Category Archives: Other Business

Office Building, Other Business

Richmond, VA – High-rise office fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire inside the James Madison Building in downtown Richmond caused smoke but no reported injuries Thursday. Firefighters were called at 1:28 p.m. to the building at 109 Governor St., which houses the Virginia Department of Health, said Richmond fire Lt. Chris Armstrong. Hundreds of employees gathered outside after the building was evacuated.

Investigators determined the fire was accidental and the result of a malfunctioning microwave, Virginia State Police said in a news release. The fire started on the third floor, Armstrong said. The sprinkler system put out the fire, and crews were working to clean up the water, he said.

The building was closed Thursday and will remain closed today. The state hopes to reopen the building Tuesday, after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Petaluma, CA – Fire at animal shelter controlled with help from sprinkler system

Fire calls, week of Sept. 21 through Sept 27 — SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 – 2:19 p.m. — Light smoke was coming from the rear of the Petaluma Animal Shelter at 840 Hopper Street when Petaluma firefighters arrived at the scene. A fire was found burning inside of a commercial-style dryer inside of the shelter, where a fire sprinkler was functining. Firefighters finished extinguishing the fire and stayed on scene to help remove water and smoke from the premises.

 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Thousand Oaks, CA – Arson fire at Planned Parenthood facility is extinguished by sprinkler system

Authorities today are investigating the arson fire late Wednesday night in the lobby of the Planed Parenthood facility in Thousand Oaks.

The fire alarm sounded at 11:28 p.m. in the building at 1200 Hillcrest Drive, said Capt. Mike Lindbery of the Ventura County Fire Department, and only one engine responded because it was a commercial building and not a residence.

“When they arrived on scene, they found a window broken out and a fire sprinkler system functioning,” Lindbery said. “Upon further investigation, they discovered the smell of gasoline in the room, and it appeared a small fire had broken out and it had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.”

Firefighters shut off the sprinkler system and called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation.

Investigators have a brief video of a suspect but they cannot tell if it was a man or woman.

“One suspect approached the clinic and used the rock to break the glass and tossed an accelerant inside and ignited it,” said Capt. John Reilly of the sheriff’s department.

“We have a brief video of someone walking by the location wearing a hoodie and face mask completely concealing (their) identity. Judging by the walk, they think it was a male.”

The broken window has been boarded up and a Planned Parenthood official said the office was closed but will open again, although no date was given, Reilly said.

The damage to the facility is still being assessed. Reilly said fire officials told him that the water from the sprinklers did more damage than the fire.

The fire comes as the organization is the focus of a contentious nationwide debate about government funding of Planned Parenthood.

This week Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards faced tough questions from Republicans at a congressional hearing about the organization’s business practices.

The battle broke out in July when videos were released by a group of anti-abortion activists who claimed Planned Parenthood has illegally profited from the sale of fetal tissue.

Wednesday night’s attack drew a sharp response from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

“The toxic rhetoric directed at Planned Parenthood has dangerous consequences. It sends a signal that using violence to close clinics and intimidate health care professionals and women is ‘OK.’ It is not,” she said in a statement.

“I’m grateful that no one in Thousand Oaks was hurt. My thoughts today are with the clinic’s staff, who provide compassionate care in spite of challenges no health care provider should have to face.”

Amy Everitt, state director at NARAL Pro-Choice California, also castigated the arson attack.

“This is domestic terrorism, plain and simple. Extremists who will stop at nothing to deny women legal abortion services. We have seen numerous examples of violence against abortion providers across the country over the last few years and we call on all, no matter what side of this debate you may fall on, to condemn this horrendous action.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Mesa, AZ – Single sprinkler prevents fire from spreading at large business complex

A sprinkler system kept a fire from spreading through a large Mesa business complex Monday morning. Crews from Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix and Chandler responded to the fire near Broadway and Alma School roads at around 6 a.m.

The fire started in an area of the building that was packed with auto parts. Firefighters were able to gain control of the fire pretty quickly thanks to a working sprinkler system. “We know that sprinklers of course save lives but we also know, importantly for a business, that it saves a building and a business in itself,” said Deputy Chief Forrest Smith with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department.

Smith said it appeared that one sprinkler head kept the fire in check. Officials said hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise and property were saved. No injuries were reported.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Waynesboro, VA – Sprinkler system activates to keep fire small at Moose Lodge

Waynesboro Fire Department Deputy Chief James Bradley said the alarm company called the fire department around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“It started in the bar area,” he said. “It’s a sprinkler building, so it was a relatively small fire, but there was a considerable amount of damage.”

This is the second time a fire has damaged the building. The first fire was in 1978, Kochis said.

She said the employees left the lodge around 11 p.m. and no one was there when the fire started.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire within 30 minutes, but remained at the scene until 3 a.m., clearing the building of smoke.

The damage is covered by insurance, and Kochis said they may be unable to open for a week or two.

“We always have bingo every Sunday afternoon with at least 110 people and sometimes 120 or 130,” Kochis said. “It just depends on what is going on, but we won’t have bingo this Sunday.”

Bradley says the fire remains under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cumberland, RI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at business caused by charged batteries

Charged batteries shipped to a company that refurbishes electronic equipment “heated up to ignition temperature” and started a fire in the Cadillac Mills complex Thursday, Cumberland Fire Chief Kenneth A. Finlay said.  The fire, at Aztek Technologies, 30 Meeting St., Cumberland, was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system before firefighters arrived, Finlay said.

Firefighters were called to the mill, which has entrances on Meeting Street and Titus Street, at 5:16 p.m. Thursday. They found only smoke, water and a 24- by 36- by 18-inch cardboard box of batteries where the fire apparently started.  Some of the company’s product near the box of batteries had been damaged, he said.

Usually the company receives shipments of batteries that haven’t been charged, but the box contained live batteries, which Finlay attributed to a packing error. Employees of the many businesses in the mill complex evacuated when the alarm sounded, including 10 from Texcel Industries, which makes military and camouflage webbing.  No one was injured.

The building sustains some water damage because firefighters had trouble turning off the sprinkler system, Finlay said.

Firefighters from the Saylesville fire company in Lincoln assisted with a ladder truck.

 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Carbondale, CO – Suspected arson fire at non-profit organization is suppressed by sprinkler system

A fire apparently set on purpose at Carbondale’s Third Street Center early Wednesday may be linked to a fruitless bank break-in that also happened overnight. “The fire was suspicious in origin, and we don’t think it was accidental,” said Rob Goodwin, Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District deputy chief.

Linda Taylor, executive director of the Center for Independence, based in Grand Junction, said officials told her that the fire at her organization’s Carbondale office was set on purpose.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was helping Carbondale fire and police officials with the investigation.

In a twist, Police Chief Gene Schilling said authorities think the fire may be related to a break-in at the ANB Bank at 409 Dolores Way.

Here’s how the night unfolded

Firefighters and police responded at 1:30 a.m. to the Third Street Center, 520 S. Third, to find smoke coming from a window on the east side of the building. Audible alarms and flashing lights were going off, and a neighbor had already extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived.

“It was pretty much out, but the building was full of smoke” when the Fire Department got there, Goodwin said.

A couple hours later, at 3:55 a.m., police responded to an alarm at ANB Bank to find glass broken in both sets of entry doors.

“It appears that a suspect entered the bank but did not take anything,” police said in a statement.

The break-in suspect is described as tall and thin and was wearing black clothing.

At the Third Street Center “there’s more water damage than fire damage,” Goodwin said.

“This fire reinforces the fact that fire sprinkler systems really do work,” he said. “Having a sprinkler system in place prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the Third Street Center and causing further damage.”

The fire did not spread beyond the center’s office, but it was unknown when the nonprofit will be able to reopen.

No one was injured, and no loss amount had been determined.

Office Building, Other Business

Decatur, IL – Sprinkler system controls laundry fire at downtown commercial building

The Decatur Fire Department says firefighters responded to a small fire at a building in downtown Decatur Tuesday morning. The Decatur Fire Chief tells WAND News that crews responded to a fire in the laundry room on the basement floor of One Main Place. The fire chief says the building’s sprinkler system helped keep the fire under control until crews arrived, at which point the fire was extinguished.

The fire chief also says smoke caused from the fire resulted in the evacuation of everyone in the building. West Main Street was also temporarily closed off while crews responded to the scene.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Export, PA – Sprinkler system halts spread of fire at Westmoreland Country Club

A fire in a laundry room at Westmoreland Country Club early Tuesday caused minimal damage and did not curtail any activities, a club official said.

Controller April Jeroski said no one was injured in the blaze reported at 12:39 a.m.

“It was totally contained to the laundry area. The rest of the club is operational,” she said.

Claridge fire Chief Bob Bankosh said some smoldering towels were found near an electrical box.

A fire suppression sprinkler system kicked in, preventing further spread of smoke or fire, he said.

Bankosh said the fire has been ruled accidental.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Orleans, MA – Sprinklers assist firefighters in controlling challenging recycling plant fire

Firefighters from the Lower Cape and Mid-Cape areas were tied up for hours after a pile of mattresses caught fire inside a recycling plant Saturday.

Around 1 p.m., rescuers responded to the Daniels Recycling Center building on Giddiah Hill Road after employees at the plant unsuccessfully tried to squelch the nearly ceiling-high pile of mattresses set to be recycled, Orleans Fire Chief Anthony Pike said.

The cause of the two-alarm fire was unknown, Pike added.  Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus entered the warehouse and mostly knocked down the fire, which didn’t appear to damage the building, Pike said.

But because the mattresses and other debris were so compact, workers from the plant took front-end loaders and pulled pile after pile of the debris out of the building to the edge of the plant’s parking lot to be hosed down, Orleans Deputy Chief Geof Deering said.

The Red Cross was on scene with drinks and snacks for the rescuers, and one firefighter was being evaluated for exhaustion, Dennis Deputy Chief Robert Brown said.

The sprinkler system in the warehouse worked to help keep the fire from spreading, Pike said. Fire crews from Dennis, Eastham, Brewster, and Harwich aided Orleans at the scene. Crews from as far as Yarmouth were called in to cover the responding departments’ empty fire stations.