Category Archives: Office Building

Office Building

New York, NY – High rise fire near Grand Central Station extinguished by sprinkler system

As reported by CBS 2 New York – Crowds gathered to observe firefighters tackle a fire in a high-rise building at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. The fire broke out on the mezzanine level of the 31-story Graybar Building next to the Grand Central Terminal at around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. The blaze grew to two alarms, before the sprinkler system extinguished the flames a short time later.

Chief Roger Sackowich said the fire started in an electrical supply room. “All the wiring and boxes and things that were in that room – so you had a very strong, acidy smell due to the PVC coating of the electrical wires. And that — really the smoke was very difficult to breathe,” he said.

Six people were checked out after complaining of breathing problems. Three of them were taken to a hospital. The fire prompted some evacuations of the building and heavy smoke. The fire prompted some evacuations of the building and heavy smoke. “The smoke was thick and it smelled a little, like, electrical, someone mentioned it smelled like it was electrical, it didn’t smell good,” Harry Borque said.

“We left. We had to walk down through the smoke. It was all very orderly, very organized,” said a woman named Beth. “It was thick — you had to walk through thick smoke… I covered my mouth.” Workers were allowed back into their offices after about an hour and a half. Grand Central Terminal was not impacted.

Office Building, Other Business

East Northport, NY – Office building fire caused by oil soaked rags contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm that went off in an office building that was undergoing renovations last Wednesday morning in East Northport. East Northport firefighters responded to Larkfield Plaza, located on the 200-block of Larkfield Road, for the report of smoke coming from a business that led to fire sprinkler activation at 7 a.m. Upon fire crew arrival, the fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Town of Huntington Fire Marshall’s Office. Fire officials, however, believe the fire started in a plastic container filled with rags soaked in wood staining chemicals that had been used during the renovations. No injuries were reported. About 25 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene with three engines, two ambulances and a paramedic unit. A Tower Ladder from the Northport Volunteer Fire Department was also called to the scene for assistance.

Office Building, Other Business

Knoxville, TN – Fire in downtown office building held at bay by sprinkler system

1 Comment

A downtown Knoxville building caught fire Tuesday morning off Market Street.Fire crews said people reported smoke coming from the building at 713 Market Street around 6:30 a.m. The building houses a few law offices and no one was inside the building at the time of the fire. According to the Knoxville Fire Department, first responders found the fire in a second story wall. The fire was quickly put out and crews are unsure how it started as of right now. Firefighters said the sprinkler system held the fire at bay until they could arrive. The building suffered significant water damage.

Office Building, Other Business

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system credited with minimizing damage at downtown office building

Firefighters arrived just in time to see the sprinklers activate over flames in the administrative office of Visit Tucson.

The fire alarm at 100 South Church Ave in downtown Tucson triggered a call to 911 at 6:38 p.m., according to a release from Tucson Fire Department. It stated firefighters arrived on scene two minutes later and had the situation under control 12 minutes after that.

They didn’t find anyone inside the building, but determined the fire started around some construction equipment. The cause of it all is still under investigation, according to the department’s release.

The department credits a working fire alarm and sprinkler system with saving property and lives from the flames.

Office Building, Other Business

Reston, VA – Cubicle fire in 11th floor office contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Firefighters were dispatched for a fire alarm in a high rise building in the 12000 block of Sunset Hills Road in Reston on Sunday, Aug. 20, at approximately 7:51 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

The building was occupied by approximately 20 employees at the time of the fire. All occupants safely evacuated the building, according to the department.

No smoke or fire was evident from the outside of the 12-story, commercial high rise building. Crews proceeded to the eleventh floor where they discovered a significant amount of smoke, according to the department.

Firefighters quickly discovered the fire, which was mostly extinguished by one fire sprinkler. The remaining fire was quickly extinguished and contained to the eleventh floor, according to the department.

Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started on the eleventh floor at a set of four clustered cubicle workspaces. The cause of the fire was electrical in nature, involving a junction box that routed power to the four workstations. The nature of the failure is not known at this time, according to the department.

There were no injuries reported, but damages as a result of the fire are estimated to be approximately $40,000, according to the department.

Office Building, Other Business

Reston, VA – Fire on 11th floor of commercial office building contained by sprinkler system

A two-alarm fire Sunday morning on the 11th floor of a building in the 12000 block of Sunset Hills Road has been contained, officials say.  The fire started in a cubicle, Deputy Chief Dan Shaw said.  “Upon arrival, [firefighters] found a working fire on the 11th floor,” he said. “The fire was being contained by a sprinkler system that had successfully activated.”  Units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations 4 and 36 responded. The second alarm was sounded for resources, Shaw said.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. We will provide more information when it becomes available.

Office Building, Other Business

Quincy, MA – Fire on top floor of office building held in check by sprinkler system

A blaze on the top floor of a Quincy office building kept firefighters busy early Wednesday morning. Firefighters responded to 300 Crown Colony Drive shortly before 1 a.m. to investigate a fire alarm in the building.  When they arrived, they discovered that the sprinkler system was going off on the fifth floor, Quincy Fire Deputy Chief Ed Fenby said. Additional manpower and engines were called to the building.

When they went up to investigate, dense black smoke was filling the suite belonging to MCMC LLC, a health insurance company. They forced their way into the locked office and found a power strip, computer and printer that were on fire, Fenby said.

“The sprinkler kept it in check and they put out the rest of it and checked to make sure it didn’t get into the walls,” Fenby said. No one was believed to be in the building at the time of the fire and it is not considered suspicious.  Because the windows of the building do not open, the fire department had to smash one of them in order to help ventilate the unit.

Office Building, Retail

Las Vegas, NV – Restroom fire at mixed-use retail and office center extinguished by sprinkler system

An automatic fire sprinkler put out a small fire in a restroom this afternoon at Tivoli Village, according to a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue news release. Firefighters were called to the complex at 302 S. Rampart Boulevard near Alta Drive just before 5:15 p.m. When they arrived, smoke was coming out an outside restroom. Firefighters found where the fire occurred and confirmed it was already extinguished by the fire sprinkler.  Firefighters assisted with shutting the water off and cleaning up the area.  The only item that burned was the motorized paper towel dispenser. Damage was estimated at $250. The restroom is outside near an outside playground area.  The incident remains under investigation by Las Vegas Arson Investigators. There were no reported injuries during the incident.

Office Building, Other Business

Norfolk, VA – Fire at downtown high rise office building doused by sprinkler system

A floor buffer caused a cleaning solvent to catch fire Wednesday in the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Norfolk. Crews were called to the building, located at E. Charlotte Street and Monticello Avenue, for a fire alarm at 7:14 p.m. The call was later upgraded to a fire.  Fire officials say the fire was sparked as crews cleaned the building, when a buffer ignited a cleaning solvent. That activated the building’s sprinkler system. By the time firefighters got to the scene, there was no active fire.  The sprinkler system caused some water to collect in the building’s basement and in the elevator shaft.  Cleanup efforts are now underway.  The operator of the floor buffer was taken to a local hospital with some burns to his hands.  He’s expected to be OK.

Office Building, Other Business

North Charleston, SC – Overnight fire at office park held in check by sprinkler system

Emergency crews have extinguished a fire at a business in Park Circle Tuesday night.  Crews with the North Charleston Fire Department responded to the fire at the ALSCO building on 4921 Chateau Ave.  NCFD officials reported at 10:47 p.m. that the fire was under control.  Authorities said the fire was kept in check by the sprinkler system until crews made entry to extinguish the fire fully.

There were no reported injuries.  Residents in the area reported multiple fire trucks responding to the incident.  A motorist said authorities had shut down a portion of the road as crews worked the fire.