Category Archives: Office Building

Office Building, Other Business

Kennesaw, GA – Chemical fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Around 400 people were evacuated from a building on Roberts Boulevard in Kennesaw after a small chemical fire Tuesday morning.

Capt. Joseph Bryant of the Cobb County Fire Department said testing from the county’s hazmat team showed the building was safe to reenter. The chemicals involved include sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and several that are unknown but which were used in minuscule quantities.

Three employees of CryoLife, a medical device company, were working with the chemicals when a reaction set off a small fire and the building’s sprinkler system. The sprinklers extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived at the scene.

One of the three employees was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Bryant said the fire was not as serious as the county’s response would suggest.

“Any time we have a hazmat response, we send a ton of equipment out there,” he said.

As a precaution, firefighters were decontaminated as they left the building.

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.

Office Building, Other Business

Elkhart, IN – Fire sprinkler activation helps control fire started by laminating machine

A laminating machine caused a fire at an Elkhart business early Wednesday morning, according to the Elkhart Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Interior Components Plus in the 2300 block of W. Mishawaka Road on Wednesday morning around 4 a.m.

At the scene, firefighters reported seeing heavy smoke in the area and throughout the building.

Workers on site told firefighters that a glue laminating machine had caught fire and set off a sprinkler.

Attempts made by workers to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful.

After putting out the fire, officials found that the fire was caused by a malfunction in the laminating machine which overheated oil, causing it to ignite, the fire department said.

The company was able to continue normal operations on Wednesday.

The fire department did not say whether or not there were any injuries sustained in the fire.

Office Building, Other Business

King County, WA – Sprinkler system controlled fire on office building roof; No injuries reported

Smoke was seen billowing in the air Thursday evening at a Boeing office building in Seattle.

Seattle fire crews were called to 16th Avenue South and East Marginal Way South to fight a fire.  

Chopper 7 flew over the scene and captured firefighters on top of the building.

Firefighters were seen putting out hot spots on the roof, where it appeared construction crews were working.

Seattle fire officials said multiple 911 calls reported a large column of smoke was coming from a large building near 16th Avenue South.

When crews arrived, the building had already been evacuated, and the fire was contained to the fourth floor and the roof by the building’s sprinkler system, officials said. 

No injuries were reported.

All southbound lanes of East Marginal Way South at 16th Avenue South were closed, while crews fought the fire but were eventually reopened.

Seattle fire crews turned the scene over to the Boeing Fire Department to determine the cause of the fire.

Office Building, Other Business

Aldine, TX – (No media coverage) Commercial building fire suppressed by fire sprinkler system

8/4/19

Fire in a commercial building;  Aldine FD   AES save

16400 Air Center Blvd

Fire in a commercial building

1908-00014

Lt. Lopez

FD responded to an alarm and on arrival, they noticed water coming from under the roll up doors.  They smelled smoke and saw smoke coming from a large vent on the side of the building.  Access was made inside and discovered boxes and other items had burned and suppresses by the sprinkler system.  The sprinkler system was turned off and Inspections notified.  The boxes and other items were a trash pile that employees designated the area because they were no dumpsters yet.  Employees were moving in over the weekend to set up their offices.  There was a table being built that was stained and pieced of wood were in the trash pile.  There are two possibilities for the cause of the fire;  discarded smoking material or discarded rags with wood stain.  At this time the fire is undetermined. 

Office Building, Other Business

Moses Lake, WA – Major fire damage prevented at local business thanks to fire sprinkler system

A fire sprinkler system prevented major fire damage at a Moses Lake business Thursday night.

About 11 p.m. the Moses Lake Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Central Machinery sales building. When firefighters arrived they found smoke coming from the building and were able to hear the water flow alarm from the fire sprinkler system.

“The first arriving engine was tasked with pumping in to the fire sprinkler system to increase water flow for fire suppression while firefighters gained entry into the building for fire attack. Once inside the building firefighters discovered a commercial vehicle with fire inside the cab and engine compartment,” reads a press release from the MLFD. “The fire had been contained to the vehicle through the proper operation of the fire sprinkler system. Two sprinkler heads opened and suppressed the fire until firefighters could access the seat of the fire and fully extinguish it using fire hose hand lines.”

A total of two engines, one squad car, one medical unit, one ladder truck, two command units, the city’s fire marshal and 10 personnel responded to the scene. Through their investigation the MLFD traced the origin of the fire back to a “wiring bundle” in the battery box compartment of the commercial vehicle. The MLFD says the fire spread from the battery box, to the cab and then to the engine compartment.

Office Building, Other Business

Tulsa, OK – Fire sprinklers contain cubicle fire at AT&T building; No injuries reported

All streets are back open after the Tulsa Fire Department responded to a fire at a high-rise building downtown Tuesday morning.

Officials said the AT&T building near 6th and Denver had smoke on several floors. No one was inside the building at the time and officials said the sprinkler system did activate, helping to contain the fire. Investigators believe the fire started in a cubicle on the third floor.

The building houses millions of dollars of telecommunications equipment for the entire region.

Detroit Ave. was shut down between 5th and 6th streets in front of the building while crews investigated.

Fire crews are still working to learn the cause of the fire and say no one will be allowed on the second and third floors of the building for remediation work.

Office Building, Other Business

Elkhart, IN – Fire inside trash hopper controlled by sprinkler system

The Elkhart Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm that was set off at Altec Engineering in Elkhart Friday around 230 p.m.

Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke throughout the building.

Once EFD made entry, they found a fire inside a trash hopper and up the east wall and the ceiling.

The flames were quickly extinguished. The building took considerable time to clear the smoke due to the size of the building.

The trash hopper contained fiberglass resins that caused a chemical reaction and combustion, starting the contents on fire and burning the wall up to the ceiling.

The sprinkler system was activated and contained the fire until EFD arrived.

Office Building, Other Business

Newark, CA – Sprinkler system holds fire at local business in check; No injuries reported

NEWARK, CA — A 2-alarm fire at a Newark business was contained to a test room within 30 minutes of Alameda County firefighters arriving at the scene Thursday morning, according to fire department spokeswoman Aisha Knowles.

The fire broke out at NTS Newark Test Lab, located at 38995 Cherry Street. “A large lead-acid battery caught fire and was held in check by the sprinkler system. The battery is approximately 3’x2’x2′,” Knowles told Patch. “The business had some residual smoke through the adjacent office space, but minimal damage overall in the test room.”

No injuries were reported.

Office Building, Other - Hospital/Medical

Pasadena, CA – Overnight fire at commercial medical building extinguished by sprinkler system

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Pasadena firefighters responded to a fire alarm at 39 Congress Street early Wednesday at a multi-story commercial medical building. The sprinkler system activated in response to the fire authorities that believed was caused by an electric cup warmer left plugged in, and placed in a wooden box with coffee break items, according to the Pasadena Fire Department. During the course of the night, heat from the device warmed surrounding materials enough to ignite a fire that burned the box and cabinet above, the report said. When firefighters on Engine 31 arrived at about 1:37 a.m., they found water from the sprinkler had put out the fire.

The fire crews helped clean up the water damage on the third and second floors, and reset the fire alarm to normal operations, before releasing control of the scene at about 3:46 a.m. The Pasadena Fire Department also issued a reminder that small accessories, such as the cup warmer in this case, can lead to bigger fires, activated sprinklers, and water damage.