Category Archives: Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Chehalis, WA – Restaurant sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading to other businesses

A fire Tuesday night at a restaurant in Chehalis’ Twin City Town Center left one business with fire damage and two more with water damage, but Chehalis Fire Department Chief Ken Cardinale said it could have been a different story altogether.

“The sprinkler system actually kept the fire in check,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the sprinkler system, the damage would have been far, far worse. … It would have most likely spread to the adjacent businesses.”

Fire crews responded at 8:22 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a fire alarm activation at the Twin City Town Center on Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis, according to Lewis County 911 records. 

While firefighters were on the way, they started getting reports of water flowing out of the affected business, then smoke.

“Just prior to arriving they saw a column coming up which bumped it up to a second alarm response,” Cardinale said. 

Fire crews from Napavine to Thurston County responded, he said, and entered the Kobo Teriyaki building to find an active fire. The sprinkler system had kept the fire controlled, and firefighters quickly extinguished what remained. Crews were on site until about 11:45 p.m.

This is a huge point,” Cardinale said. 

While builders might cringe at the added cost of a fire suppression system, Cardinale said, it doesn’t cost as much as they might think, and can potentially save a building in the event of a fire. 

“Actually on residential new construction it only adds an additional 50 cents per square foot for a home,” he said. “The advantages of a sprinkler system is over 90 percent of the time if an occupancy has a sprinkler system and the fire does occur it will keep the fire in its incipient stage, or small stage, until firefighters arrive.”

Kobo Teriyaki’s building was damaged by the fire and smoke, and neighboring Rue 21 and PetSense both suffered water damage. 

Cardinale said investigators were on the scene Wednesday morning, and that the preliminary investigation points to the fire being electrical in nature. 

The fire likely caused $30,000 to $50,000 in damage, he added. 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Vancouver, WA – Fire sprinklers keep fire from spreading at local restaurant

A fire Wednesday morning set off a sprinkler system inside Lindo Mexico in east Vancouver, drenching the restaurant.

Staff has worked hard over the past two days, and the restaurant plans to reopen Friday morning.

“We were here from early morning (Wednesday) to 6 or 7 p.m., and then all day today cleaning everything up,” waiter Alex Armeta said.

The sprinkler system flooded the business with a couple inches of water but prevented the fire from spreading, Armeta said.

Vancouver firefighters were dispatched shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday to the Bridgeport Retail Center at 316 S.E. 123rd Ave., for a report of a water flow alarm.

The first fire crew to arrive found water on the floor and smoke in Lindo Mexico, Vancouver Fire Department firefighter Eva Scherer said. Crews requested an upgrade to a commercial fire response for additional resources, she said.

One occupant evacuated from the restaurant, and businesses adjacent to the restaurant were also evacuated as a precaution, Scherer said.

Firefighters extinguished a wood stove that was burning and noted several sprinkler head activations in the restaurant and water throughout the structure.  They remained on scene to help with water removal from the building.

Fire damage was confined to a garbage can, pull station for a kitchen hood fire extinguishing system, nearby supplies and a serving counter, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said. There was water and smoke damage throughout the rest of the suite, but no other businesses were affected, Scarpelli said.

The fire was caused when the business owner placed ashes from the wood pellet-fired stove into a garbage can in the kitchen. The owner then left the restaurant to get supplies and returned after fire crews had arrived, according to the fire marshal.

The incident caused $58,510 worth of damage, Scarpelli said. The sprinklers likely saved about $5.8 million in potential total loss to the building and its contents, she said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Pearl River, NY – Sprinkler system contains fire at local pizzeria

The Pearl River Fire Department responded to the call around 3:22 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, at Sorrento’s Restaurant at 54 N. Middletown Road in Pearl River in a shopping plaza, the department said on Facebook.

Once on the scene, firefighters found heavy smoke conditions in the building and sprinkler activation inside the restaurant.

After forcing their way into the restaurant, crews were able to douse the flames in the kitchen area and return to the station by 5:30 a.m.

The building received heavy smoke and water damage.

No word on when the restaurant will be able to reopen.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Corpus Christi, TX – Fire sprinklers help put out fire at local restaurant

Flames broke out at a popular thai food restaurant during the early morning hours on Tuesday. The Corpus Christi Fire Department was called to the BKK thai kitchen and bar in the Lamar Park Shopping Center to investigate reports of smoke. The call came in around 3:00 a.m. Tuesday of smoke pouring from the business.

When firefighters got to the scene, they saw the smoke and had to track down the flames. The fire was contained to a storage room in the back of the restaurant. Fire officials say a ceiling sprinkler system helped to contain the fire to the area and ultimately helped firefighters put out the flames. 

A fire investigator was called to the scene to try and determine a cause.

Some neighboring stores did have smoke damage. There is no word when the restaurant will open back up.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Rockland, MA – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading after women drives through front of pizza shop

A Massachusetts woman has been charged with operating under the influence after she police say crashed her car through the facade of a pizza shop in Rockland late Sunday.

The car ended up completely inside Mike’s Pizza at 315 Union St. after the crash, which happened around 11:50 p.m. The vehicle was on fire before firefighters doused the flames, authorities said.

The driver, identified as 40-year-old Rockland resident Lauren Hutcheon, was out of the vehicle by the time officers arrived. She received aid before being taken to a local hospital, police said.

Neighbors Jason Webb and his fiancee said they heard the crash and came running to help.

“I’m looking out my window and saw flames before I even got her out of the car,” Webb said. “It was instant flames.”

Before crews even arrived, the restaurant’s sprinkler system went off and helped keep the flames from spreading.

“She actually opened the driver side door herself, threw herself on the ground and screamed, ‘help me, help me,’ as we were running up there,” Webb said.

Hutcheon was charged with speeding, failure to stop, negligent operation and driving under the influence, among other charges.

Firefighters arrived at the pizza shop shortly after midnight and successfully extinguished the flames, searched the building and temporarily evacuated the apartments above the shop, according to the Rockland Fire Department.

Ron Lopes, the owner of the pizza shop, had to close Monday due to the damage. He said he’s just glad nobody was inside the restaurant when the crash happened.

“Glad nobody was hurt,” Lopes said. “It’s mostly just a mess.”

Lopes said he hopes to have the doors back open before Halloween.

Hutcheon is expected to appear in court sometime in the next few weeks.

“Luckily she wasn’t hurt more seriously. Three feet to the right she would have hit a steel beam,” Lopes said.

The incident remains under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Winter Park, CO – Kitchen ductwork fire contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A fire in the kitchen ductwork at Casa Mexico caused the evacuation of the third floor of the Cooper Creek shopping center in Winter Park on Saturday.

The East Grand Fire District responded to reports of a fire on the roof around 11:40 p.m. Saturday and found smoke inside and outside the restaurant.

The smoke was coming from a small fire in the kitchen ductwork, and crews extinguished the blaze. The exhaust fan on the roof was damaged, but no cooking equipment was harmed by the flames.

However, the restaurant and the former location of Smokin’ Moe’s below it both suffered some water damage when the hood system discharged fire retardant and the sprinkler system came on.

East Grand Fire Chief Todd Holzwarth said the system worked as it was designed to and contained the fire. Crews had the sprinkler system and alarm back in service, as well as all flames out, by 1:10 a.m.

Firefighters suspect grease built up in the ductwork contributed to the fire, but they are not sure what ignited it. The restaurant closes at 10 p.m.

Owner Esteban Rocha said the restaurant would remain closed for repairs and wasn’t yet sure how long that would take. He said he is just glad no one was hurt.

Staff living on the third floor of the building were evacuated, but there were no injuries related to the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Office Building, Other Business, Restaurant

Chicago, IL – Fire at high-rise contained by fire sprinklers; no injuries reported

No one was injured Thursday when a fire broke out at a Starbucks along the Chicago River in the West Loop.

Firefighters were called about 12:20 p.m. for a fire in the coffee shop in the lobby of the high-rise at 150 N. Riverside Plaza, according to Chicago Fire Dept. spokesman Larry Langford.

“The fire was contained to the Starbucks, and it looks like everything is under control,” Langford said. He said the sprinkler system was engaged and the fire was put out within the hour.

A preliminary investigation indicates the fire may have started in the brewing machine or dishwasher, Langford said.

Several ambulances and fire engines were called to the site as a precaution, and crews remained on scene after the fire was extinguished to douse the burned area, Langford said.

Employees in the building were ordered to shelter in their offices, since evacuating a building so large would be unnecessary in this case, Langford said. Some people, however, evacuated on their own.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Langford said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Pekin, IL – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at local pizzeria

The Godfather’s Pizza in Pekin was damaged in an early morning blaze Monday.

Pekin Fire Chief Kurt Nelson said the call came in at 12:44 a.m. Monday from employees who lived in the area. Smoke was seen coming out of the building and first responders found heavy smoke conditions in the kitchen.

Firefighters found a small fire in a closet, which was contained due to the sprinkler system preventing the fire from spreading, Nelson said.

The cause is still under investigation and initial estimated damage is between $10,000 and $25,000.

In a Facebook post by Godfather’s, the company said it’s a landmark location and one of the oldest Godfather’s in the country.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Cortland, NY – Fire that started in restaurant duct work quickly put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

City of Cortland Fire crews yesterday (September 11) responded to an early-afternoon kitchen fire at the Wild Ginger Asian Fusion restaurant on Main Street.

Deputy Chief Wayne Friedman says it started in the ductwork of the restaurant and was put out quickly around 3 p.m. by the building’s sprinkler system.

Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire and damage was kept to a minimum.

The Cortland County Health Department also responded and will now have to clear the restaurant for cleanliness before it can reopen to customers.

It will also follow up on any necessary structural repairs that need to be made.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Sprinkler system keeps kitchen fire under control at Caribbean restaurant

A kitchen fire damaged a Caribbean restaurant in downtown Wilkes-Barre late Saturday night, according to city fire Capt. Robert Smith.

Firefighters responded to an activated fire alarm at Hartman Jerk Center, 72 S. Main St., at about 10:10 p.m. Saturday, according to Smith.

A sprinkler system in the restaurant’s kitchen had mostly extinguished the fire by the time firefighters arrived, Smith said.

The restaurant is closed for now until heat and water damage is cleaned up, according to Smith. He said he did not know how long the restaurant would need to remain closed.

The cause of the fire had not been determined as of Sunday night, but firefighters had no reason to believe it is suspicious, Smith said.