Category Archives: Other / Not Specified

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Salvation Army

A fire at St. Cloud Salvation Army’s emergency shelter forced dozens of people out of the place they were calling home for the holidays.

According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, the fire started around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Fire damage was limited to one room because of the sprinkler system.

Lt. Nathan North of the St. Cloud Salvation Army feels fortunate the fire didn’t spread but says the water damage left most of their space needing full renovations.

“In that moment, it just, it fell off, and my heart sank,” North said about getting the phone call about the fire.

“Unfortunately, our shelter [became] unsafe to be in until we can assess everything,” North said. “So unfortunately, it displaces all of our residents that are here with us.”

That’s around 40 people, many of whom are now with Place of Home Ministries.

“It’s terrible for the people,” Pastor Carol Smith, with Place of Home Ministries, said.

“We were able to get [a floor at] our facility ready that we were not occupying at the moment, miraculously,” Smith said.

She adds pillows, blankets, and bedding would be warmly welcomed and that donations can be dropped off at 511 9th Ave. N. in St. Cloud.

“We’re just trying to provide what we can for support and all that this holiday season,” Smith said.

As for the St. Cloud Salvation Army, North is asking people not to share physical donations with them as they work to clean up their facility. He added that donating to the Salvation Army’s red kettles is the best way to help.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cedar City, UT – Sprinkler system activated for trash can fire inside commercial building

Fire officials are highlighting the importance of automatic fire suppression sprinklers after a commercial business building was saved earlier this week.

Cedar City public information officer Gabrielle Costello said a fire started inside a trash can inside the Jones Paint and Glass building located at 38 E. 1600 North at approximately 9:11 p.m. Monday.

Chad Barnes, assistant manager of Jones Paint and Glass and also a full-time firefighter with Cedar City Fire Department, was reportedly notified in both capacities that the facility’s sprinkler system had been activated after hours.

According to a news release issued by Costello on Friday afternoon, Barnes wasn’t on duty with the fire department but arrived alongside on-duty fire crews that evening to find that the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire within 30 seconds of being activated.

Prior to the activation of the sprinklers, the fire and smoke had been building up inside the trash can for approximately four minutes, as seen on the company’s surveillance cameras, the statement added.

“This is a prime example of how a sprinkler system can save a business,” Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said in the news release. “Recovery after a fire can often put a business out for a few days or sometimes forever but there are ways to prevent complete devastation and resume operations soon after.”

Barnes noted that even though the initial cost upfront for a sprinkler system can be costly for small business owners, the benefits are far greater if the sprinkler system is activated and saves the business.

“We are thankful to have resumed normal business operations the very next morning,” Barnes said.

“On behalf of everyone at Jones Paint and Glass, we want to thank the firefighters for their prompt response and the time they spent helping clear the water from the building,” he added.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials said.

Small business owners in Cedar City or Iron County who have questions about fire suppression systems are invited to call the Cedar City Fire Department at 435-586-2964.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at salon; No injuries reported

A working fire sprinkler system was instrumental in keeping a fire at a Petaluma business from growing any larger, the Petaluma Fire Department said.

The blaze broke out around 5:30 a.m. Monday inside a salon in the 900 block of Lakeville Street. Authorities were alerted to the fire by a water flow alarm at the business, Petaluma FD Fire Inspector Joe Garcia said.

“The first arriving engine found heavy smoke inside the building and requested an upgrade to a full structure response,” Garcia said. “When additional resources arrived, crews made entry and were successful in keeping the fire from spreading into the adjacent businesses.”

After putting out the fire, crews found that a working sprinkler system helped keep the blaze contained to where it started which was at a workstation in the middle of the business.

“This incident is a reminder of how important it is to have a functioning sprinkler system, not only in the home but in businesses, as well,” Garcia said. “Having a functioning system can mean the difference in minimal versus extensive damage to a structure, but it can also allow more time for people to escape in case of a fire.”

The City of Petaluma Building Department and PG&E evaluated the affected businesses for safety and red-tagged the business where the fire started, restricting the use of the building.

The Petaluma Fire Prevention Bureau was still investigating the cause of the fire, Garcia said.

“The Petaluma Fire Department is happy to report there were no injuries to firefighters, and no patrons or employees were on site at the time of the incident,” Garcia said. “Additionally, we want to thank our surrounding partners for their assistance during the incident and for providing station coverage to protect the city.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Waukee, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at movie theater

Crews responded to a fire Thursday morning at The Palms Theatres & IMAX in Waukee.

Fire chief Clint Robinson told KCCI towels caught on fire in a mechanical room around 8 a.m. and triggered sprinklers at the complex, located at 200 NE Westgate Dr.

An employee on the scene said they don’t believe the fire caused any structural damage, but there is some smoke and water damage. They expected to reopen Thursday afternoon.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Lexington, KY – Sprinkler system activated for overnight fire at Aramark building

A business has some damage after an overnight fire in Lexington.

Flames broke out after 11 p.m. at the Aramark building on Versailles Road.

Crews arrived quickly and crawled under the smoke to put out the flames.

District Fire Chief Brian Dawson says the fire started in some clothing bins inside the building.

“The sprinkler heads in the building kept the fire in check, but it didn’t completely put the fire out,” Dawson said. “We had about 10 units responding to the fire and the Jonas Brothers’ concert slowed one of them down, but they were still on scene within five minutes of the initial fire.”

Dawson says the fire damaged some items in the building, but the structure is sound and no one was hurt.

One person was in the building when the fire started.

Investigators are still determining the origin and cause.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Bolingbrook, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at Party City store

A fire reported at Party City on Sunday was contained by the fire sprinkler system of the building, the Bolingbrook Fire Department said.

The department responded at 3:20 p.m. to the store at 257 N. Weber Road, and found a fire in a display shelving unit inside the store.

The department said the sprinkler system had contained the fire, and firefighters were able to extinguish flames quickly. Crews began to salvage and conserve the unaffected property inside the building, and worked to clear the smoke from the building and neighboring units.

Members of the Bolingbrook Fire Department, trained in fire investigations, began to survey the scene, the department said. At this time, the incident is still under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Owatonna, MN – Sprinkler system controls fire at business; No injuries reported

Authorities are investigating a fire at a business in Owatonna.

It happened just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at Nelson Decorating Center, located at 121 Oakdale Street SW.

According to the Owatonna Fire Department (OFD), the sprinkler system at the business controlled the blaze until crews arrived to put out the remaining flames.

Firefighters stayed on scene for roughly two hours to help ventilate the building.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Damages are estimated at $350,000.

The neighboring business, Sherwin Williams, had minor smoke and water damage.

OFD said no one was hurt.

“Having a working sprinkler system helped prevent more extensive damage to the business,” said Ed Hoffman, the Owatonna Fire Chief. “This is a great reminder for other businesses that have sprinkler and fire alarm systems to have them inspected regularly to ensure they are working properly.”

The Owatonna Police Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted OFD at the scene.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Palm Desert, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in commercial building; No injuries reported

A fire in a one-story commercial building in Palm Desert Tuesday evening was extinguished with no reports of injuries.

Firefighters responded to the 77700 block of Flora Road, near Las Montanas Road, around 8:10 p.m. to a report regarding light smoke coming from a one-story commercial building, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Firefighters discovered two golf carts fully engulfed in flames as they approached the inside of the building.

The building’s sprinkler system assisted in holding back the fire.

The fire was contained around 8:54 p.m. Firefighters remained on the scene for clean-up and to ensure all hot spots were extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Great Falls, MT – Sprinkler system held fire at laundry mat in check

UPDATE 5 PM: Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) released more information in relation to the National Laundry Fire on Monday night. 

After GFFR arrived on scene, firefighters noticed smoke coming from the roof of the building.

Firefighters entered the building through a door on the East side of the building and were met with heavy smoke and no visibility.

When entry was made into the building, firefighters encountered two males in the building who were National Laundry employees attempting to put the fire out.

The employees had been notified of the alarm activation by the fire alarm monitoring company.

Both employees were escorted out of the building and assessed by GFES, but both employees refused any further medical care on completion of the medical assessment.

After firefighters reentered the building, they discovered the fire was being held in check by the building’s sprinkler system.

Even with the sprinkler system keeping the fire in check, firefighters did have a tough time getting the fire knocked down, but they were able to get it fully under control.

The cause of the fire has been determined to be the spontaneous combustion of mop heads. There are numerous fires that have been documented as being caused by the spontaneous combustion of mop heads at laundry facilities, as noted in Spontaneous Ignition Fires in Laundries by Jim Everitt.

Fire damage in National Laundry was limited by the presence of the fire sprinkler system. Without this system in place, the entire complex could have been lost.

As of now, total damages to National Laundry have not been determined, and they are working to get the business reopened.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Oakville, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at community center

The Oakville Fire Department says no injuries were reported following a fire at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre on Monday, July 17.

At around 8:30 p.m., the 2302 Bridge Rd. facility was evacuated due to a small fire in one of the board rooms.

“We believe there were items placed on top of a charging station that kind of smothered and caused something to overheat creating a small fire,” said Oakville Fire Chief Paul Boissonneault.

“The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system and then our crews removed the remanent components when they arrived.”

The fire chief said firefighters also ventilated the building to get rid of the smell of burnt plastic.

The community centre was able to open its doors on Tuesday as per usual.

Damage to the boardroom is said to be minimal.

“The sprinklers certainly did their job,” said Boissonneault.

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