never been in a restaurant that caught fire before.”

Rhode Island resident Patrick Flanigan was dining with family and had just started ordering when the alarm sounded. At first they thought it was a false alarm, he said, but quickly realized it wasn’t a drill once they observed the staff going from table to table advising customers of the fire and the need to evacuate.

“It didn’t seem urgent at the time,” Flanigan said, “because they got us out so quickly.” 

It wasn’t until Flanigan and his family were out in the parking lot and saw all the smoke that they realized it was an actual fire, he said.

Flanigan and his family stopped at Olive Garden during a road trip to help his sister move, he said, adding they were on their way to Fort Collins, Colorado.

“Yes, we just pulled off the freeway to eat dinner here, before continuing on with the road trip,” Luva Flanigan, Patrick’s mother, said.

The fire damage was contained to a small service area, but there was also damage to the building from smoke and water, Imlay said.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. A full investigation will begin after the building has been completely cleared of smoke, Imlay added.

The Olive Garden management staff were unable to comment.

St. George Fire Department sent six fire engines and one ladder truck to the scene. Gold Cross Ambulance responded and remained at the restaurant in the event there were any injuries.