Category Archives: Other Business

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system contains fire; No injuries reported

An automatic sprinkler system extinguished an early-morning blaze Thursday at AKS Engineering & Forestry, according to the Vancouver Fire Department.

The call came in initially as a water flow alarm at 9600 N.E. 126th Ave., Capt. Raymond Egan said, but a Clark County sheriff’s patrol went by the building, smelled smoke and reported a fire. The call was then upgraded to a full commercial fire alarm shortly before 2 a.m., emergency dispatch records show.

Engine 4 was the first to arrive and found the fire inside had been contained to the original area by the fire sprinkler system, Egan said. Crews worked for about 45 minutes on clearing the smoke from the building and shutting off the fire sprinklers, he said.

There were no injuries.

The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

Office Building, Other Business

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire in trash compactor at office building; No injuries reported

Fire investigators have determined that a trash compactor fire at a local office building was started by accident.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin Home Office on Friday around 12:45 for a report of a fire. Occupants were evacuating as firefighters arrived.

Crews found smoke at the back of the building where the dumpster and trash compactor were located inside. Officials said an automatic fire sprinkler inside the compactor room helped control the fire until firefighters were able to put it out.

According to a news release, firefighters had to remove the dumpster and its contents from the building before they could fully extinguish the blaze. Pellitteri Waste Sytsems responded to pull the dumpster from the building so firefighters could douse the remaining flames.

Damages are estimated to be $500.

No one was injured and the building was not impacted.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Syracuse, UT – Arson fire at church extinguished by sprinkler system

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a Syracuse chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was burned, vandalized, and defaced with anti-Christian symbols.

The Syracuse Police Department issued a statement Saturday afternoon on the case, which was first reported by Gephardt Daily.

On Oct. 9, 2021 at approximately 1 a.m., the Syracuse Fire Department responded to an LDS Church at 1112 S. 1525 West in Syracuse on a fire alarm. When fire crews entered the building, they found it filled with smoke and discovered a sprinkler system had extinguished the fire.

Fire crews observed extensive water and property damage throughout the building caused by the fire. Additionally, the fire department observed several intentional acts of vandalism throughout the building. The fire is being investigated as arson.

Syracuse Police Department, Syracuse Fire Department, Davis County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab and the ATF are working together to investigate the arson and vandalism.

On Oct. 9, 2021 at 2 p.m., an arson arrest was made regarding this case; a 16-year-old male responsible for the damage was booked into a juvenile detention facility. He will not be identified because he is a juvenile.

Response

Emergency crews responded to the scene, a few blocks southeast of Syracuse High School, at about 1:10 a.m. Sprinklers had doused the blaze.

Arson damage to the interior included the burning of padded benches used by the congregation.

Inverted crosses, and what appeared to a pentagram, were spray-painted on the front of the church. Images including the number 666 were sprayed on other doors.

Officers questioned neighbors about anything they might have seen or captured on surveillance video. Syracuse Police Department officers were back at the scene in the morning, questioning any neighbors they might have missed earlier.

Several vehicles from a local cleaning company were on the scene Saturday morning, after the scene had been cleared by investigators.

Gephardt Daily will have additional information if it is released by police.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Margate, FL – Sprinkler system keeps fire under control at Public Works Facility

Firefighters worked to put out a fire in Margate.

The fire broke out at a Public Works facility near North Rock Island Road and First Street, Saturday.

Heavy smoke could be seen billowing from the building.

Firefighters knocked down the fire to limit the extent of the damage.

Officials said the sprinkler system was key in keeping the fire under control.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Hillsboro, OR – Sprinkler system activated for fire at business; No injuries reported

A building in a Hillsboro business park was evacuated on Thursday after a fire broke out inside one of the businesses, setting off the sprinkler system, fire officials said.

Hillsboro Fire & Rescue and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue crews were called out at about 11:30 a.m. on reports of a fire alarm at the Sunset West Business Park off Northeast 25th Avenue.

Everyone made it safely out of the building, fire officials said, and there are no initial reports of injuries.

Firefighters found and extinguished the fire which was contained to a small area inside one of the companies, saying it involved “specialty materials commonly found in high-tech manufacturing.”

A HazMat team was called out to assess the potential impact that the specialty materials may have, which prompted fire crews to order evacuations of the nearby businesses.

Investigators have not confirmed a cause of the fire.

“Hillsboro Fire & Rescue would like to thank Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Hillsboro Police, Metro West Ambulance, and Portland General Electric for their assistance.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Evansville, IN – Fire inside building extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire officials were called to a building fire on Wednesday morning. Crews arrived to 5401 Highway 41 after 911 dispatchers received a call stating there was a fire inside the building. The first crew arrived at 2:50 a.m. and reported light smoke conditions.

An area of fire was discovered that had been mostly extinguished by the fire sprinkler system. The fire damage was mostly contained to the contents and an interior wall of the business. According to officials, the fire cause is accidental and no injuries were reported.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Concord, NH – Fire at pet store extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Concord firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at Petco in Concord on Monday night with no injuries to people or animals. 

Shortly after 8:30 p.m., the department was alerted to an alarm at the Fort Eddy Road store. Companies arrived on the scene in less than four minutes and found the sprinkler system running.

A fire was burning in the grooming area was extinguished by Concord firefighters by 8:55 p.m. Concord Fire Marshal Paul Sirois determined the cause of the fire to be a malfunctioning air blower fan.

None of the mulititude of animals in the store were injured, firefighters said.

Firefighters remained on the scene for three hours removing smoke and water to prevent further damage and to conduct the investigation.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

The Woodlands, TX – Commercial dryer fire at fitness center controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

At approximately 8:30pm on September 10th, 2021, South Montgomery County Firefighters (Montgomery County ESD #8), were dispatched to reports of a fire alarm at the L.A. Fitness Signature Club located at 3570 Harmony Commons Drive. The first Fire Engine arrived in just minutes, reporting smoke in the building and a water flow alarm. The crew entered the building and determined that a fire had broken out in a commercial dryer in the club’s laundry room, but that a single fire sprinkler head had activated and controlled the fire before it could spread.

At the time of the fire, approximately 50 customers and employees were in the building when the fire started. Although the fire started in the un-occupied laundry room, they were able to escape unharmed when the alarm sounded.

The building’s fire sprinkler system was installed in 2018 by Interactive Fire Control Inc and inspected by MCESD 8 Fire Inspectors working hand in hand with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office. The MCFMO and MCESD #8 work together under an inter-local agreement to enforce the County Fire Code and insure the safety of residents and visitors.

The Montgomery County Commissioner’s Court first adopted a County-wide Fire Code in 2008 after a series of commercial fires damaged or destroyed several businesses in our community. Since that time, MCFMO personnel have reviewed building plans on over 100 million square feet of new construction projects and along with our partners, conduct thousands of inspections annually.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

North Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes electrical fire at gym; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system inside the Planet Fitness at the Northwoods Mall stopped a small fire on Tuesday morning from potentially getting much worse.

Firefighters said they were dispatched to the gym around 7:20 a.m. for a fire alarm.

A caller said there was a fire in the electrical room, and the call was upgraded to a commercial structure fire.

First arriving units found light smoke and an activated sprinkler head in the electrical room.

Crews said the sprinkler extinguished the fire.

According to the department, the fire was likely caused by an electrical appliance failing, overheating and igniting.

There were no injuries reported.

The gym will be closed while the electrical equipment is replaced.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system activated for large electrical fire; No injuries reported

An electrical fire caused about $350,000 in damage and losses at a downtown Bend office building late Saturday night, but an official said the sprinkler system prevented more damage.

Bend Fire and Rescue was dispatched around 11:40 p.m. to the reported fire in a two-story commercial building in the 100 block of Northwest Greenwood Avenue, Deputy Fire Marshal Susie Maniscalco said.

Police and fire personnel arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the second story and roof of the unoccupied building, which is equipped with a full fire sprinkler and alarm systems, Maniscalco said.

Crews got to the second floor and said a single fire sprinkler in the attic kept the fire from spreading through the attic.

“Had the fire sprinklers not been in place, the long-term cleanup and disruption of businesses would have been greatly impacted,” Maniscalco said in a news release.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical fire relating to heat tape. No injuries were reported.

The building’s estimated value is $2.7 million, and property losses were estimated at $200,000, Maniscalco said. Contents were valued at $400,000, with losses of about $150,000.