Category Archives: Other Business

Other Business

Tulsa, OK – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in putting out fire at linen company

Tulsa firefighters had to battle heavy smoke to put out a rubber floor mat fire at a Tulsa business Monday evening.  The fire happened just before 8:30 p.m. at Superior Linen Company in the 500 block of South Rockford.  Firefighters say they got the call after someone noticed heavy smoke pouring from the building. They arrived to find a roll of rubber floor maps on fire. Firefighters say it wasn’t the fire, but that smoke inside the business that caused them problems.

“The amount of smoke from those floor mats really made it tough for us to operate inside that building,” said Tulsa Fire Captain Jason Gilkison.  He said they had to use thermal imaging cameras once inside to help guide them through the smoke.  Gilkison says with the help of the building’s sprinkler system, they were able to put out the fire.  The business was closed at the time and no injuries were reported.

Office Building, Other Business

Chicago, IL – Parking garage fire at John Hancock Tower held in check by sprinkler system

A car caught fire Sunday morning at a parking garage inside the John Hancock Center on the Magnificent Mile. Over 150 firefighters responded about 9 a.m. to the two-alarm fire on the 7th floor of the parking garage at 149 E. East Delaware St., where heavy smoke conditions had been reported, according to Chicago Police and the Chicago Fire Department.

“The sprinkler system here did what it was supposed to do,” CFD District Chief Dan Cunningham told reporters “It kept the fire in check and it allowed us time to stretch a hose line to extinguish the fire.”

The fire was quickly struck out, but the “serious smoke conditions” on the 7th and 8th floors of the garage moved to other areas of the building, Cunningham said. People who were on the upper levels of the Hancock Center, including the 94th floor observation deck, requested help, but their calls were unfounded and no one was actually in distress. No injuries were reported, authorities said.

Ten people who were subjected to medical evaluations at the scene refused further medical treatment, Cunningham said. The Hancock Center was expected to reopen Sunday morning, Cunningham said.

“It will be business as usual as soon as we leave out of here,” he added.

Other Business

Pikeville, KY – Theater fire caused by pyrotechnics is put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

Firefighters were called to a small fire Saturday afternoon on the stage at Jenny Wiley Theatre.  Pikeville 911-Public Safety Director Paul Maynard says the fire occurred after a malfunction during a test of the venue’s pyrotechnics. The fire was contained to a portion of the stage, and the building’s sprinkler system worked as designed to put it out. The burnt portion of the stage was removed from the building. The theater sustained some smoke and water damage.

No one was hurt in the incident. Jenny Wiley Theatre released a statement about the incident, saying the fire occurred during preparations for the opening the youth program’s production of “The Tempest.” The statement said while the fire was minor, it did destroy the set for the production. The theater requested donations to offset the cost of repairs.

Office Building

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler systems assists firefighters in suppressing office building fire

A sprinkler system and quick response by firefighters limited damage from a fire to an office building Saturday in San Diego, authorities said. At about 5:15 p.m. a passerby noticed flames coming from the side of a building at 9449 Balboa Avenue, fire officials said. It went to a second alarm at 5:31 p.m. and the flames were out within 20 minutes.  Fire damage was confined to the third floor exterior deck and water damaged a couple of law offices next to the deck, firefighters said. No injuries were reported, they said. The fire was caused by discarded smoking materials, officials said.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other-Government/Military

Quincy, IL – Fire in pool pump room at community center extinguished by sprinkler system

A chemical fire Friday that led to a temporary evacuation of the Kroc Center was the first fire in the building’s six-year history. An automatic fire alarm went off around 9:30 a.m. at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center, 405 Vermont, and employees immediately began evacuating patrons as a precaution. When the fire was confirmed, the automatic alarm was upgraded to a general alarm and multiple fire trucks responded.

“Every time we show up, and we see that a proper evacuation has taken place, it takes a lot off our shoulders,” said Quincy Fire Department Capt. Mark Bigelow. “Then we get down to the business of extinguishing the fire and controlling it.” The fire, believed to be chemical in nature, broke out in a pump room near the swimming pool area, Bigelow said. The cause is still being investigated, but Bigelow said construction equipment in the pump room, like propane tanks, may have been involved. No construction was being done at the time.

Bigelow said damage will likely be minimal. Most of the equipment in the pump room is designed for moisture, he said. The fire was extinguished by a sprinkler. “Another win for automatic sprinkler systems,” Bigelow said. No injuries were reported.

Carolyn Carpenter, Kroc Center marketing manager, said the facility regularly practices fire drills with its employees.

Several dozen people were left outside for about 30 minutes in the single-digit temperatures because of the evacuation. Staff members began transporting some patrons to the Salvation Army Family Store, which is used as a warming center. Patrons who were evacuated from the pool were outside in swimsuits and shoeless. Staff members began loading them into vehicles and handing out blankets and socks.

“Everybody here did an outstanding job,” Bigelow said.

As soon as firefighters cleared the building, patrons were allowed to return but remained in the Kroc Center’s Worship Theatre while the investigation was conducted.

Bigelow said that while the department has responded to the Kroc Center many times for false alarms, he believes this was the first actual fire.

Other Business

Garden City, ID – Early morning fire at commercial laundry business contained by sprinkler system

The Boise Fire Department responded to a fire at at a commercial laundry facility in Garden City last Wednesday morning at 5:30 a.m. on the 5200 block of North Sawyer Avenue. The fire department says the business is still in service thanks to a fire sprinkler system in the facility, which limited the spread of the fire and kept it in the area the fire started. The fire was under control in about 30 minutes. The cause of the fire was ruled an accident, according to the fire department.  Two firefighters were injured while responding to a fire.  One firefighter suffered an ankle injury and the other suffered a back injury.

Other Business

Arcata, CA – Sprinkler system controls fire at mixed-use building; $27 million of property saved according to owner, no injuries

A little after 2 a.m. a fire broke out in a business in the 900 block of I Street in Arcata. According to Sean Campbell, Battalion Chief for Arcata Fire District, “Once the bars got out, someone set off a firework…The [illegal] mortar shot up through a gap in the building.” Multiple callers notified 911 operators that there was a fire in a multi-business structure. “Mutual aid was called for,” Campbell explained.

Campbell said the mortar caught items in a loft on fire. “Thankfully,…the sprinkler head got it in check and prevented a major loss of that building,” he explained. “It knocked the fire down.” However, the firefighters still had to deal with getting to the ignition point and completely extinguishing the flames. “They had to force through multiple doors,” Campbell said. Then, they had a further problem. “The challenging thing is it was up on a loft,” he explained. The firefighters were able to locate the problem and get a hose up to the problem area.

“The damage from the fire was $3400,” Campbell said. However, if the fire hadn’t been slowed by the sprinkler system and stopped by the fire crews a building and its contents worth approximately $27 million could have been destroyed, he pointed out. A press release with more information is expected shortly.

UPDATE 10:37 a.m.: Press release from Arcata Fire:

t 2:04 AM Arcata Fire District was dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 933 I Street, Arcata. The first engine to arrive was out of the Arcata Fire Station and reported moderate gray smoke in a large commercial mixed-use occupancy. The crew began forcing entry through multiple doors trying to access the fire.

The second engine from Mad River Fire Station arrived and supported the first engine with a fire attack. Once the fire attack team made entry, they reported smoke throughout the business and advised the incident commander that a sprinkler head had activated.

A third engine from McKinleyville Station arrived and began searching the business for occupants. This was a priority because the building is attached to a winery and there were occupants in the winery.

The fire was located in a loft area above Humboldt Juice Bar. The fire attack team had to use ladders to gain access to the loft. They were able to deploy a hose line to the fire and complete extinguishment.

Battalion Chief Sean Campbell reported, “This was our second commercial fire in less than 24 hours. We had the potential to burn down two complete city blocks during our shift but thankfully we were able to prevent that from happening. Our firefighters did an amazing job working with our mutual-aid partners to avoid another disastrous conflagration.”

The estimated loss to Humboldt Juice Bar and Humboldt Machine Works is $3,400 and the estimated save to the businesses is $2,760,973. The saved value for the immediate exposure business to the north (The Griffin) $710,482. These values do not account for lost sales revenue, lost sales tax, or lost employment.

Fire Chief Justin McDonald reported, “Once again, I am proud of my team. I have to attribute this success to the dedication of our firefighters. They work hard to be the best at what they do and it showed during these two incidents. This incident resulted in a 99% save ratio, which is an A+. Although some of this success is attributed to the sprinkler system, these fires still require firefighters to complete extinguishment and conduct salvage operations. The save ratio is based on Value Saved divided by Total Value (minus Loss). We attribute this to good work and a great relationship with our Mutual-Aid partners.”

This incident was caused by an illegal firework being set off in front of the business. Arcata Fire is working with Arcata Police to identify a suspect in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Arcata Fire or Arcata Police.

“There were hundreds of witnesses in the area when the fireworks were ignited. We hope someone will come forward and help us identify the suspect responsible for this fire.” Stated Chief Campbell.

A total of thirty-one firefighters and three volunteer support personnel managed this incident. Arcata Fire District would like to thank Westhaven, Cal Fire Trinidad, Blue Lake, Humboldt Bay, Samoa, and Fieldbrook Fire for their support and hard work.

Other Business

Sparks, NV – Possible arson fire at trailer rental business held in check by sprinkler system

Fire crews are investigating to determine the cause of a fire inside “Prime Trailer,” a store that rents out trailers in the 1500 block of South McCarran Boulevard and Greg Street.  It broke out around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 23, 2018. It was initially called in as a fire alarm activation, so a crew from the Sparks Fire Department was sent to the scene to investigate.

Upon arrival the crew saw smoke coming out of the roll-up door and upgraded it to a second alarm fire; and backup was called. Additional crews arrived and entered the building, finding a fire inside. Fire officials say the fire was held in check thanks to a working sprinkler system. The fire is out now but investigators are calling it suspicious and say it may stem from a burglary at the business.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation but our indication is that it might have been a burglary because there were signs of forced entry prior to our arrival,” said Battalion Chief Derek Keller from the Sparks Fire Department.

Other Business

Muscatine, IA – Sprinkler systems keeps banquet hall fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A Muscatine banquet hall was damaged when a fire started in the ceiling.  Firefighters responded to Rendezvous Banquet Hall and Catering on Lucas Street around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 6th.  Fire crews saw smoke coming from the ceiling area, as well as fire and smoke coming from the roof. The building’s fire sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading.  Crews were able to knock down the main fire within a few minutes of arrival, and another crew worked on the roof.  According to Fire Captain Gary Ronzheimer, the fire caused significant damage to a rooftop HVAC system and a portion of the inside of the building. Losses are estimated at $20,000.  No one was injured.

Other - Retail, Other Business

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system saves laundry business from further fire damage; Business remains open

Firefighters responded to flames at Mega Coin Laundry last Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say the fire began in a dryer and after the clothes were removed from the machine, the smoke set off the sprinkler system. Those with the Rochester Fire Department say they were able to shut down the sprinkler system after forcing entry on a door, but Mega Coin and two other businesses experienced an estimated $10,000 in water damage to floor and carpeting. No one was injured, and officials say Mega Coin Laundry will be able to remain open.