Other / Not Specified, Other Business Kent, WA – Sprinkler system protects building from fire caused by spontaneous combustion May 4, 2016 viking210 2 Comments A business’s sprinkler system did exactly what it was designed to do when it contained a small fire in the 18600 block of 72 Avenue South on Tuesday, the Kent Regional Fire Authority reported. No one was in the business at the time of the fire, though firefighters checked neighboring businesses as a precaution. The system, which also sent a signal of a possible fire to the alarm company that monitored it, activated at 5:30 a.m. The closest emergency unit to the call was a fire engine from Tukwila. When they arrived, they found water coming from inside the large two-story, concrete tilt-up building. Because they knew that a sprinkler head had activated, they upgraded the incident to a “commercial fire,” which brought a full fire response. Once additional firefighters from the Kent RFA and Renton RFA were able to get inside the building they found it filled with smoke, which made locating the fire more difficult. Once they found the seat of the fire, they were able to extinguish it quickly and shut down the sprinkler system to reduce additional water damage. A fire investigator determined that there were two locations at the business where fire started. One was inside, which activated the sprinkler system, and one was on an exterior loading dock. The cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion, after paper and filtering material, which were both saturated with paint, were placed in containers, fire officials said. Certain materials, when in a limited space, can self-generate heat until they catch fire. Paints, oils and compost are common causes of this type of combustion. The fire is considered accidental.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Irvine, CA – Fire at uniform rental business contained by sprinkler system May 2, 2016 viking210 A fire damaged Irvine business Prudential Overall Supply Saturday night, Orange County Fire Authority Captain Carlos Huerta said. Firefighters responded to the blaze on Aston Avenue at 7:09 p.m. “Fortunately, the building had a sprinkler system that kept the fire in check,” Huerta said. “The fire was under control within 30 minutes.” Damage to the one-story building was minimal, Huerta said. “It was a contents fire that was contained to the rear of the structure,” he said. Prudential Overall Supply provides uniform rentals to employers, according to its website. Huerta said there were no injuries, but he did not know if the building was vacant at the time the fire started. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Titusville, PA – Early morning fire at laundry business contained by sprinkler system April 18, 2016 viking210 The Titusville Fire Department was busy on Friday putting out two fires — one occurred at a Titusville business — the other was on Park Avenue near the intersection of High Street. According to Assistant Chief Joe Lamey, the first fire happened at 5:30 a.m., Friday, at ITU [formerly Farley’s Industrial Laundry] on West Spring Street. Lamey said an automatic fire alarm went off, and when firefighters arrived on the scene, the water flow alarm [sprinkler system] was on, but no smoke was showing. He said firefighters forced entry into the structure and the building’s interior was full of smoke. Lamey said Hydetown and Pleasantville volunteers were called to assist. He said one of the overhead bags the laundry uses had a contaminant, possibly an oil substance, that spontaneously combusted. “The sprinkler system did a great job, but there’s water damage,” Lamey said. “They will have a lot of clean up. There was little damage to the facility and it will probably be ruled accidental.” He said firefighters were on the scene until 8 a.m.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Kent, WA – Early morning business fire extinguished by sprinkler system April 11, 2016 viking210 Just before 5 a.m. on Thursday, units from Renton Fire Department, Tukwila Fire Department and Kent Regional Fire Authority were dispatched to a commercial fire in the 19800 block of 84th Avenue South in Kent. Initially a small response for an automatic fire alarm, the first unit that arrived upgraded the call to a commercial fire response after confirming smoke was present, according to a Kent RFA media release. The upgrade triggered the addition of more resources. The building’s fire sprinkler system not only kept the fire in check, it actually extinguished the fire. A manual check along with confirmation from a thermal imaging camera assured there was no more fire. The business used its emergency evacuation plan to get employees outside to safety. A Kent fire investigator determined the fire to be accidental due to failure of a small electrical component. There were no injuries to employees or firefighters. The damage is estimated to be $10,000 and limited to a small area of the business. Employees were able to resume work relatively quickly after the fire was out and the building deemed safe.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Roanoke, VA – Fire that started in ceiling heater at distribution business extinguished by sprinkler system April 8, 2016 viking210 Crews responded to a fire at a city business on Wednesday. Roanoke Fire-EMS responded at about 9:30 a.m. to a fire at Superior Distribution, in the 900 block of Rhodes Avenue. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire that started in a ceiling heater, according to the fire department. No injuries were reported and the building was evacuated upon the fire department’s arrival.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Saginaw, MI – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at auto repair shop March 21, 2016 viking210 Saginaw firefighters were dispatched to a fire at the corner of Holland and East Genesee about 5:50 p.m. on Friday, March 18. The fire occurred at Rick’s Automotive, 1935 E. Genesee, where black smoke could be seen coming from inside of the building when firefighters arrived at the scene. A sprinkler system that was activated helped contain the fire, according to a firefighter at the scene.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Tumalo, OR – Fire in server room at research facility controlled by sprinklers; Faulty air conditioner identified as cause February 29, 2016 viking210 A failed air conditioning unit is blamed for a fire that caused $20,000 in damage to the Bend Research facility in Tumalo. Firefighters responded to a monitored fire alarm at 3:30 a.m., Saturday. Crews arrived to find smoke in the hallways and water coming from the sprinkler system. Investigators believe the blaze started in a room containing internet servers, backup systems and the main fire alarm system. Bend Research employees arrived on-scene shortly after fire crews and began the cleanup and repair process. The sprinkler system is credited with stopping the fire from spreading beyond the 100-square-foot room. In a release, Dan Derlacki with Bend Fire says a larger fire or more smoke could have caused millions of dollars in damage to the research facility.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Beaverton, OR – Sprinkler system limits damage in early morning fire at small business February 16, 2016 viking210 1 Comment Firefighters extinguished a fire early Sunday in a commercial building in Beaverton. They arrived at the two-story concrete building, located at 10074 S.W. Arctic Dr., about 4:30 a.m. It was filled with smoke but the fire stayed in one room. It took Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue crews nearly an hour to clear out the smoke and water. The building houses several businesses. No one was inside at the time. A fire investigator said blaze started under a shelving unit. Two sprinkler heads activated, limiting the damage.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Corinth, MS – Sprinkler system helps contain fire to dust collector at Kimberly-Clark facility February 15, 2016 viking210 All four units of the Corinth Fire Department responded to a fire just after midnight Friday at the Kimberly-Clark Professional facility. Corinth Fire Chief Lucky Briggs said the water sprinkler system engaged and firefighters had the blaze under control shortly after arrival. The fire was described by Briggs as being contained in a dust collector. There was no structural damage to the facility, but significant water damage. “Firemen had it out fairly quickly,” noted the fire chief. There were no injuries. The fire remains under investigation, noted Briggs. Kimberly-Clark spokesperson Bob Brand said the cleanup operation was underway Saturday and there would be an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. “We are glad no one was hurt,” said Brand. “We will get to the root of the problem and get it fixed.” Brand praised employees for their orderly response to the fire and firefighters for their quick response. The fire call came in at 12:16 a.m. Saturday and firemen remained on the scene until 2:23 a.m. Assisting Corinth on the scene was one engine and five firefighters from the Farmington Volunteer Fire Department. KC-Professional is adjacent to the K-C Global Nonwovens Division facility. KC-Professional takes raw material from the nonwovens mill and turns it into finished products ready for consumers.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Lancaster, PA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in four-story commercial building February 5, 2016 viking210 A sprinkler system knocked down a two-alarm commercial building fire in downtown Lancaster Wednesday night, according to a Fox43 report. Firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm in a four-story building at East King and North Christian streets at about 7 p.m., according to the report. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke on the upper floors of the building that houses an art store on the first floor and neighbors the Lancaster County courthouse complex. Crews sounded a second alarm in response to the heavy smoke that stemmed to the fire likely ignited in the basement elevator room, the report said. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire, which a cleaning crew inside didn’t know had broke out until firefighters arrived, according to the report. The crew made it out of the building safely. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
