Category Archives: Manufacturing

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Corpus Christi, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at paper company

Firefighters were called out to the Gulf Coast Paper Company Warehouse around 6:45 p.m. Sunday after several reports made to 911.

Fire crews saw smoke coming from the building when they arrived at the scene and quickly made their way inside.

“With this being a paper company with a fire of that magnitude certainly the lead time between fire and smoke it certainly could’ve gotten a whole lot worse there’s a lot of fire load inside and the sprinkler system certainly saved the day today,” said Battalion Chief David Saenz.  

The building has some water and fire damage, and officials say they will be investigating the actual cause of that blaze.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Lexington, KY – Fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews and an industry’s sprinkler system combined to quickly put out a fire today at the J.M. Smucker facility on Winchester Road.

According to Lexington Fire Battalion Chief Jordan Saas, firefighters responded to the report of a fire at about noon at the facility. Crews found smoke coming from the roof on the backside of the building and once on top, fire was discovered in one of the hoppers.

The fire was extinguished using a hose line and the building’s sprinkler system, Saas said.

No injuries were reported.

As of 1 p.m., crews remained on the scene checking for hotspots but the scene was turned back over the company at about 1:15 p.m.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Clearfield, UT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at wood molding company; No injuries reported

Fire crews from multiple agencies responded to a commercial fire Thursday afternoon in Clearfield.

North Davis Fire District Chief Mark Becraft said the single-alarm fire, at 560 S. Main St., was inside the large structure owned by Interior Works, a company that produces wood molding.

“When crews arrived, there was smoke showing, and the building was evacuated,” Becraft told Gephardt Daily. “A sprinkler head popped and kept the fire in check.”

He said the fire was caused by a planer that malfunctioned, and it was a good thing “the sprinkling system did its job,” because firefighters’ visibility was hampered by all the smoke and sawdust.

“It wasn’t really a big fire, but it was a little bit of a task getting the building ventilated afterward because of (the building’s) size,” Becraft said, adding that crews were on scene for about an hour and 15 minutes.

He estimated damages at $100,000, with roughly $80,000 of that being the cost of the large commercial planer that caused the fire.

There were no injuries, Becraft said.

All North Davis Fire District crews responded, as well as firefighters from Syracuse, Hill Air Force Base, and Layton. The Davis County Sheriff’s Office also was on scene.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Battle Creek, MI – Sprinkler system activated for large manufacturing fire

Two people suffered minor injuries from a large manufacturing fire Wednesday morning in Battle Creek.

Firefighters were called in at 9:25 a.m. to a building owned by Transcontinental Michigan at 155 Brook St., according to a news release.

Responding units arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the garage opening on the side of the building.

Rescue 3 pulled an attack hose line, made an interior attack and quickly gained control of the fire with help from the fire suppression sprinkler unit that was directly over the machine that was on fire.

Fire units then performed ventilation to remove the trapped smoke in the building and checked for fire extension.

No firefighters were injured, but two company employees were checked by EMS for smoke inhalation.

They did not go to the hospital, however.

The cause of the fire was a malfunctioning machine, according to the Battle Creek Fire Department.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Appleton, WI – Sprinkler system helps contain fire in under 30 minutes

The Appleton Fire Department was notified of a fire on West Second Street thanks to a water flow alarm at the facility.

According to the Appleton Fire Department, on June 30 around 3:30 a.m. crews responded to the 2600 block of West Second Street. When crews arrived there was a large amount of smoke coming from an overhead door.

It was confirmed that there was a fire involving one of the facility’s machines, and crews evacuated the employees and started to put out the fire. The building’s fire sprinkler system was running when crews arrived and helped contain the fire.

The fire was able to be brought under control within 30 minutes and crews then worked on overhaul and ventilation for another 45 minutes. Damage from the fire was contained to the machine and the product in the machine.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and the investigation is ongoing. There is also no estimate of the amount of damage the fire caused.

Apartment Building, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler systems kept weekend fires in check

Firefighters are crediting automatic sprinklers with keeping weekend fires under control over the weekend.

Officials with the Madison Fire Department said crews were first dispatched to a building on Research Park Boulevard Friday evening for a report of a machine on fire. When they made it to the fire, firefighters found it had been contained to the machine it started in thanks to an activated sprinkler just above it. Crews fully extinguished the fire with a dry chemical extinguisher.

All of the employees at the facility safely evacuated when the fire alarm first sounded. No one was injured.

On Sunday morning, firefighters responded to the 5600 block of Black Onyx Drive after a caller reported seeing flames coming from a balcony.

When firefighters arrived, they found the fire had been extinguished by a sprinkler on the second-floor balcony. Crews made their way to the balcony and confirmed there was no active fire, but they did find evidence there was one.

The fire didn’t extend past the siding into the building. Officials determined it was caused by a candle that had been burning on the balcony above.

No one was displaced by the fire.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Sheboygan, WI – Fire at powerplant extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Everyone is okay after a fire at the Edgewater Powerplant in the City of Sheboygan.

According to the Sheboygan County Fire Department, the fire happened Tuesday around 10:57 a.m. When they arrived on scene, they found smoke coming from the powerplant’s dust-collector, but the sprinkler system activated as designed and extinguished most of the fire.

Firefighters were able to go inside the building with a dust collector and put out the rest of the fire and check for hot spots.

The fire is currently under investigation by Edgewater Power Plant personnel.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Grand Forks, ND – Fire contained by sprinkler system at mill; No injuries reported

A piece of machinery at a mill in Grand Forks started on fire, leaving $10,000 in damages at the plant.

The Grand Forks Fire Department says they were called to the State Mill in the 1800 block of Mill Rd. around 8 p.m. on Monday, April 19.

When crews arrived, they learned a sprinkler system in the building went off and contained the fire the single piece of equipment.

Firefighters believe the fire started because of a mechanical failure.

No one was injured by the flames.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Kingsport, TN – Fire sprinkler contains fire at food manufacturing facility; No injuries reported

The Kingsport Fire Department responded to a structure fire at a food manufacturing facility on Tri-Cities Crossing.

According to KFD Public Information Officer Barry Brickey, firefighters were called to Anita’s Snack Foods at 11:45 p.m. Thursday.

Crews had been alerted to a commercial fire alarm. They were later told the status of the alarm had been upgraded to a structure fire.

Brickey said employees at Anita’s Snack Foods attempted to put out the flames with fire extinguishers.

According to Brickey, the fire sprinkler system was able to contain the fire, with one sprinkler head dousing the flames.

When crews arrived, a smoldering fire and smoke in the building was all that remained due to the sprinkler system, according to Brickey.

Brickey told News Channel 11 that sprinkler systems are designed so that the closest sprinkler head to the fire reatcts to the heat. Often only one or two heads will react and contain a fire.

KFD extinguished the smoldering fire and hot spots and ventilated the building.

According to Brickey, there were no injuries reported.

Crews cleared the scene around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Brickey said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Prince George, BC, Canada – Fire sprinkler activated for fire at sawmill; No injuries reported

Volunteer fire crews responded to a fire at Carrier Lumber’s sawmill on Willowcale Road last night.

The Regional District of Fraser Fort-George says it broke out just before 10:30 p.m. and say the fire was mostly contained by the sprinkler system that was activated.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed and the cause is unknown.

There were no known injuries. The Buckhorn Volunteer Fire Department responded with mutual aid from Pineview Volunteer Fire Department and the Red Rock/Stoner Volunteer fire department.