Category Archives: Other Business

Ferndale, MI – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at auction business

A fire at a large commercial building is being investigated by the Ferndale Fire Department and the county’s arson squad, but may have been started by a careless smoker.  The fire broke out early Monday afternoon at Assets Now Auction, 1450 Academy, south of Nine Mile Road near Wanda.

“It’s looking like a careless smoker may have started the fire,” said Ferndale Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan, “but we won’t know until we finish analyzing the surveillance video from the business.”  Fire broke out in the paper products area and firefighters were called to the building about 12:45 p.m.  Sullivan said the building has a sprinkler system that helped stop the fire from spreading into a large blaze.

Ferndale Fire Marshal Brian Batten said the building covers about 30,000 square feet. Fire officials estimate the fire caused about $20,000 in damage from smoke and water.  “There was no structural damage to the building,” Batten said.

Fort Wayne, IN – Sprinkler system douses fire at truck repair business

A fire Friday evening at a large truck repair business kept the Fort Wayne Fire Department busy. The fire department got an alarm about 7:15 p.m. at Power Train HD America at 3415 Conestoga Drive in northwest Fort Wayne and arrived to find smoke coming from the building.

Firefighters forced open an entry door and also opened an overhead bay door to ventilate smoke from throughout the building, according to the fire department. A large dump truck was on fire in a service bay, which set off the alarm.

The business’ sprinkler system helped keep the fire contained, but it still took firefighters 35 minutes to get the fire under control, the department said. Fuel from the truck was contained with absorbent equipment. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Friday night. No injuries were reported.

Sandy, UT – Quick work of sprinklers and firefighters save day spa from overnight fire

Sandy firefighters credit a sprinkler system, along with their own quick response, for limiting a potentially major early Thursday morning blaze inside a commercial area.

Crews were dispatched to the Sego Lilly Spa, 7475 S. Union Park Ave., at 4:19 a.m. Thursday.

Once the flames were doused, it was determined the fire was sparked by a malfunctioning commercial dryer. The fire-suppression sprinkler system kept the blaze to one room until firefighters arrived

Belleville, ON, Canada – Electrical fire at small business held in check by sprinkler system

Upon arrival to a Bridge Street West business in response to a report of a structure fire, Belleville fire crews forced entry and quickly found the minor blaze late Tuesday night.

Fire Prevention Officer Tim Vanhecke stated the building’s sprinkler system helped “significantly” in preventing the fire to spread.  He determined the fire was electrical in nature, but damage to the building has yet to be determined.

 

Watsonville, CA – Sprinkler activates to help control possible arson fire at auto body shop

Authorities investigated a small, Sunday night fire in the doorway on the first block of East Lake Avenue as an arson, Watsonville fire and police officials said.

About 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a structure fire at Auto Tech Auto Body at 18 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville police Sgt. David Rodriguez said. Officers responded to the scene to confirm the fire and firefighters arrived shortly after to extinguish it.

A door to the business was on fire but firefighters doused it within 5 minutes, Watsonville fire Capt. Rick Pettigrew said. Though there was no fire damage inside the building, a sprinkler system was set off by the heat.  Initial investigations showed the fire started at the door, leading investigators to believe someone started the fire.

Worcester, MA – Cardboard fire at recycling center held in check by sprinkler system

With mutual aid from the Sutton Fire Department, the Worcester Fire Department easily contained and knocked down a smoldering fire in a huge pile of cardboard Tuesday at Rand-Whitney Recycling, 2 Pullman St.

Deputy Fire Chief John Sullivan credited Sutton Fire Department’s Mobile Ventilation Unit-LD, a hydraulic blower capable of pushing up to 150,000 cubic feet per minute from its blades, with greatly assisting Worcester Fire in taking control of the scene.

In addition, Mr. Sullivan said the building’s sprinkler system did its job and held the fire in check.

New York City, NY – Sprinkler system helps control fire at American Museum of Natural History

The blaze started when maintenance workers were using a blow torch to repair an AC unit on the outside of the building’s first floor around 3:30 p.m.  One of the unit’s filters caught fire, sending clouds of thick, black smoke circulating into the hall of Northwest Coast Indians, the FDNY said.

Several artifacts at the American Museum of Natural History suffered minor damage when a fire on the outside of the building sent smoke circulating inside, activating the emergency sprinkler system, officials said.

Schiralli said three or four thousand people self evacuated from the Museum while firefighters went to work extinguishing the blaze.

The extent of the damage to the artifacts was not immediately clear but museum staff insisted the they would be open for business as usual on Saturday.

 

 

Naperville, IL – Sprinkler system keeps early morning fire from spreading in commercial building

Firefighters were called to the 2100 block of Corporate Lane about 5:23 a.m. after an alarm was activated and a security guard reported seeing smoke, according to a news release from the fire department.  Crews responding to the scene found a hanging heater unit in an engineering room had caused the fire, officials said.  However, it was located directly beneath a sprinkler so the fire did not spread.

Fire in multi-tenant building contained by sprinkler system (Lombard, IL)

** Fire Department Reported – No Media Coverage **

At approximately 8:15 in the morning on November 14, the fire sprinkler system at a multi-tenant building contained a fire to a single tenant space until fire crews arrived and fully extinguished the fire. The fire, which appears to have begun in a sauna room, was kept from spreading due to the quick response of fire sprinklers.

The fire damage was limited to the immediate area of the sauna room and the proprietor of the facility anticipated they will reopen for business the same day as the fire; the other businesses in the retail center were not affected and will be open as usual.

Equipment and building damage as a result of the fire is estimated to be less than $3000.00. The building owner and business proprietor were on site and began scheduling clean up and repairs before fire crews left the scene.

Sprinklers contain fire in historic building, two workers rescued (Minneapolis, MN)

Authorities say welding is to blame for a fire at a downtown Minneapolis building Thursday morning.

Fire crews were called to the Ceresota Building on the 500 block of 2nd Street at about 7:30 a.m. When firefighters arrived, heavy black smoke was showing on the eighth floor of a 10-story structure. Crews went into battle the fire from the interior.

Crews were able to put the fire out quickly, and nobody was inside the building at the time of the fire. Authorities say two workers who were not injured in the fire escaped to the roof. They were rescued by emergency personnel.

Fire officials said Friday that the cause of the fire was accidental due to welding. The fire started on the eighth floor and three sprinkler heads went off, holding off the fire until crews arrived.