Category Archives: Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Maryville, TN – Sprinkler system helps firefighters put out possible arson fire at BBQ restaurant

A fire that disrupted dinner Buddy’s Bar-B-Q in Maryville Saturday evening may have been deliberately set, according to Maryville Police Department. Maryville Fire Department received reports of a small fire at Buddy’s Bar-B-Q, 2020 Bridgeway Drive, at 7:58 p.m. Saturday. The first Maryville units arrived on the scene within three minutes, and firefighters quickly had the situation in hand.  According to Maryville police and fire chief Tony Crisp, the fire started in a toilet paper dispenser in the women’s bathroom. The fire appeared to have been deliberately set, Crisp said, and police are investigating it as an arson.  The restaurant’s sprinkler system did its job, Crisp added, kicking in and extinguishing much of the blaze by the time firefighters arrived on the scene.  Although the restaurant was evacuated during the crisis, the fire was ultimately contained within the bathroom. Crisp said the damage was relegated to a section of bathroom wall.  No one was hurt in the incident. The arson investigation is ongoing, as Crisp said there are currently no suspects

Other Business, Restaurant

Vaughan, ON, Canada – Suspicious overnight fire at bakery is kept from spreading by sprinkler system

A bakery in Vaughan was heavily damaged in what appears to be a “suspicious” fire overnight. York Regional Police say there are circumstances around the fire that require further investigation.  “It’s being considered suspicious and further investigation is required to determine the cause,” a YRP duty inspector said.  Fire crews were called to the scene at 10 Buttermill Ave., near Jane Street and Highway 7, just after 1:30 a.m. Vaughan Fire Services were quickly able to extinguish the flames but police say the bakery likely suffered extensive damage.  A sprinkler inside the bakery helped prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent units.  No one was inside the bakery at the time the fire broke out.

A broken window and objects found on the lawn in front of the bakery are part of the evidence in the case. The objects appear to be caps and nozzles for gas cans though officials have yet to confirm that. Police did say that it appears a canister containing an accelerant had been thrown inside.  Investigators with the Fire Marshal’s Office have been called to the scene.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

College Station, TX – Early morning fire at BBQ restaurant controlled by sprinkler system

Rudy’s Barbecue in College Station had a fire scare early Wednesday morning. College Station Fire officials say people saw smoke coming from the building around midnight.  The building’s sprinklers were activated; keep the fire under control until firefighters arrived.  Officials say the fire was contained to the wooden fence outside of the building, and did not damage the inside of the restaurant.   No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Aurora, IL (No Media Coverage) – Kitchen fire at restaurant fully extinguished by one sprinkler head

FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED – NO MEDIA COVERAGE *** At 3:12 a.m. on 3-9-17 the Aurora Fire Department responded to an activated fire alarm at 85 Executive Drive on the city’s far eastside.

Upon arrival firefighters found a restaurant/bar with the fire alarm activated and light smoke seen through the front windows. Upon making entry and upon investigation firefighters found that a small fire started on the cooking surface in the kitchen area which activated one sprinkler head that fully extinguished the fire.

A total of 10 firefighters were on scene and there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.

The total estimated dollar loss is $10,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

St. Charles, MO – Overnight restaurant fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

An overnight fire caused damage to a popular restaurant in St. Charles.  Fire officials were called to Lewis and Clark’s Restaurant on South Main Street after a fire started in the kitchen just after midnight Wednesday.

St. Charles Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Casey said the building’s sprinkler system played a role in keeping the fire under control, but left behind water damage.

“Fire alarm system and sprinkler system really saved this building,” said Chief Casey. “Saved this restaurant, saved this business for the folks down here on South Main.”

The chief also said the concern with the old building was that the wood could burn fast.  “These old buildings, we have a three-story masonry building, been here for years, little worried about fire in void spaces, so we went ahead and called for a second alarm,” Chief Casey said.

The owner of the restaurant told News 4’s Paige Hulsey they plan to reopen the restaurant, but are still assessing damage and a timeline.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No one was injured during the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Henderson, NV – Overnight restaurant fire suppressed by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system prevented a fire from expanding at a Henderson restaurant early Tuesday morning. Firefighters with Henderson Fire Department arrived at Giada’s Italian Cucina, 2540 Anthem Village Drive, Suite 100, shortly after 3 a.m. to find a sprinkler system had suppressed a fire, spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said.  “That’s the beauty of sprinkler systems,” Richards said.  Damage was not yet estimated, she said, adding the fire didn’t extend to other restaurants. She said it was a contents fire. Its cause was not yet known.  Giada’s is in a strip mall near South Eastern Avenue and Anthem Village Drive.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Athens, OH – Fire at popular microbrewery controlled by sprinkler system; Fire started in attached carport

Jackie O’s Production Brewery and Taproom remains standing after a fire broke out adjacent to the main building Wednesday afternoon. The fire, which was contained within a carport attached to the taproom, was started by a truck, said Deputy Service Safety Director Ron Lucas, who added that the facility’s sprinkler system had the fire “pretty much under control” by the time crews arrived on scene.  Due to the potential magnitude of the fire, the Athens Fire Department called in every firefighter on its 22-member roster. Although nobody was hurt, the possibility of the blaze spreading called for an increased firefighter presence.

“Being inside the structure, we worry that it could spread to the whole structure,” AFD Chief Rob Rymer said. “So we put out an all-call, we bring everybody in off duty to make sure it’s under control.”

As crews began to exit the scene at 25 Campbell St., Rymer was unclear as to how the truck, which is used to transport grain to local farmers, had caught fire. “It’s always difficult for vehicles to determine how it started,” Rymer said. “Sometimes you’re driving and you hear a backfire, it could be electrical.”  A group of about five patrons remained on the Jackie O’s patio as fire trucks began clearing the scene.  “We didn’t really see anything,” Kayce Carrick, one of the people on the patio, said. “We were inside, and we just smelled smoke and that was it. So we just left.” The group planned to enjoy the warm weather and finish their beers on the patio.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Harrisburg, PA – Overnight fire at popular downtown restaurant extinguished by single sprinkler

A single sprinkler saved a Harrisburg restaurant from a catastrophic fire early Friday, city Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. The fire call came in just before 2 a.m. from the Capitol Gastropub in the 300 block of North Second Street.  Only light smoke was in the building when firefighters arrived. Enterline said they found “a small fire in the basement that had been controlled and extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head.”  The fire started in a plastic laundry tub filled with cleaning rags, he said. The tub was ruined and there was minor water damage, but that was it, the chief said. The damage totaled about $2,500. The restaurant was able to open without a hitch.   

“If this business did not have an operating sprinkler system to control the fire, the loss to not only the building but the lost revenue for the restaurant could have easily been in excess of $1 million,” Enterline said. “Fire sprinklers are a proven life safety and property loss reduction system that often comes under fire by the building industry as being overpriced and unnecessary.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Chelmsford, MA – Sprinklers stop spread of fire at restaurant; Neighboring business spare damage

A fire at Zesty’s Pizza in North Chelmsford left the establishment with smoke and water damage at early Monday morning.  The Fire Department responded to 10 Vinal Square at about 4:40 after a DPW worker reported the fire at Vinal Square Plaza, according to Fire Chief Gary Ryan. The fire was knocked down about an hour later, Ryan said.  Ryan said a pharmacy and cleaning business both sustained significant water damage. The owner of the pharmacy is working with his counterparts so that his customers can get the medications they need.  “The sprinkler system activated to minimize the fire damage,” Ryan said in an email. “The fire is currently being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.”  Ryan also said the department is working with other store owners, investigators and utilities to get the other businesses in the plaza up and running again, although they were not damaged by the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Nashua, NH – Grease fire at café controlled by sprinkler system

A Nashua cafe is set to reopen Friday after a fire this week. On Tuesday, a coffee roaster caught fire at the Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, fire officials said. No one was hurt.  The restaurant remained closed Thursday for cleanup. It will reopen Friday at 6 a.m., according to the owners.  The fire broke at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, triggering an overheard sprinkler that contained the flames, according to Nashua Deputy fire Chief Karl Gerhard. Workers used portable fire extinguishers, furthering containing the fire.