Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Port Deposit, MD – Fire at restaurant in historic building contained by sprinkler system July 12, 2015 viking210 Investigators are blaming an electrical malfunction for a fire inside a Port Deposit restaurant and bar on Thursday morning, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. “The sprinklers contained the fire to the area of origin. Without a doubt, it stopped the fire from spreading,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver J. Alkire said. About 30 firefighters with volunteer fire companies from Port Deposit, Perryville and Rising Sun rushed to Joe’s Grog House at 26 S. Main Street about 9:20 a.m., after smoke alarms inside the business activated, fire officials said, adding that the business was not open at the time. “There was smoke showing when we arrived,” said EMS Chief Wayne Tome of the Water Witch (Port Deposit) Volunteer Fire Company. It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to bring the fire and heavy smoke under control, which involved ventilating the building with fans, Tome said. Alkire determined that the blaze started inside a section of the actual bar, where patrons stand or sit and order drinks and food, he said. Alkire concluded that wiring inside that bar wall had malfunctioned, sparking the fire, he added. That section of bar is near one of the establishment’s front doors. “The fire has been ruled accidental due to an electrical failure,” Alkire said. He and Tome both noted that a sprinkler system inside Joe’s Grog House activated and prevented more extensive damage. Joe’s Grog House occupies the first-floor of an historic three-story building, Alkire said, adding that 16 tenants live in seven apartments on the second and third floors of that structure. “Electricity was restored to the building, and no tenants were displaced as a result of the fire,” said Alkire, who noted that the volunteer firefighters quick response after the smoke alarms alerted also was a key factor. Tome echoed Alkire, remarking, “The sprinklers definitely held the fire in check until we could get there. That’s why sprinklers are so important.”
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Fairview Heights, IL – Sprinklers contain early morning fire at popular restaurant June 26, 2015 viking210 Lotawata Creek, a popular Fairview Heights restaurant, was damaged in a fire Saturday morning, Fairview Heights firefighters said. Chief Bryan Doyle of the Fairview Heights Fire Department said they got the alarm call just before 7 a.m. He also said they were flooded with 9-1-1 calls from the hotel nearby when smoke started coming out of the building. Doyle said the security footage showed the fire burning for about an hour before the alarm went off. Additional fire departments — Collinsville, O’Fallon and French Village — were called in to assist on the fire when it reached the ceiling of the restaurant . Doyle said the sprinkler system was what kept the building from being a total loss. He said he thought the building would be able to open anywhere from two to four weeks. Doyle called for the Illinois Fire Marshal to investigate the fire to find a cause for the insurance company, he said there was no foul play suspected.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Santa Monica, CA – Fire at popular Santa Monica Pier restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system June 23, 2015 viking210 Walking into The Lobster restaurant, past the full bar and into the dining area that overlooks the Santa Monica Pier, it’s almost impossible to notice the area where a fire in the kitchen spread to a booth early Saturday morning. A white sheet temporarily covered the area earlier this week, the only visible reminder of the incident. The Lobster, a fresh seafood restaurant off Ocean Avenue next to the mouth of the Santa Monica Pier,reopened Monday after a two-day closure. The fire is believed to have sprouted from a kitchen stove and leaped the wall it shared with a booth on the other side, catching the booth afire and splintering its glass headboard mounted on the wall. The fire lasted from 6:13 am to 6:33 am before the restaurant’s sprinkler system put out the short-lived flames. “We are still under investigation,” said Lynne Thomas, Marketing Director and Director of Community Events at The Lobster, “but as of now we believe that it was a heat fire that fortunately only sparked the booth.” The restaurant’s cleaning crew was the first to notice the fire Saturday morning, immediately reporting it to the Santa Monica Fire Department, who shortly thereafter arrived on the scene,spraying a fire extinguisher that killed the dying embers. “We were very happy it wasn’t worse and very happy no one was hurt,” Thomas said. Both the stove and the booth were removed earlier this week. The Fire Department is investigating how the fire started. The incident closed the Lobster for two days while they fixed up the damage and charred areas. “We were closed Saturday and all day Sunday,” said Thomas.“We were pretty much working around the clock to try and get open again…and reopened Monday. “It was hard because so many people had reservations. It was graduation weekend and it was really sad for us not to be able to reopen. We were doing what we could to get open as soon as we could,” she said.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Falls Church, VA – Fire at bakery contained with help from sprinkler system June 20, 2015 viking210 The fire happened at Jenin Pastry at 5820 Seminary Road in Falls Church around 9:20 p.m., according to officials. When crews got to the scene fire was coming from the back of the two-story building. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and were able to put out the fire quickly. The sprinkler system went off, which helped the fire to stay in the kitchen area, Fairfax County officials said. The smoke alarm was also activated. Nobody was injured in the fire. The fire is still under investigation, however has been deemed as accidental. Officials say the hot stove cook top was too close to the shelf and caught on fire.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Tallahassee, FL – Restaurant fire caused by malfunctioning burner halted by sprinkler system June 10, 2015 viking210 A popular Midtown restaurant is closed as a result of a fire. The Front Porch opened its Thomasville Road location in early 2013. The restaurant, known for its locally-sourced seafood dishes in an upscale atmosphere, posted a Facebook message to its customers on Monday morning. “We are very sad to announce that our beautiful restaurant suffered a small fire last week and we will be temporarily closed until further notice. Please continue to check back, as our Facebook page will be updated when we have a re-opening day in sight. We appreciate your loyal patronage and can’t wait to serve you all again soon!” Restaurant owners could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The Tallahassee Fire Department arrived at 8:52 p.m. May 30 in response to a fire, the incident report states. Investigators estimate damages at $35,000. No one was injured during the fire and the building was already evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. The internal sprinkler system went off as a result of a malfunctioning Butane burner, according to employee statements in the report. “The burning fuel from the burner was enough heat to activate the sprinkler head directly above it,” the report said. Investigators believe the fire was caused by a leak in the burner’s gas bottle. The report stated no actual fire damage to the building, and all content and structure damage was caused by the water from the sprinkler system.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Winnipeg, BC, Canada – Nightclub fire controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries May 22, 2015 viking210 A fire at a downtown bar shut down band rehearsals Thursday night. Multiple crews and a ladder truck were in front of the Main Street bar around 10 p.m. The popular spot was not hosting a bar night, but there were bands practicing in the upstairs recording spaces when the fire broke out. Gerry Suzuki was upstairs when he smelled smoke. “We thought it was an amp or something on fire so we investigated. We went upstairs and we went downstairs and we saw flames on the first floor on Whiskey Dix. It was at least six feet high and looked like six feet wide. It looked like the middle of the floor was on fire.” said Suzuki. District Chief Ted Humphreys said crews were quick to get the fire under control. “It was a fire that started in the back part of the building here on the main floor. About 90% was knocked down by the sprinkler system,” he said. Humphreys said everyone got out safely. There is no word on what started the fire, or how much damage it caused.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Novato, CA – Single sprinkler prevents fire from spreading at restaurant May 15, 2015 viking210 An automatic sprinkler located above a dumpster next to a restaurant put out a fire Wednesday that could have spread to the restaurant, according to the Novato Fire District. Firefighters responded at about 10:30 p.m. to the fire in the dumpster in the 100 block of Vintage Way and verified that the fire was out. “This is a great example of how automatic fire sprinklers protect property, and keep businesses open,” Novato Battalion Chief, Fire Marshal Bill Tyler said in a statement. “If there was no fire sprinkler present, we could have had a large structure fire.” Crews replaced the sprinkler head and restored the automatic sprinkler system to its regular operating condition. Restaurant employees had discarded mesquite and hot coals into the dumpster, igniting the paper and cardboard inside. The sprinkler that put out the fire is on a wood trellis above the dumpster.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Paia, HI – Firefighters credit sprinkler system in controlling restaurant blaze May 4, 2015 viking210 Maui fire officials credit fire sprinklers for keeping a fire from spreading at a year-old Paia restaurant last Friday. At 11:11 a.m., firefighters responded to a reported structure fire at the Rock & Brews restaurant, at 120 Hana Highway. Firefighters were on scene two minutes later and saw light smoke coming from the restaurant, according to fire officials. Employees reported hearing a loud pop then saw smoke in the air, and workers and patrons were evacuated. Investigation found that the fire sprinklers had been activated in the attic space above the restaurant. Fire crews quickly entered the ceiling area and had the fire extinguished by 11:27 p.m, officials said. Fire Capt., Ben Bland, said “It’s a true testament that fire sprinklers really do work and can make a difference to extinguish or slow a fire until fire department arrival. Fire sprinklers effectively prevented this fire from spreading throughout the attic and to the rest of the building.” The fire was determined to be accidental and caused by a fault in electrical wiring. Damages were estimated at $10,000 to structure, $10,000 to contents. No injuries were reported.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Vallejo, CA – Sprinklers help limit damage in early morning restaurant fire April 28, 2015 viking210 Vallejo’s Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill will be closed for a week or more after suffering damage from a fire early Sunday that was still under investigation Monday, Vallejo Fire Department officials said. Firefighters responded to a reported structure fire at the Plaza Drive restaurant at about 5:22 a.m. Sunday and arrived to find the sprinkler system activated, Fire Prevention Manager Vince Sproete said. “The sprinklers kept the fire contained until crews arrived” and extinguished the small blaze that remained, he said. Fire damage was minimal and water damage, moderate, he said. All the surrounding establishments — Kaiperm Federal Credit Union, GameStop and Cold Stone Creamery — remain open for business, Sproete said. The fire’s cause is officially undetermined at this time, and Fire Department officials are working with the Vallejo Police Department on the ongoing investigation, he said.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Santa Rosa, CA – Restaurant blaze put out with help from sprinkler system April 14, 2015 viking210 Firefighters responded to a report of a water flow alarm activated at Red Bee BQQ at 750 Stony Point Road near Sebastopol Road around 12:15 p.m., Santa Rosa fire Battalion Chief Ken Sabastiani said. Fire crews arrived to find water coming from the front door and determined a small oven fire triggered a sprinkler head to turn on, Sabastiani said. The sprinkler system was properly functioning and helped put out the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
