Category Archives: Other Business

Office Building, Other Business

Reston, VA – Cubicle fire in 11th floor office contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Firefighters were dispatched for a fire alarm in a high rise building in the 12000 block of Sunset Hills Road in Reston on Sunday, Aug. 20, at approximately 7:51 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

The building was occupied by approximately 20 employees at the time of the fire. All occupants safely evacuated the building, according to the department.

No smoke or fire was evident from the outside of the 12-story, commercial high rise building. Crews proceeded to the eleventh floor where they discovered a significant amount of smoke, according to the department.

Firefighters quickly discovered the fire, which was mostly extinguished by one fire sprinkler. The remaining fire was quickly extinguished and contained to the eleventh floor, according to the department.

Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started on the eleventh floor at a set of four clustered cubicle workspaces. The cause of the fire was electrical in nature, involving a junction box that routed power to the four workstations. The nature of the failure is not known at this time, according to the department.

There were no injuries reported, but damages as a result of the fire are estimated to be approximately $40,000, according to the department.

Office Building, Other Business

Reston, VA – Fire on 11th floor of commercial office building contained by sprinkler system

A two-alarm fire Sunday morning on the 11th floor of a building in the 12000 block of Sunset Hills Road has been contained, officials say.  The fire started in a cubicle, Deputy Chief Dan Shaw said.  “Upon arrival, [firefighters] found a working fire on the 11th floor,” he said. “The fire was being contained by a sprinkler system that had successfully activated.”  Units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations 4 and 36 responded. The second alarm was sounded for resources, Shaw said.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. We will provide more information when it becomes available.

Other Business

Sumter, SC – Sprinkler system controls fire at uniform company; Firefighters extinguish flames upon arrival

Sumter Fire Department extinguished a relatively small blaze at a local service business’ facility early Saturday morning, according to a spokesman and an official report.  Emergency units responded to a fire alarm at UniFirst, 2040 Union Camp Blvd., and arrived on the scene at 4:04 a.m. Saturday. Within two minutes, the units had the fire officially under control, according to the incident report. Sumter Fire Department Battalion Chief Joey Duggan said the facility’s emergency sprinkler system actually had the fire under control and saved the building from more extensive damage.

“The sprinkler saved it,” Duggan said. “If the company didn’t have a sprinkler system in that building, it would have been a big problem.”

The building was unoccupied at the time, and no one was injured, according to Battalion Chief Steven Dara, who was on scene. Dara said spontaneous combustion of soiled towels and rags contained in a few large laundry baskets caused the fire. Dara estimated the damage/loss at $30,000.

UniFirst provides uniform rental and facility services to business and industry in Sumter County and surrounding areas.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Richmond, VA – Sprinklers protect country club’s interior after fire breaks out on roof

A roofing company working without a required permit sparked a fire last Friday by using a torch to seal some materials on the roof of the Westhampton Clubhouse at the Country Club of Virginia, Richmond fire officials said.

The company, Hermitage Roofing Inc., did not obtain a permit from the Richmond Fire Department to conduct “hot work” on the clubhouse roof as required by law, said Richmond Fire Marshal David Creasy Sr. The company was cited for violating the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code and issued a summons, Creasy said.

Contractors are required to “come in and tell us what they are doing” to secure a permit to do such work, Creasy said. “Sometimes we perform a site visit with something like this,” he added.In addition, Creasy said the fire department’s response was delayed because roofing company workers attempted — unsuccessfully — to extinguish the fire once it started before calling the fire department.

“The workers tried to put it out for several minutes with a garden hose, and so that didn’t help things for us at all,” Creasy said. “Good intentions, but when that kind of stuff happens people need to call us. Even if we get there and it’s out, at least we were there and we could help look for hidden fire.”

The fire was “in a difficult place to get to, but what really helped us in getting the fire out was a couple of sprinkler heads activated and stopped the fire’s spread in part of the building,” Creasy added. “And then our guys and girls opened up the roof so we could get to the roof area and make sure that we cut out any fire extension.”

The fire damage was “all up high,” Creasy said, but the clubhouse’s dining and lounge area sustained substantial smoke and water damage.

“You had a lot of smoke that got into the building, and the smoke traveled farther than the water and, of course, the fire,” he said. “So there may be some painting of walls (that will be required) in a much wider area of the building than any of the water damage.”

Creasy said it would be difficult to estimate the total monetary damage.

City firefighters were called at 10:44 a.m. Friday, and the first units to arrive found flames coming from a portion of the clubhouse roof. As crews worked to extinguish that fire, additional units arrived and found fire inside the building as well.

A second alarm was sounded at 11:13 a.m., primarily to get additional personnel on the scene to relieve crews because of the heat. The fire was marked under control at 11:34 a.m.

Place of Worship

Modesto, CA – Sprinkler system keeps arson fire at church from spreading

Treading carefully through standing water in the basement of Christ Unity Baptist Church on Tuesday afternoon, the Rev. Nathaniel Green and his wife, Dorothea, were pained by more than just the damage done in an act of arson and vandalism. They struggled to understand why.

The man suspected of breaking into the church on the 1300 block of L Street, 57-year-old Theodore Garcia, is someone they’ve cared for and employed, Nathaniel Green said. “He’s really worked for us,” the pastor said at his office desk. Behind him, a table was covered in broken glass from the window behind it. “He loves me and my wife, he loves this church.”

Green said he understands Garcia has battled drug addictions, and the pastor indicated he regrets that wages paid to him may have fed that addiction. He said he hasn’t spoken to Garcia but suspects that the man was despondent and suicidal. Garcia had knives with him, and bloody handprints (church staff believe he cut his hands breaking windows) were on at least two Bibles near the church altar.

“Isn’t it something, the power of what drugs can do?” Dorothea Green said as she surveyed fire damage, pried-open doors and other vandalism done throughout the basement. A couch was set on fire, as was clothing to be donated to the homeless. A fire in the dining hall damaged a table and carpeting. In all, the Greens believe five separate blazes were set. And the sprinkler system caused more damage, leaving water at least an inch deep throughout basement rooms and corridors.

The Rev. Green said the damage means the church’s homeless breakfasts and food giveaways will have to be put on hold. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to hold services,” he said. “We do have a few people with severe asthma,” he added, noting that smoke can be smelled throughout the church. The church also hosts several groups – including Narcotics Anonymous, children of alcoholics and families of inmates – that regularly meet in rooms, he said, that also will be temporarily affected.

The vandalism at the church came to light about 11:20 p.m. Monday when a sergeant and officer with Rank Investigation & Protection responded to a report of a subject breaking windows there. They encountered an uncooperative man who ran back inside the church and started a fire, according to a post on Rank’s Facebook page.

The Modesto Police and Fire departments were on scene within minutes, Rank reported. A Modesto Fire Department incident summary says light smoke was coming from the first and second floors of the southeast corner of the church. Crews determined a fire sprinkler was keeping the fires – in the basement level – from spreading. Police found the man on his hands and knees near the church altar, said Lt. Tom Ciccarelli. He was armed with knives and would not comply with commands from officers.

The department’s Critical Incident Team was activated to negotiate with the man, the lieutenant said. Talking with him was unsuccessful, Ciccarelli said. A bean bag round was fired at him, but had no effect.

At some point, the man – later identified Garcia – got up. When the knives were on the floor and he moved far enough away from them, officers were able to take him into custody, Ciccarelli said. Officers at the scene were unable to ascertain a motive, he said. The incident was concluded close to 2 a.m.

Garcia was medically cleared at the scene and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail. He is being held on charges of arson and vandalism, with bail at $200,000. The Rev. Green was dealing with his insurer Tuesday afternoon, but no financial estimate of church damage was immediately available.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Santa Clara, CA – Fire at trade show exhibit hall contained by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire yesterday at the Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, Calif., has forced the closure of the show floor. The fire started about Tuesday morning in the Santa Clara convention center.

An overhead sprinkler contained the blaze.

According to a worker for the show floor infrastructure provider, the sprinkler ran for about an hour before workers discovered the mishap. The booth underneath the blaze was heavily damaged, and there was water damage to some of the surrounding booths.

No one was injured.

According to the worker, the cause of the fire was an overloaded power strip that booth workers left under a pile of paper brochures. The exhibits were scheduled to open at 4pm on Aug. 9 but remained closed. They are now scheduled to open at noon on Aug. 10.

Other Business

Burlington, WI – Sprinkler system activates to help control carport fire at banquet facility

A van owned by a contractor working at Veterans Terrace in Burlington Monday evening caught fire and triggered the building’s sprinkler system in the carport area. No injuries were reported, however, witnesses said two dogs that were in the van were rescued. The fire broke out shortly before 7 p.m. and caused only minor damage to the carport canopy. Claude Lois, president of the Veterans Terrace Management Group, said the sprinkler heads must be replaced and the system recharged. The lower level of the building is being repaired as the result of flood damage that occurred July 12 and 13.

Place of Worship

Chattanooga, TN – Sprinkler system limits spread of early morning church fire

Fire officials say a sprinkler system saved a local church from burning down this morning. Chattanooga firefighters, responding to an alarm around 4:30 a.m. at Silverdale Baptist Academy at 7236 Bonny Oaks Drive, found a small fire in a utility room, Lt. Joe Ervin said in a news release. The sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire, saving the church, which is valued at $4 million, according to the news release. Water from the sprinkler heads was still flowing until firefighters were able to shut it off, leaving some significant water damage. No injuries were reported. Firefighters said the fire might have originated around a melted mop bucket in the utility room. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other Business

Livingston, MT – Arson fire at printing press extinguished by sprinkler system

Someone broke into The Livingston Enterprise very early Saturday morning and set fire to part of the printing press, causing substantial damage.  After the fire was discovered around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Livingston police detained a 17-year-old juvenile male on the scene and subsequently arrested him on charges of burglary and arson. Since the suspect is a juvenile, he is being held at the juvenile detention center in Billings.

Police did not release his name.  Livingston Police Department Sgt. Mike Labaty said “it is a likely connection,” that the individual is associated with the recent rash of vandalism around Livingston.  No Enterprise employees were working at the time of the break-in. From evidence at the scene, it appears the following took place:

• The suspect tried to burn large rolls of paper on the back loading dock, but only charred them. The person entered the press room by breaking the window on a back door, then reaching in to unlock the door. There, the suspect tried to light additional rolls of paper, again, only charring them.

• At some point, the individual started a fire on one of the press units, which contained a large roll of paper, severely damaging the unit and a large roll of paper in it.

• Water sprinklers above the press went off, extinguishing the fire.

• The suspect sprinkled foot powder all over the inserter machine, which inserts ad sections into papers. The suspect also burned a keyboard used on the inserter.

Saturday morning, the smell of burned paper hung in the air, partially burned and soggy rolls of paper, along with small pools of water, lay on the floor, and the charred remains of press parts were visible in the burned unit.

Enterprise staff are making repairs to the press. The damage shouldn’t interrupt printing of The Enterprise, which will print either on the press when repairs are made, or at a sister paper.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Sparks, NV – Sprinkler system puts out fire in HAZMAT situation; No injuries reported

The Sparks Fire Department was dispatched to an activated fire alarm at 230 Coney Island Dr. just before 6 a.m. on Monday.

When authorities arrived on scene, they found water flowing out from under a roll-up door. 

Upon investigation, fire crews observed a light haze in the building caused by a small fire near a Potassium Hydroxide drum. The fire was put out by the building sprinkler system.

Crews decided to back out and call for the Regional Hazardous Material Team.

Regional Hazardous Material Team members from the Reno and Sparks fire departments both responded to the scene.

Crews started the evacuation process of all businesses located nearby and secured the scene for one block to the east and west of Coney Island Dr.

A HAZMAT team remains on scene accessing the incident.

A fire investigator is also on scene, but cannot make access to assess the cause yet.

Coney Island Dr. has reopened.