Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Toronto, ON – Hotel sprinkler system stops storage room fire; No injuries

Hotel guests were out on the street after a fire at the Fairmont Royal York hotel late on Sunday night.

A couch in a third-floor storage room caught fire around 11:45 p.m. Luckily, the heat and smoke activated the sprinkler system, and the fire was quickly extinguished.

“Damage was minimal,” Toronto fire district chief Mike Swift said.

One hotel guest got a little wet while making his escape: “The water was running out of the roof. We walked through the water to get out of there.”

Not all guests had to evacuate the building. Others stayed warm in the lobby. Everyone has been allowed back in and no injuries have been reported.

It’s not yet clear how the fire started. Only the couch was damaged.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Horseheads, NY – Sprinkler system and quick-thinking manager stop fire at Outback Steakhouse

The Outback Steakhouse at 200 Colonial Drive in Horseheads closed Sunday following an electrical fire at about 12:30 a.m.

Bill Degraw, Big Flats Fire Department chief, said the fire was caused by the failure of an electronic label printer, and nobody was hurt. He added the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire before officials arrived on the scene.

The fire remained isolated to one small wall in the facility and caused minor damage, said restaurant proprietor Dan Collins.

A manager on duty who was in the restaurant when the fire started “saved the day,” Collins said.

He unplugged the equipment that was on fire and then called 911, Collins said. He also insured all of the restaurant employees working at the time made it out of the restaurant safely.

Collins said the restaurant will open again after its sprinklers are reinspected by a fire marshal.

The Outback Steakhouse is scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Monday, according to director of media and community relations for Bloomin’ Brands Elizabeth Watts.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Phoenix, AZ – Nightclub fire doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

*** Blog Editor Note – The tragic Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island occurred 13 years ago this month.  It claimed 100 lives ***

A rockabilly band set fire to the floor of the Rebel Lounge Saturday, triggering the venue’s sprinkler system and forcing the venue to close until Wednesday.

Los Angeles band Three Bad Jacks, which judging from their press photo appears to be as straight-up rockabilly as you can imagine, complete with a singer named Elvis, has a history of using fire in their live shows, but this one appeared to go downhill fast.

Instagram user evilchavo was there Saturday night. Evilchavo posted videos of the incident, which appear to show singer Elvis Suissa pouring a bottle of lighter fluid onto a raging fire just in front of the stage. After a rather robust squirt, the flames appear to get five or six feet high. Everyone in the crowd cheers. But then the second video shows the aftermath. Everyone is cheering until the venue’s sprinkler system kicks in, instantly turning cheers into gasps of shock as the sprinklers douse the flames — and everyone in attendance.

 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Sioux City, IA – No injuries at McDonald’s restaurant after fire is extinguished by sprinkler system

Crews were called just before 5 p.m. to a grease fire in the McDonald’s store on Sunnybrook Drive in Morningside. When they arrived the fire was mostly already out thanks to automatic sprinkler systems in the restaurant, but the store was still filled with smoke.

Firefighters say the cause of that fire is unknown at this time. “We had a fire in the kitchen, unknown origin at this time, fire has been extinguished,” said Capt. Richard Andersen, Sioux City fire department. “We are waiting for the fire prevention bureau to show up, to do an investigation. At that time they will determine what the cause is. And we will turn the building back to the owners and they can start cleanup process to reopen the building.”

Everyone in the store evacuated safely before firefighters arrived. At this time damage appears to be confined to the store’s fryers.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Fayetteville, NC – Sprinklers contain hotel fire started by unattended cigarette

The Fayetteville Fire Department responded to the Red Roof Inn on Bordeaux Park Drive Thursday morning for a fire alarm call.

Cleaning crews saw black smoke coming from a room after the fire alarm was activated.

According to Battalion Chief Richard Whiteside, fire crews arrived shortly after 11:00 a.m. to find around twelve guests and workers evacuating the four-story hotel. When firefighters entered the hotel, they found smoke throughout the third floor hallway.

Investigators determined a hotel guest checked out, but left an unattended cigarette behind.

Whiteside said the sprinkler system contained the fire to one room. No injuries were reported.

The Fayetteville Fire and Emergency Management Department was assisted by the Cumberland Road Fire Department.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Louetta, TX – Early morning fire at Comfort Suites motel limited by sprinkler system

The fire broke out about 3:30 a.m. at the Comfort Suites motel on Highway 249 near Louetta, said Ricky Bange of the Klein Fire Department. Bange said when firefighters arrived guests were evacuated and the building was searched to make sure everyone got out safely. He said firefighters found the blaze had erupted in a third-floor room. The motel’s sprinkler system had doused the flames. But smoke lingered in the building. The fire did not spread to any other parts of the motel.

The guest who was staying in the room were the fire began was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The person’s condition was not released. Bange said investigators determined the fire started in the room’s air-conditioning unit.

It was a hectic morning for guests. One hotel patron, Carl Wiedenfeld, said he was asleep in his third-floor room when he woke to the blaring fire alarm. Then his friend who was also staying at the motel called him on the telephone and told him about the fire.

Wiedenfeld, of Port Arthur, said he opened his door to leave his room but smoke filled the hallway. He closed the door, soaked a towel in water and pressed to his face like a gas mask. Then he dashed into the smokey hallway, hurried to the fire escape and safely got outside. In town on business, he appeared unfazed and philosophical about the ordeal as he stood outside the building.

“It’s not your normal hotel stay,” Wiedenfeld said.

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.