Category Archives: Other – Manufacturing

Other - Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Pasadena, TX – Sprinkler system activates to extinguish industrial chemical fire

(Fire Department Reported – NO MEDIA COVERAGE. Courtesy of City of Pasadena (Texas) Fire Marshal’s Office)

Fire Department Initial Response: On October 07, 2015, The Pasadena Fire Department along with several other agencies responded to 5000 Underwood for a reported industrial fire. Upon their arrival they discovered that a chemical explosion had occurred resulting in a fire. The buildings fire sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire. The fire sprinkler and alarm system functioned as designed notifying the occupants of the building who evacuated.

This incident shows the importance of an automatic fire sprinkler system and demonstrates that if the building did not have an automatic sprinkler system, the outcome could have been completely different.

Furthermore there is no doubt whatsoever that at the very least the presence of a sprinkler system saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and property loss to the building owners and potentially prevented citizens and firefighters from being injured or killed.’

Automatic fire sprinkler systems have over 100 years of proven performance in protecting life and property. For further information contact: Chief David Brannon, Fire Marshal 713-475-5556.

 

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Kilgore, TX – Sprinkler system contains fire at packaging manufacturer; Facility fully operational

All employees in the Pak-Sher facility Sunday night were out of the building in less than one minute after fire alarms alerted the 30 to 35 people inside to the danger.

“I actually do two fire drills a year because you never know what’s going to happen, just like what happened to us Sunday night, and the training paid off,” Pak-Sher Safety Coordinator Jeremy Spier said Tuesday morning, adding the company’s emergency response team was able to get everyone out of the building “promptly and safely.”

The fire, the cause of which is still under investigation, began in the building’s sample room between 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday night. Kilgore Fire Department responded, along with mutual aid from Sabine Volunteer Fire Department and Longview Fire Department, Assistant Kilgore Fire Chief Mike Simmons said.

“Heavy smoke was coming out of the west side of the building,” he said. By the time the fire crews responded, though, Pak-Sher President Troy Fischer said, the sprinkler systems had extinguished the majority of the fire.

The employees returned to work in the facility within two hours of the fire once they were cleared to do so by KFD, Fischer said. “We’re fully operational,” Spier said. “We’re good to go.”

With the sprinkler system and the firewalls, he said, the fire was contained to the sample room and did not affect the connected training room. “We do have some minor fire damage, some smoke and water damage as well,” Fischer wrote in an e-mail Monday night.

Even with 18 years of experience as a firefighter, Spier said, there is no way to truly prepare for an emergency, such as a fire.

“You can bring safety measures. You can do anything you can imagine and you think is 100 percent safe, but then again, in the safety business, it’s always ‘what if?’,” Spier said. “We were prepared as much as we can be prepared – our sprinkler systems were there, fire alarm went off. Everything worked like it was supposed to, so we were prepared that way. Absolutely. Everybody knew their emergency exits. Everybody got out like they were supposed to and in a very timely manner.”

Fischer explained the sample room is in a remote area of the building away from production space.

Although it has not been decided, Spier expected another room to be set up as the sample room because the current room will require more work, including new ceiling tiles, sheetrock and insulation.

“Thankfully it was not a bigger situation, and thankfully no employees were in any imminent danger,” Fischer said.

Kilgore Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Amanda Nobles said she and others at Kilgore EDC were grateful for the fire departments’ work.

“Pak-Sher is a valuable and primary employer in our community, and we hope that everything works out for them, and we’re glad there certainly was not more loss of property and absolutely no loss of life or injuries,” she said.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Evansville, IN – Sprinkler system credited with limiting damage in overnight fire at Aramark Uniform Services

A sprinkler system credited with saving an Evansville business from an overnight fire. It happened at Aramark Uniform Services on Florence Street just past midnight Wednesday morning. It took about 30 minutes to get the fire under control. Investigators say the fire was started by some sort of chemical reaction.

Thanks to the sprinkler system, damage was limited to mostly smoke and water. We’re told nobody was inside at the time and no firefighters were injured.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

East Liverpool, OH – Sprinkler system puts out fire at century old pottery plant; Business back to usual for 100 employees

Damages are still being assessed following a fire at a century old pottery plant in East Liverpool. The fire was concentrated in a large dryer at the Hall China Company on the city east end. An employee first noticed smoke coming out of the dryers doors around 5:30 p.m. Monday. 

“Then all of a sudden I saw the whole thing caught fire on the side of it,” maintenance worker Jody Eccles said. Another employee, Brian Cronin sounded the alarm.

Then he went through the plant and notified people to get out,” company spokesman Chuck Henderson said. It appears the fire was the result of an equipment malfunction. “The mechanism that creates the heat for the dryer, we had a belt bind up and catch fire,” said Henderson.

The fire was actually put out rather quickly. A large amount of pottery ware ready to go in the dryer was lost due to water damage. But the owner says the 100-year old structure could have sustained much greater damage if not for quick work by firefighters and the well maintained sprinkler system. 

“There’s a lot of wood in parts of the building and it could have gone up in a flash, said President and CEO, Liz McLvain. Hall China is now owned by Homer-Laughlin makers of the popular Fiesta ware 

Clean up work is well underway. McLvain says the plant has several other dryers and they are still in full production. 

“I know you wouldn’t have believed that last night, but today we are in business as usual,” McLivain said. And that’s good news for the plant’s 100 employees. A damage estimate from the fire is still being determined.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Eau Claire, WI – Firefighters say sprinklers helped reduce damage in uniform company fire

Firefighters are crediting sprinklers for reducing the amount of damage caused by an overnight fire at an Eau Claire uniform company.

When crews arrived to the 3600 block of White Avenue early Tuesday morning, smoke was pouring from the large commercial building.

They responded to Huebsch Linen Services just after 2:00 a.m. The business is off Melby Street, near the airport.

According to the fire department, uniforms and rags were burning inside. Firefighters say the sprinkler system kept the fire small. They’re estimating damage at $20,000.

Huebsch makes work uniforms, floor matting and facility supplies.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Albany, GA – Sprinklers control fire at bedding manufacturer; Fire started in stored bales of cardboard

Firefighters responded to the call of a structure around 9:15 Monday morning at Jamison Bedding Manufacturing building.  Battalion Chief Keith Ambrose says the first arriving unit noticed smoke coming from vents in the building.

Ambrose says stored bales of cardboard were on fire and that crews were able to put the fire out within five minutes. “The sprinkler system activated, which saved us a lot of work and kept the fire in check until we could get here and extinguish it,” said Ambrose.

No injuries were reported. Foul play is not suspected but the cause of fire is under investigation.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Shelton, CT – Sprinklers contain arson fire at packaging manufacturer

A criminal investigation is under way into a late-night fire at a Shelton company that specializes in corrugated cardboard packaging. An initial investigation “determined [the fire] was incendiary in nature, which means arson,” said Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora.

The arson determination was made with the help of Shelton police detectives, the city Fire Marshal’s Office, the State Police, and the state Fire Marshal’s Office, including the use of a state-provided K-9 dog with specialized training.

Shelton Police Det. Christopher Nugent confirmed the fire was being looked into but declined to offer any details about the police investigation or case at this time. “The fire is currently under investigation,” Nugent said.

The fire occurred in an office at Honey Cell manufacturing facility at Bridgeport Avenue and Long Hill Cross Road. The plant’s address is 600 Bridgeport Ave., but it is actually accessed from Long Hill Cross Road.

Tortora said the fire call came in at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire in an office at the factory, “but the sprinkler system had it under control and kept it contained to the office,” he said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the remaining fire soon after their arrival, Tortora said. “First arriving units reported light smoke showing from the building,” according to an Echo Hose Fire posting. “A fire was found in one of the offices with the sprinkler system in operation.

Based on the company website, Honey Cell is a part of Valley Container. Different divisions of the parent company specialize in different kinds of packaging. Valley Container has a factory and its headquarters in Bridgeport, as well as facilities in Massachusetts and Ohio.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing, Other Business

East Moline, IL – Fire at uniform services business extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire at a uniform services company is out thanks, in part, to the building sprinkler system. The fire broke out just before 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2015, at the Aramark Uniform Services building on Avenue of the Cities.

East Moline fire crews say an air compressor caught fire at the back of the building. While the sprinkler system put out any flames, firefighters on scene dealt with heavy smoke.  Officials say no one was hurt, but crews are estimating thousands of dollars in damage.

The Battalion Chief says a mechanical malfunction is most likely to blame for the fire, but it’s still under investigation.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Doraville, GA – Sprinklers control fire at ceramics manufacturer; Equipment malfunction apparent cause

An equipment malfunction was the apparent cause of a business fire Saturday in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett Fire said Applied Ceramics, located at 5555 Pleasantdale Road, reported the fire around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Employees were alerted to the danger by smoke alarms and the activation of the sprinkler system.

The building is located in unincorporated Atlanta in Gwinnett County, not far from the city limits of Peachtree Corners and Norcross. “When fire crews arrived on scene they found moderate smoke showing, and employees evacuating the structure,” Lt. Jerrod Barrett said in the email. “First-arriving Engine crew investigated the fire and found a machine had caught fire which was held in check by an overhead sprinkler system. Crews advanced attack hand lines into the business to extinguish the fire.”  No one was injured in the blaze.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Portage, MI – Fire at Stryker Medical extinguished by sprinkler system

Stryker Corp. had to be evacuated Wednesday evening after a fire broke out in one of the building’s machine shops.  At 6:32 p.m. Wednesday, the Portage Fire Department responded to reports of a fire alarm activation in Stryker Medical, located at 3800 E Center Avenue in Portage, according to Portage Battalion Chief Rick Nason.

Within 64 seconds, the first fire crew arrived on scene and witnessed the company’s employees evacuating the building, though “reported nothing showing on the building’s exterior,” Nason said.

Inside, investigators discovered smoke billowing in one of the building’s machine rooms, located on the west side of the structure.  “We responded non-emergency to the alarm and upgraded the call,” Nason said, adding three engines responded to the scene after firefighters discovered the smoke, as well as water spread by the company’s sprinkler system.

“It was a big enough fire to set off the system, but it was contained,” Nason said, adding the sprinkler system extinguished the blaze. “There’s some plastic that’s burned up, next to a machine,” Nason added of the damages sustained during the fire.

Firefighters worked for more than an hour clearing water and smoke from the building. No one was injured during the incident. The cause is under investigation.