Category Archives: Other Business

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cedar City, UT – Sprinkler system activated for trash can fire inside commercial building

Fire officials are highlighting the importance of automatic fire suppression sprinklers after a commercial business building was saved earlier this week.

Cedar City public information officer Gabrielle Costello said a fire started inside a trash can inside the Jones Paint and Glass building located at 38 E. 1600 North at approximately 9:11 p.m. Monday.

Chad Barnes, assistant manager of Jones Paint and Glass and also a full-time firefighter with Cedar City Fire Department, was reportedly notified in both capacities that the facility’s sprinkler system had been activated after hours.

According to a news release issued by Costello on Friday afternoon, Barnes wasn’t on duty with the fire department but arrived alongside on-duty fire crews that evening to find that the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire within 30 seconds of being activated.

Prior to the activation of the sprinklers, the fire and smoke had been building up inside the trash can for approximately four minutes, as seen on the company’s surveillance cameras, the statement added.

“This is a prime example of how a sprinkler system can save a business,” Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said in the news release. “Recovery after a fire can often put a business out for a few days or sometimes forever but there are ways to prevent complete devastation and resume operations soon after.”

Barnes noted that even though the initial cost upfront for a sprinkler system can be costly for small business owners, the benefits are far greater if the sprinkler system is activated and saves the business.

“We are thankful to have resumed normal business operations the very next morning,” Barnes said.

“On behalf of everyone at Jones Paint and Glass, we want to thank the firefighters for their prompt response and the time they spent helping clear the water from the building,” he added.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials said.

Small business owners in Cedar City or Iron County who have questions about fire suppression systems are invited to call the Cedar City Fire Department at 435-586-2964.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at salon; No injuries reported

A working fire sprinkler system was instrumental in keeping a fire at a Petaluma business from growing any larger, the Petaluma Fire Department said.

The blaze broke out around 5:30 a.m. Monday inside a salon in the 900 block of Lakeville Street. Authorities were alerted to the fire by a water flow alarm at the business, Petaluma FD Fire Inspector Joe Garcia said.

“The first arriving engine found heavy smoke inside the building and requested an upgrade to a full structure response,” Garcia said. “When additional resources arrived, crews made entry and were successful in keeping the fire from spreading into the adjacent businesses.”

After putting out the fire, crews found that a working sprinkler system helped keep the blaze contained to where it started which was at a workstation in the middle of the business.

“This incident is a reminder of how important it is to have a functioning sprinkler system, not only in the home but in businesses, as well,” Garcia said. “Having a functioning system can mean the difference in minimal versus extensive damage to a structure, but it can also allow more time for people to escape in case of a fire.”

The City of Petaluma Building Department and PG&E evaluated the affected businesses for safety and red-tagged the business where the fire started, restricting the use of the building.

The Petaluma Fire Prevention Bureau was still investigating the cause of the fire, Garcia said.

“The Petaluma Fire Department is happy to report there were no injuries to firefighters, and no patrons or employees were on site at the time of the incident,” Garcia said. “Additionally, we want to thank our surrounding partners for their assistance during the incident and for providing station coverage to protect the city.”

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Grayslake, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at waste management facility

A sprinkler system helped contain a fire that broke out in a large mound of recycling materials inside a Waste Management facility in Grayslake, fire officials said.

The Grayslake Fire Protection District responded around 11:30 p.m. Friday to the Waste Management Recycling Center Processing Facility, 30869 Route 83 in Grayslake.

Grayslake Fire Protection District Lt. Ian Mandigo said crews initially responded after receiving an activated fire alarm.

Firefighters arrived to find moderate smoke showing from the rear of the building.

Mandigo said the incident was upgraded to a confirmed structure fire, bringing additional fire department crews to the scene.

Firefighters were quickly able to contain and extinguish the fire.

The fire was confined to a pile of recycled materials, Mandigo said.

No physical damage was done to the building itself due to the effectiveness of the automatic sprinkler system.

Employees arrived on the scene and removed the smoldering materials outside of the building using a front-end loader.

Fire crews overhauled the burnt materials once they were outside the building.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Mandigo said.

The Round Lake, Mundelein, Libertyville, Countryside and Gurnee fire departments assisted at the scene.

Grayslake fire stations were covered by the Lake Villa, Libertyville and Waukegan fire departments.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Waukee, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at movie theater

Crews responded to a fire Thursday morning at The Palms Theatres & IMAX in Waukee.

Fire chief Clint Robinson told KCCI towels caught on fire in a mechanical room around 8 a.m. and triggered sprinklers at the complex, located at 200 NE Westgate Dr.

An employee on the scene said they don’t believe the fire caused any structural damage, but there is some smoke and water damage. They expected to reopen Thursday afternoon.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Lexington, KY – Sprinkler system activated for overnight fire at Aramark building

A business has some damage after an overnight fire in Lexington.

Flames broke out after 11 p.m. at the Aramark building on Versailles Road.

Crews arrived quickly and crawled under the smoke to put out the flames.

District Fire Chief Brian Dawson says the fire started in some clothing bins inside the building.

“The sprinkler heads in the building kept the fire in check, but it didn’t completely put the fire out,” Dawson said. “We had about 10 units responding to the fire and the Jonas Brothers’ concert slowed one of them down, but they were still on scene within five minutes of the initial fire.”

Dawson says the fire damaged some items in the building, but the structure is sound and no one was hurt.

One person was in the building when the fire started.

Investigators are still determining the origin and cause.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Kennewick, WA – Sprinkler system contains fire at Toyota Town Center

Kennewick Fire Chief Chad Michael credits the sprinkler system for containing a fire at the Toyota Town Center Friday. 

The fire started in one of the HVAC units in the basement of the facility at 7000 West Grandbridge Boulevard, prompting an evacuation of the center on September 22, 2023. 

The building was evacuated, and firefighters entered the building to find the rapid activation of the sprinkler system confined the fire to the unit.

Crews shut down the sprinkler system to minimize water damage and the facility was able to reopen a short time after the incident. 

Fire Chief Michael says the incident is an excellent example of the important role sprinklers play in both the protection of life and property.  

According to the National Fire Protection Association, “From 2015 to 2019, sprinklers operated in 92 percent of fires large enough to activate sprinklers and were effective at controlling the fire in 96 percent of the incidents in which they operated.”  

Office Building, Other Business

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for office fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters arrived on scene to find heavy smoke coming from a 4-story office building and upgraded the response. They made an attack and checked for extension, clearing the stairwells, and opening the roof hatch. The sprinkler system had controlled and extinguished a drink cooler that had overheated and caught fire. Crews controlled the sprinkler system and ventilated the smoke from the structure. The building was turned over to the building maintenance staff on site. 60 personnel were dispatched to this incident, including firefighters from Stations 2, 28, 68, 83, 10, 60, 69, 73, 17, 57 and Rehab 8.

 

Other Business, Place of Worship

Chattanooga, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Chattanooga Masonic Center

The Chattanooga Fire and Chattanooga Police are investigating an incident at the Chattanooga Masonic Center involving arson and vandalism early Monday morning.

Firefighters responded to the Masonic Lodge at 551 W. 21st Street on a fire alarm activation at 2:11 a.m.

When CFD personnel arrived on scene, they found a fire on the left front exterior of the building which was quickly extinguished. The front doors were also open and as crews made entry, they found another small fire inside the structure which had activated the sprinkler system. The sprinklers effectively extinguished the interior fire.

Along with fire and water damage, there was also damage to the building from vandalism.

There is an active and ongoing investigation into what happened at this location.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Bolingbrook, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at Party City store

A fire reported at Party City on Sunday was contained by the fire sprinkler system of the building, the Bolingbrook Fire Department said.

The department responded at 3:20 p.m. to the store at 257 N. Weber Road, and found a fire in a display shelving unit inside the store.

The department said the sprinkler system had contained the fire, and firefighters were able to extinguish flames quickly. Crews began to salvage and conserve the unaffected property inside the building, and worked to clear the smoke from the building and neighboring units.

Members of the Bolingbrook Fire Department, trained in fire investigations, began to survey the scene, the department said. At this time, the incident is still under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Owatonna, MN – Sprinkler system controls fire at business; No injuries reported

Authorities are investigating a fire at a business in Owatonna.

It happened just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at Nelson Decorating Center, located at 121 Oakdale Street SW.

According to the Owatonna Fire Department (OFD), the sprinkler system at the business controlled the blaze until crews arrived to put out the remaining flames.

Firefighters stayed on scene for roughly two hours to help ventilate the building.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Damages are estimated at $350,000.

The neighboring business, Sherwin Williams, had minor smoke and water damage.

OFD said no one was hurt.

“Having a working sprinkler system helped prevent more extensive damage to the business,” said Ed Hoffman, the Owatonna Fire Chief. “This is a great reminder for other businesses that have sprinkler and fire alarm systems to have them inspected regularly to ensure they are working properly.”

The Owatonna Police Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted OFD at the scene.

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