Category Archives: Other Business

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.

Other Business

Torrington, CT – Storage room fire in large multi-business commercial building stopped by sprinkler system

Employees of three companies at 59 Field St. were evacuated last Wednesday around 5 p.m. when a fire was discovered in a storage room at the back of the sprawling factory building. Dozens of members of the Energy Fitness gym were told by Fire Department personnel to leave the building as were employees of the job center New Opportunities Inc.

Torrington Fire Department Battalion Chief Patrick Doyle said foam insulation caught on fire. “The sprinkler system came on and stopped the fire,” he said. Quite a bit of smoke filled the storage room, Doyle said. The room where the fire began has a loading dock attached to one side of the factory building.

“A fire marshal is on the scene, he’s waiting until the smoke clears,” Doyle said, before he entered the building. Engines 4 and 2 from Torrington Fire Department responded to the scene, as did TAC truck 9. The Register Citizen office also is in the building at 59 Field St.

Other Business

Lake Charles, LA – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in laundry room fire at casino

The Lake Charles Fire Department put out a small fire in the laundry room at L’auberge Casino Resort last Tuesday morning, officials said. Assistant Chief Carroll Doty said a machine caught fire. He said it was his understanding that it was a commercial iron press. He said the only damage was to the machine and that no one was injured. The sprinkler system activated, but the fire department brought in one hose to extinguish the fire. He said the side of the casino on which the laundry room is located was evacuated.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Knoxville, TN – Sprinkler system activated for grease fire at Thompson-Boling Arena

Knoxville Fire Department responded to a small grease fire that activated a sprinkler head at Thompson-Boling Arena Friday afternoon.

According to KFD Capt. D.J. Corcoran, there was a little smoke and water in the area of the concourses, and firefighters had it under control within 10 minutes. 

No injuries were reported. 

So far, no scheduled events are said to be affected although there is a Winter Jam event at the arena Friday night.