Category Archives: Hotel / Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

New Orleans, LA – Sprinkler system activated for roof fire at brewery; No injuries reported

A two-alarm fire damaged the roof of the Faubourg Brewing Co. late Friday night (March 24), the New Orleans Fire Department said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but brewery personnel told the NOFD that contractors had been on site earlier Friday performing roofing repairs.

“There were no injuries reported and an investigation will be conducted to determine whether the roofing work was the actual cause of the fire,” the NOFD said in a news release.

The fire was reported at 10:26 p.m. Firefighters arrived at 10:39 p.m. and sounded a second alarm for more personnel at 10:48 p.m. Twelve NOFD units carrying 38 firefighters responded to battle the fire.

The NOFD said all night shift employees of the brewery had been evacuated from the building. According to a shift manager, shortly after a fire alarm went off, employees noticed smoke permeating from the ceiling. The heat generated by the roof fire set off the building’s sprinkler alarm system.

Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson is the principal owner of the brewing company. She and late husband Tom Benson bought the majority stake in the former Dixie Brewing in 2017 and brought the brand back from out of state, after it had relocated following Hurricane Katrina. The new brewery opened in New Orleans East and started production in late 2019.

The enterprise was renamed the Faubourg Brewing Co. in 2020 and produces six flagship beers. It was not immediately clear whether production will be impacted by Friday night’s fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Oak Bluffs, MA – Sprinkler system contains fire at restaurant

A fire that started early Sunday morning has damaged an Oak Bluffs restaurant that was planning to open this spring.

At 3:48 a.m., Oak Bluffs fire crews responded to 6 Circuit avenue after a report of smoke detectors going off, said deputy fire chief Stephen Foster. When firefighters arrived they found smoke coming from the basement of the building.

The location is the former space occupied by The Cardboard Box, where Mikado is planning to open its second Island restaurant and the building has been undergoing renovations.

A sprinkler in the building largely contained the fire, which, according to fire chief Nelson Wirtz, was caused by the careless disposal of smoking materials, Mr. Foster said.

Firefighters found a box with rags in the building and believe the fire started there before spreading to a wooden table.

Fire crews from Tisbury and Edgartown aided Oak Bluffs at the fire, Mr. Foster said. The building, which had about a foot and a half of water in it, was then ventilated. Residents who live above the restaurant were able to return to their apartments.

“We were lucky to have the fire mainly knocked down,” Mr. Foster said. “The sprinkler system did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

Firefighters were staying on Circuit avenue throughout Sunday to monitor the building.

Mikado got approvals from the town in January to open the Oak Bluffs restaurant. The unit was formerly home to the Cardboard Box.

Proprietor Xi Yu had previously said he planned to open the new location on April 1. A request for comment to the business was not immediately returned Sunday. 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system contains fire at hotel; No injuries reported

The Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire at Hampton In Hotel on Meeting St. Wednesday afternoon.

Charleston Police officials said the call came in at 12:54 p.m.

Crews have gotten the fire under control and ventilated the building.

Investigators are on the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

CFD says the fire sprinkler system was activated to contain the fire. No injuries were reported.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Airdrie, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in restaurant

A fire broke out at Moody’s Mediterranian Restaurant late in the evening on Wednesday, Feb. 1, but the building’s sprinkler system thankfully prevented it from spreading, saving the restaurant and other businesses located in the commercial building. 

The Airdrie Fire Department (AFD) received notification of the sprinkler system going off at about 11:28 p.m. on February 1, when all businesses in the buildings had closed and everyone had gone home. 

Crews had to forcibly enter the restaurant, which is located on the bottom floor of a two-story commercial building. 

They encountered heavy smoke and limited visibility, but soon were able to determine that a single overhead sprinkler had extinguished most of the fire and prevented it from spreading. 

AFD deputy chief Garth Rabel said the building’s sprinkler system fulfilled its exact purpose. 

“The sprinkler system did exactly what it is supposed to do. It was a single sprinkler head over the site of the fire,” said Rabel. 

“When it activated, that sets off a monitored system that activated the 9-1-1 system that got us on the way to the call,” he said. 

“This was a single sprinkler head over the site of the fire that held it in check until our team could get there. That’s exactly how a good commercial fire ops works.” 

While the business will require repairs from both the fire and likely water from the sprinkler, Rabel said the sprinkler was what kept the building safe. 

“The true damage is without a sprinkler system, when the fire is able to take hold. That’s where huge damage happens,” he said. 

“Sprinkler systems don’t damage buildings, they save them.” 

Crews extinguished what remained, and then went to work venting the smoke, using a thermal imaging camera to make sure that the fire didn’t affect other parts of the building. 

Moody’s is now closed for the foreseeable future while they work with the Fire Prevention Bureau and their insurance company, but all other businesses in the building were able to return to operations the following day. 

“The team ensured that it stayed compartmentalized. Everything stayed within that one business,” said Rabel. 

“The team checked the rest of the building for any extension of fire or smoke and found nothing.” 

12 firefighters in total were on-scene for the situation, including members from all three local fire stations and a platoon chief. 

The entire response took about three-and-a-half hours, with crews remaining on scene until about 2 a.m. 

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Grantsboro, NC – Sprinkler system activated for fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Multiple departments in Pamlico and Craven Counties were responding to a fire at a restaurant in Grantsboro Monday morning.

The fire was at The Great Wall restaurant, next to Food Lion.

The sprinkler system kept the fire under control, according to a responding fire marshal. Crews got on the scene and doused the flames that were confined to the kitchen, although the kitchen did receive significant damage. Crews had to break the front and back doors to get into the restaurant.

There was no damage to the rest of the plaza.

No one was reported as hurt.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

New Philadelphia, OH – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at Burger King; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire has temporarily closed the Burger King at 110 Blue Bell Dr. NW.

Firefighters from multiple municipalities responded at 5:26 a.m. The fire was accidental, according to Capt. Jim Shultz of the New Philadelphia Fire Department.

“We can’t rule out electrical or grease. Initially, an employee turned on the fryers and the hood vent, went back to get food from the freezers and upon returning saw fire coming out from behind the fryer. Their extinguishing system tripped, and the sprinkler system then went off and held the fire in check until our guys could put it out. It had extended up into the ceiling.”

Employees from Burger King could be seen loading up a rental vehicle with food to be transferred to other locations.

A woman, who identified herself as the store manager but would not give her name, said employee were being moved to other nearby Burger King locations, estimating this location could be shut down for months.

A corporate representative from Burger King on scene declined to comment on the situation.

Firefighters from New Philadelphia, Dover, Uhrichsville and medics from Smith Ambulance all responded.

No injuries were reported.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Madison, GA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in restaurant kitchen

One of Madison’s most popular restaurants, Ricardo’s Kouzzina, is closed temporarily after a kitchen fire broke out on Tuesday, Nov. 1, damaging floors and essential equipment necessary to operate the upscale eatery.

According to Owner Ricardo Casillas, a gas hose connected to one of the stoves combusted and burst into flames during the end of the lunch rush on Nov. 1.

“It was around 1:30 p.m. when the fire broke out. It got bad but we were able to evacuate all of our customers and employees quickly,” said Casillas.

According to Casillas, the restaurant’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before it spread too far beyond the kitchen. However, there is also water damage to parts of the kitchen and dining areas due to the sprinklers.

“The fire mostly damaged flooring and kitchen equipment,” said Casillas. “There was also some damage to the floors in the dining area where servers prepare drinks.”

Casillas is hoping to reopen the restaurant to the public by Nov. 17, but is not certain if that is possible.

“That’s the hope, it could be sooner or longer. It’s not really up to me,” said Casillas. “We are working with different contractors on the repairs and replacing equipment. It’s just such a busy time and a lot of contractors are behind. But we are doing everything we can and working hard to reopen to the public as soon as possible.”

Ricardo’s Kouzzina is located at 271 West Washington St. in Madison. The downtown restaurant is known for its seafood cuisine, Italian dishes, and family-friendly atmosphere.

Casillas moved to the United States from Mexico in the 1980s, first to California and eventually finding his way to Georgia in the mid-1990s. He has been a long-time chef in Athens and Madison, operating different restaurant ventures before opening Ricardo’s Kouzzina in 2013. 

Casillas said he is thankful for the community support and patience as he and his staff work to repair the restaurant after the fire.

“We look forward to opening again and getting back to what we do best,” said Casillas.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Chillicothe, MO – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at Comfort Inn and Suites; No injuries reported

A fire Saturday morning at Comfort Inn and Suites in Chillicothe was contained to one room, although there was smoke and water damage to a hallway and several other rooms.

Chillicothe Fire Chief Eric Reeter said a sprinkler system extinguished the blaze after a maintenance crew in the hotel attempted to use a fire extinguisher but were not successful.

While firefighters were en route to the blaze, the police department advised officers were on the scene, stating there was a fire in room 304. Officers had evacuated occupants from the building by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported.

Chillicothe firefighters were on the scene for nearly two and one-half hours. An investigation was underway by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s office.

Comfort Inn and Suites is located at 250 East Business Highway 36 in Chillicothe.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Summerville, SC – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Summerville Fire officials say a local restaurant sustained extensive heat and water damage Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in the kitchen.

No injuries were reported.

Crews were dispatched to Mad Fish restaurant at 1580 Trolley Rd. around 5:30 a.m. for reports of smoke in the area.

Upon arrival, smoke was observed coming from the restaurant and crews upgraded the call to a structure fire.

Firefighters forced entry into the building and found fire in the kitchen had activated the sprinkler system.

In addition to damage to Mad Fish, smoke spread to adjoining businesses.

Fire crews are expected to be on scene Tuesday morning with one lane of Trolley Road closed.

The cause will be investigated, fire officials said.

Mad Fish is located in the Ridgeway Plaza.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire at a Roanoke restaurant has been ruled by investigators to be electrical.

Roanoke Fire-EMS was called late the morning of September 17 to the fire on the 100 block of Campbell Avenue SE in downtown Roanoke. Crews found there had been a fire at the front of a restaurant, Cedars Lebanese Restaurant, activating the building’s sprinkler system, which put out the fire.

No injuries were reported.

Damages to the building and its contents are estimated to be $13,000, according to fire investigators.