Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Wauwatosa, WI – Laundry dryer fire at Dave & Buster’s contained by sprinkler system; 2nd save in Wauwatosa in one week

For the second time in a week, a functioning sprinkler system is credited with preventing significant fire damage to a Wauwatosa business.

The Wauwatosa Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm at Dave & Buster’s, 2201 N. Mayfair Road, around 2:10 a.m. Jan. 25. Fire crews found smoke in the business’ kitchen and storage area and found a large, commercial dryer with an active fire inside, according to a news release.

The fire was quickly extinguished by fire crews, according to the release. An automatic fire sprinkler system contained the fire and smoke damage to the area using just one sprinkler head.

The exact cause of the fire is unknown but appears to have started with the contents inside the dryer. The Wauwatosa Health Department was contacted and assisted the business owner with cleaning requirements for reopening the kitchen.

Damage estimates were not immediately available. Dave & Buster’s was able to reopen by lunch time Monday

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant, Retail

Hermosa Beach, CA – Sprinkler system helps control pizza shop fire; Neighboring businesses spared

The Hermosa Beach Fire Department responded to a fire inside Pedone’s Pizza and Italian Food, near 14th Street, about 6 a.m., said HBFD Capt. Mike Garofano. Authorities were alerted to the fire by an alarm linked to the restaurant’s automatic sprinkler system, Garofano said. Four engines, one truck and a battalion chief from HBFD responded to the blaze, and the sprinkler system was keeping the fire in check when they arrived.

Because the business was closed, firefighters had to break down the business’ front door to fight the fire, Garofano said. Units from fire departments in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance arrived shortly thereafter, and the group knocked down the fire after about 15 minutes. As of 9 a.m. Monday morning, Pedone’s was sealed off with red caution tape. There were no visible marks to the exterior, but the smell of burnt wood lingered in the air.

Pedone’s Pizza is one of several businesses located in the structure at 1332 Hermosa Ave., including a Pilates studio across a common hallway, but damage from the fire was confined to the restaurant, Garofano said. No one was injured in the blaze.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, Garofano said. Standard procedure requires bringing in an arson investigator to examine heat signatures and determine the blaze’s point of origin. Initial examination suggests an electrical fire, but this has not been confirmed

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Stillwater, OK – Sprinklers prevent overnight fire from spreading at popular restaurant

A small kitchen fire at El Vaquero early Sunday morning has forced the restaurant to temporarily close. A pot with oil in it was left on a lit gas burner after all the employees had gone home for the day, according to General Manager Gustavo Villasenor, who Monday said he may need to get more strict with his closing procedures.

The hood above the stove and ventilation system suffered the brunt of the damage from the fire, which started about midnight Sunday morning, about an hour after the last employee had left for the night. Villasenor said a sprinkler system above the stove turned on and prevented the fire from spreading.

Fire Marshal Neal Moore said the fire was pretty much out when firefighters arrived on scene. This isn’t the first time the business has been impacted by fire.

A 2003 electrical fire in the walls of the Mexican restaurant forced them to close for a year as they worked to rebuild the front of the building. “I feel fortunate that it wasn’t worse and that everybody is okay,” Villasenor said.

If all goes well with the cleanup effort and minor repairs, Villasenor said he hopes to reopen Wednesday evening or Thursday in time for lunch.

Restaurant, Shopping Mall

Las Vegas, NV – Fire in mall food court extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Las Vegas firefighters said they are investigating after a fire broke out at the food court in Meadows Mall Friday. The incident occurred Friday morning at Panda Express, located inside the mall on 4300 Meadows Lane. The fire department said the fire sprinkler put out a grill top fire. No injuries were reported, the fire department said.

Other Business, Restaurant

Wauwatosa, WI – Small businesses spared damage after water heater catches fire

An automatic fire sprinkler system Monday spared three businesses in Wauwatosa from a potentially devastating blaze that would have closed the businesses for a significant length of time, according to the city’s fire department. Shortly before 9 a.m., a gas-fed water heater near a ceiling started on fire at Jersey Mike’s Subs, 2571 N. Mayfair Road, according to a news release from the Wauwatosa Fire Department.

According to the release, an employee who noticed the fire warned workers in a neighboring business to evacuate but the fire was controlled by the sprinkler system before firefighters arrived. Water damage occurred in the three businesses.  However, there was little fire damage and the neighboring businesses were expected to reopen within hours, according to the release.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Centennial, CO – Fire caused by faulty heater at Towne Place Suites hotel contained with help from sprinkler system

A faulty heater has been blamed for igniting a fire inside an unoccupied room at a hotel that sent three deputies to the hospital. The fire started at the Towne Place Suites located at 7877 S. Chester St. about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.  South Metro Fire Rescue confirmed three deputies with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office suffered smoke inhalation after helping people evacuate the hotel.

A malfunctioning heater in an unoccupied room started the fire. “The building has smoke alarms and a sprinkler system which is helpful but smoke is really very dangerous so getting people out quickly was the number one priority for everyone on scene,” said South Metro Fire Rescue spokeswoman Becky O’Guin.  The fire was contained to one room.  No one else was hurt.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Fargo, ND – Single sprinkler puts out dryer fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A dryer fire forced guests outside Monday morning at Expressway Suites, 4303 17th Avenue South in Fargo. Fire Department Battalion Chief Lee Soeth says the smoke was limited to the first floor of the hotel, but as a precaution, guests were evacuated for about 20 minutes. The small fire set off one sprinkler and put out the fire quickly. Soeth says crews stayed on scene to clear out the smoke and mop up water. A damage assessment is not available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Prescott, AZ – Room fire at La Quinta Inn extinguished by sprinkler system

The Prescott Regional Communications Center received multiple notifications of smoke coming from a hotel room and the fire alarm sounding at the La Quinta Inn and Suites Conference Center, 4499 E. Highway 69, at around 10:15 p.m. on Friday Jan. 8, according to a press release from the Prescott Fire Department. It was the second hotel fire in Prescott within two days.

Prescott Fire Department and the Central Yavapai Fire District responded with three truck companies, an engine company, a battalion chief, a division chief, a utility truck and the Prescott Police Department, the release stated.

“Fire personnel made access to the second floor finding a wing that was being remodeled, to find moderate to heavy smoke but no flames,” the release stated. “Upon entering the involved room, they found the fire under control because an automatic fire sprinkler head was flowing water that had extinguished the fire, although there was still electrical arcing taking place in the area.”

Crews assured the fire was fully extinguished by checking wall and ceiling spaces around the fire, the release stated. They remained on the scene for two hours, evacuating water and assisting occupants with retrieving items from six rooms that were deemed unsafe to occupy. The occupants were relocated to another hotel, according to the release.

Investigative efforts determined that a wall heating and cooling unit was involved in the ignition and investigation is currently underway to determine the cause, the release stated. There were no injuries and there is no current estimate for the damage caused

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Brownwood, TX – Christmas day arson fire at McDonald’s put out by sprinkler system

Brownwood Police and Brownwood Fire Marshal Buddy Preston were called to McDonald’s restaurant on Christmas Day, located on E. Commerce in Brownwood, to investigate a burglary and fire. A fire was initially reported at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Friday.  When firefighters arrived, the sprinkler system had put out a small fire which had been started in the manager’s office, according to Preston.  Police were called to investigate a case of burglary as well.

“It appeared that a suspect had broken into the building and set the fire to destroy any evidence of the burglary,” said Brownwood Assistant Chief of Police James Fuller. According to police, an eye witness gave a description of a suspect who was located a short time later.  The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Jerry Herrera, who was arrested after the witness made a positive identification.  Herrera was charged with burglary of a building, arson and possession of a controlled substance penalty group 1 equal or greater than 1 gram less than 4 grams.

Fuller stated, “There was some good work and great luck involved” regarding the quick arrest of the suspect. The arson and burglary are pending further investigation according to police and fire officials.  The fire was small and McDonald’s was open for business on Saturday.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Prescott, AZ – Fire at historic hotel doused by sprinkler system

Twenty to 30 residents of the Downtown Prescott Inn were evacuated mid-day Wednesday, Dec. 23, when fire broke out in one of the rooms. Prescott Fire Battalion Chief Eric Kriwer said the department got the call of fire in a third-floor room in the North Cortez Street hotel (formerly the Head Hotel, built in 1904) just before noon Wednesday.

A fire-sprinkler system in the room doused the fire fairly quickly, Kriwer said, but not before several dozen residents were evacuated from the three-story hotel. The operation required the closure of North Cortez Street, and at about 1:30 p.m., Kriwer said the street closure would likely continue for at least another hour.

Police Chief Jerald Monahan said a number of police officers were on hand to handle the traffic control during the fire operation. “We’re here to support the Fire Department,” he said.

No one was injured in the fire, although two medicals calls occurred at the building at about the same time. Kriwer explained that a fire crew was already on site at the hotel when the department got word of the fire. Then, another medical call occurred in the midst of the fire, although Kriwer did not know the nature of that call.

Although the fire was contained to one room, Kriwer said all of the residents were evacuated. In the aftermath, firefighters were working to secure the building, and get the electricity turned back on. “We haven’t got the power secured yet,” Kriwer explained.

A total of more than 30 fire, police, and Lifeline Ambulance personnel responded to the fire, Kriwer said. A (TIP) Trauma Intervention Program volunteer was also on hand, and Kriwer said, “We will probably have a couple of displaced residents.”

Meanwhile, a group of residents clustered on the sidewalk – many of them bundled with blankets, and wearing flip-flops – waiting to be allowed back into their rooms.

“We’re frozen; we didn’t have time to get socks,” hotel resident Josie Valdez said, waiting on a sidewalk bench. Because her room is on the second floor, Valdez said she didn’t see any sign of the fire when she heard the call to evacuate.

Hotel resident Krista Schmidt, a writer, said she had time to grab only her laptop containing her writing, and a blanket, before leaving her room.

Daiton Rutkowski, who was working in the street-level Keystone Antiques shop Wednesday afternoon, said he had turned 10 to 15 shoppers away, because the Fire Department was not allowing people into the building until the power was restored.

Kriwer said the cause of the fire was still under investigation Wednesday afternoon.