Category Archives: Other Business

Office Building, Other Business

Newark, CA – Sprinkler system holds fire at local business in check; No injuries reported

NEWARK, CA — A 2-alarm fire at a Newark business was contained to a test room within 30 minutes of Alameda County firefighters arriving at the scene Thursday morning, according to fire department spokeswoman Aisha Knowles.

The fire broke out at NTS Newark Test Lab, located at 38995 Cherry Street. “A large lead-acid battery caught fire and was held in check by the sprinkler system. The battery is approximately 3’x2’x2′,” Knowles told Patch. “The business had some residual smoke through the adjacent office space, but minimal damage overall in the test room.”

No injuries were reported.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Burlington, NC – Sprinkler system activated for fire involving two businesses; No injuries reported

Two Tucker Street businesses were affected by fire early Thursday morning, April 11.

At 5:09 a.m., the Burlington Fire Department responded to 413 Tucker St., where Haand Pottery and TS Designs operate. The sprinkler system activated, and personnel contained the fire due to an isolated area. The fire was under control in about 20 minutes.

No one was in the building during the fire and no injuries were reported.

The businesses expect to reopen within a few days, once electricity and water are restored.

“We feel very fortunate. The fire department did a fantastic job,” said Chris Pence, Haand Pottery co-owner.

The fire damaged a small area of the floor inside Haand Pottery, but didn’t threaten the building’s safety or structure, Pence said.

Eric Henry, president of TS Designs, said most of the damage was water-related. He expected the company’s dye facility to be up and running some time next week.

The fire department estimated damages at about $25,000 to the structure and $125,000 to the contents. The cause of the fire was still under investigation Thursday.

Burlington police, Alamance County EMS and Duke Energy responded to the fire as well.

Office Building, Other - Hospital/Medical

Pasadena, CA – Overnight fire at commercial medical building extinguished by sprinkler system

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Pasadena firefighters responded to a fire alarm at 39 Congress Street early Wednesday at a multi-story commercial medical building. The sprinkler system activated in response to the fire authorities that believed was caused by an electric cup warmer left plugged in, and placed in a wooden box with coffee break items, according to the Pasadena Fire Department. During the course of the night, heat from the device warmed surrounding materials enough to ignite a fire that burned the box and cabinet above, the report said. When firefighters on Engine 31 arrived at about 1:37 a.m., they found water from the sprinkler had put out the fire.

The fire crews helped clean up the water damage on the third and second floors, and reset the fire alarm to normal operations, before releasing control of the scene at about 3:46 a.m. The Pasadena Fire Department also issued a reminder that small accessories, such as the cup warmer in this case, can lead to bigger fires, activated sprinklers, and water damage.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Perris, CA – Fire at plastics recycling plant dampened by sprinkler system

A fire erupted on Monday, April 8 inside a plastics recycling plant in Perris, causing damage to the interior and roof before it was contained. The non-injury blaze was reported about 11:45 a.m. at Global Plastics on Malbert Street, near Goetz Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Multiple engine crews were sent to the location, where automated sprinkler systems activated inside the structure, helping dampen the flames by the time firefighters arrived, according to reports from the scene. The building was safely evacuated. A battalion chief said the fire extended from the workspace to the rooftop, but the blaze was completely contained by 12:15 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Other / Not Specified

Lake Zurich, IL – (no media coverage) Sprinkler system contains laundry fire at commercial structure

** Fire Department Reported – No Media Coverage ** The Lake Zurich Fire Department responded to the 700 block of South Rand Road in Lake Zurich for an activated fire alarm. The first fire department units arrived on the scene in under five minutes and found moderate smoke inside the building which was closed at the time of the alarm. The engine company investigating the cause of the smoke found a laundry bin smoldering in the kitchen area. They extinguished the fire with assistance from an activated sprinkler head from the installed automatic fire sprinkler system. Fire crews then conducted salvage, overhaul operations, and began a preliminary cause and origin investigation. The fire was accidental and caused by spontaneous combustion of oily rags in the kitchen area. There was a preliminary damage estimate of $500 and well over $1,000,000 in property and contents saved.

There were no reports of any firefighter injuries. Lake Zurich received assistance from the Lake Zurich Police Department with traffic control. The Lake Zurich Fire Department would like to remind residents to install working smoke detectors, make an escape plan and “practice” it, and consider installing an automatic fire-sprinkler system. Fire-related safety information is located on our Facebook page or by calling the Fire Prevention Bureau at (847) 540-5073.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Kamloops, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at recycling center

Fire investigators have been unable to determine what caused a fire at the Emterra recycling centre in Valleyview on Tuesday.

Kamloops firefighters were called at about 4:15 p.m. when a pile of cardboard went up in flames behind the Kelly Douglas Road facility.

Investigators know the fire started outside, at the building’s west end, but have been unable to figure out what sparked the blaze, said Kamloops Fire Rescue platoon Capt. Darryl Cooper.

“Talking to Emterra employees, sometimes they will get a lot of mixed recyclables that shouldn’t be in there — chemicals or steel or whatever that [can] cause a chain reaction, but the official cause is undetermined,” Cooper said.

He said fire investigators are typically able to trace the blaze back to a point of origin, but that hasn’t been possible in this case as the fire was spread over a large area containing a lot of debris.

Cooper said the fire started in a large pile of cardboard and led to an active rubber conveyor belt catching fire, which carried some of the fire inside the building.

Those flames were met by the building’s sprinkler system.

“We sent crews in to check for extension, but everything was good,” Cooper said.

Other / Not Specified

San Mateo, CA – Sprinkler system helps keep arson fire from spreading inside building

San Mateo police are asking for help identifying two people seen in an alley where burning garbage cans threatened a building early Thursday morning. Police and firefighters were sent at 3:23 a.m. to the first block of Second Avenue, near South El Camino Real, and determined that a group of garbage cans were burning next to a building. Officer Michael Haobsh said the building sustained damage when the fire melted a window a bit and set off the building’s sprinkler system. The fires were deemed suspicious and an arson investigation was begun. Police said some businesses are providing surveillance video of the area and anyone else who has video they can provide is asked to get in touch with police right away.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Wayzata, MN – Sprinkler system limits spread of fire at country club

Authorities were called to the Woodhill Country Club at about 7:52 a.m. last Tuesday, the Wayzata Fire Department said. Several other fire departments also responded to the scene.

When crews arrived, smoke was seen coming from the backside of the building, the department said. Firefighters entered the basement of the club and found fire in the ceiling and inside the walls of the basement, with flames making their way to the second level.

“It’s almost like all of the smoke would clear, and then 5 minutes later you could tell something was burning again because the smoke was pouring out of there,” Wayzata Fire Chief Kevin Klapprich said.

The fire department said ceilings, walls and floors had to be removed to be able to extinguish the fire.Klapprich  said thanks to a sprinkler system and firewall in the main clubhouse, that area did not see damage. He believes if there is any disruption to the country club, it will be minimal.

“It’s nice that it didn’t burn to the ground, I’m thankful for that firewall,” Klapprich said.

All units were cleared by 2 p.m.

The department says two firefighters were treated at a hospital for minor injuries; they’ve since been released. No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Fishers, IN – Fire in foam pit at gymnastics facility contained by sprinkler system

A fire late last Wednesday caused smoke and water damage to a Fishers gymnastics facility. Firefighters responded to the fire at DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics on Technology Drive around 10 p.m. A fire set off a sprinkler in the building, which contained the flames to a foam pit until firefighters arrived. Preliminary investigation shows the fire may have been started by work that was being done on equipment. The foam blocks in the pit where the fire occurred created thick smoke throughout the building. No one was reported injured in the fire and no athletes were in the building when the fire broke out. Firefighters say the facility will be closed until the owners of the gym can clean up the damage and make repairs.