Category Archives: Other / Not Specified

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Elkhart, IN – Fire in wood shop extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Elkhart fire investigators determined a fire at an area business on Saturday was accidental in nature.

According to a press release, fire crews were called to the scene of a structure fire in Elkhart Saturday morning.

Dispatch received the call at approximately 8 a.m. regarding a fire at 610 W. Crawford Street.

Units upon arrival discovered a working fire alarm and the east end of the “L” shaped building covered in thick smoke.

As firefighters made their way through the building they noticed a sprinkler head in the ‘wood shop area’ of the building had activated.

A thermal imaging camera was used by firefighters which showed heat coming from the floor of the room.

As firefighters approached the heated area, one firefighter exposed a burning fire in the crawl space below the floor.

Fire crews extinguished the blaze at approximately 9:27 a.m.

Officials say the fire had burned through joists in the floor for a period of time before the sprinkler had activated.

No injuries were reported.

A preliminary investigation revealed pieces of smoldering wood from a woodworking area had become lodged in the cracks of the wood floor allowing conditions which ignited joists in the floor.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Quincy, IL – Electrical fire maintained by sprinkler system until fire crews arrived

Tri-Township fire crews responded to a fire alarm on 1400 North 30th Thursday night.

Officials say they saw smoke coming from inside the building and arrived on scene at about 10:30 pm.

Fire lieutenant Andrew Wittler says an electrical conduit sparked the fire, which triggered the building’s sprinkler system.

Wittler says the sprinkler system was effective in preventing the fire from growing, and helped crews extinguish it quicker.

Wittler says the building was unoccupied at the time and reported no injuries.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Jamestown, NY – Fire at cleaning technology business contained by sprinkler system

A fire at a Jamestown business is under investigation.

Jamestown firefighters were called to a box alarm at Blackstone-NEY Ultrasonics, 9 N. Main St., on Saturday around 3:30 p.m. Upon arrival, crews reported finding smoke venting near the rear of the structure.

According to the department, a fire was located inside the cleaning technology business. However, the blaze was mostly contained to one area due to a working sprinkler system.

Off-shift firefighters were called in to assist; crews were on scene for about two hours.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Jamestown Fire Investigation Team. An update wasn’t available Sunday.

Blackstone-NEY Ultrasonics could not be reached for comment.

Other / Not Specified

Utica, NY – Sprinkler system keeps fire in abandoned building from spreading; Firefighters extinguish flames

Fire officials continue to investigate the fire that broke out at an abandoned building in Utica’s brewery district last weekend. Just before 10 a.m. last Saturday, fire crews were called to the building on Stark Street, near the F.X. Matt Brewery, after a person walking by noticed smoke coming from the building. When crews arrived on scene, they found flames and heavy smoke coming from the fourth floor of the building.  Fire officials say that the quick-acting fire could have been much worse, but crews worked quickly to put the fire out without much damage.

“There was a lot of contents up on the fourth floor that had the potential to catch fire,” said Scott Ingersoll, interim chief of the Utica Fire Department. “Fortunately,the sprinkler system activated and it was able to keep the fire contained. And what our firefighters did was go in and finish putting it out.”  Officials are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Williston, VT – Sprinkler system activated after minor explosion at cosmetics business

Fire and rescue responded Tuesday morning after a small explosion at a cosmetics business in Williston caused a fire.

One person suffered minor injuries and burns from the fire. They were checked out at the scene and did not need to be brought to the hospital.

The building’s sprinkler system assisted firefighters in fully containing the fire.

Fire officials believe they know what caused the fire.

“They used Isopropyl alcohol as a cleaner as part of their processes and one of the alcohol bottles had in fact caught on fire and that had a minor explosion inside the building,” said South Burlington Fire Department’s Tim Gerry.

Fire officials say the building is being ventilated and they monitored the building’s air quality. Repairs need to be made before the business can get back up and running.

Other / Not Specified

Sioux Falls, SD – Sprinkler system keeps arson fire set outside building from spreading inside

Police have arrested a man in connection to a fire that destroyed two porta potties in downtown Sioux Falls.  Forty-eight-year-old Aaron Gruenewald was arrested Thursday morning.  Firefighters extinguished a blaze at the new Washington Square Complex early Thursday morning. No one was hurt, but two porta potties were destroyed.

Police say surveillance video showed a man walking into one of the porta potties, then the fire broke out shortly after he walked away.  Gruenewald was found a few blocks away. Police say he had a lighter in his possession. He faces one count of reckless burning and intentional damage to property.

Original Story

No one was hurt, but two porta potties were destroyed in an overnight fire in downtown Sioux Falls.  The fire broke out around 1:20 a.m. at the new Washington Square complex on Main Avenue.  According to Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, a porta potty near the entrance to the first floor garage caught fire. The building’s sprinkler system was able to stop the flames from spreading. Firefighters put out the blaze a few minutes after arriving.  No one was hurt in the fire. The fire triggered the building’s alarm system, and residents had to wait outside on a rainy night for about 15 minutes.

Firefighters did not find any damage to the building, though two porta potties were destroyed.  The cause is still under investigation.

Other / Not Specified

Olympia, WA – Sprinkler system activates to help limit car fire in tunnel

A vehicle fire closed the tunnel at 14th Avenue Southeast under the Capitol Campus on Thursday morning, according to the Capitol Campus’ emergency alert Twitter account.  The vehicle was in an eastbound lane and fully engulfed, according to a tweet.  The westbound lanes of the tunnel reopened at about 7 a.m. and the eastbound lanes were open shortly after that.  No injuries were reported, according to Olympia Fire Department. Heat set off sprinklers and a public works crew was called to replace them.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

San Carlos, CA – Sprinkler system prevented fire from spreading in commercial building

San Mateo County Fire Department crews battled a 2-alarm fire at a commercial building in San Carlos early Tuesday morning, according to fire dispatch and reports.

The blaze was first reported at 6:01 a.m. at 642 Quarry Road in San Carlos. Redwood City fire crews also responded to the scene and reported on Twitter that the building’s sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading further.

Crews said the cause of the fire was under investigation and additional information was not immediately available.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

St. Petersburg, FL – Trash can fire at movie theater prompted sprinkler system to activate

The action on screen came to an abrupt halt for Moviegoers at the AMC Sundial 20 Monday evening.

A trash can fire inside the movie house in downtown St. Petersburg activated a sprinkler and prompted an evacuation.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Lt. Steven Lawrence said firefighters responded to the call at 6:45 p.m. There were no injuries, he said.

Other / Not Specified

Erie, PA – Several animals rescued after sprinkler system controls fire at environmental center

Firefighters were called to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center to put out a fire in a laboratory room Sunday morning.  It was reported around 5:41 a.m.  An aquarium system caught fire, creating smoke in the east wing of the building, according to West Lake Fire Department.  The fire activated a sprinkler, but firefighters had to extinguish what was left of the fire, the fire department said.  Several turtles and a garpike were rescued.