Category Archives: Other Business

Bank, Other Business

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at ATM in bank; No injuries reported

The Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) says a fire that broke out in Chinatown Friday (March 31) night was likely the result of arson.

Around 10:54 p.m., the VFRS received a call about a small fire at an ATM inside the Scotiabank Bank at 268 Keefer St. in Chinatown. When crews arrived, smoke was coming from the ATM and the sprinkler head had been activated, VFRS spokesperson Matthew Trudeau told V.I.A.

Crews ensured the fire was out and checked inside of the building for damages. There was no additional fire damage outside of the ATM but there was significant damage from smoke and water from the sprinklers.

Eleven fire trucks were dispatched to the first alarm fire, which was deemed incendiary and referred to VPD for arson investigation, Trudeau explained.

VPD Spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin says the “suspicious fire” is still under investigation.

There are no reports of injuries as the bank was unoccupied at the time.

A note that was posted by Sun Wah Centre Management to tenants and visitors notes that the bank was flooded and “no emergency restoration team can get into it or clear off the water due to hazardous smoke occupied.”

The management team added that some units continued to experience leakage Saturday.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Fairfield, CT – Sprinkler system activated for car fire in bowling alley parking garage; No injuries reported

Today’s vehicle fire was located at Nutmeg Bowl at 802 Villa Avenue. The car owner of the Nissan Altima said his son was inside when the engine compartment began to catch fire. There were no injuries and firefighters had the fire out quickly. The sprinkler system above kept the fire from extending to cars parked nearby.

Apartment Building, Historic Building, Other Business, Residential

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire in historic apartment building; No injuries reported

Eight residents need temporary housing after a fire broke out in the historic Faust Landmark apartment building.

Firefighters received an alarm call from the building at 630 E. State St. around 9:20 p.m. Monday. Investigators in the fire department say the flames started in a 10th floor bedroom. The sprinkler system contained the flames until crews arrived to extinguish the rest.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. They estimate the damage at $5,000. No one was injured in this incident, and the Red Cross is helping the residents find a place to stay.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Lincoln, NE – Sprinkler system contains fire at factory building; No injuries reported

Hastings Fire & Rescue crews on Thursday battled a blaze at a former factory building, authorities say.

The fire started at the Eaton Corp. building, located near East 39th Street and Yost Avenue, around 10 a.m.

Eaton had discontinued operations at the building, but employees and contractors were on site disassembling and removing equipment, authorities say.

While an employee was using a plasma cutter to cut metal, built-up oil residues ignited, according to officials.

The fire was contained by the building’s sprinkler system until crews arrived to completely extinguish the flames.

Before the sprinklers went off, fire officials said an employee pulled the fire alarm, and all six employees in the building evacuated.

No one was injured in the fire.

The Hastings Fire Marshal did issue two citations for failing to follow a hot work permit, directly resulting in a structure fire, authorities say.

Hastings Fire & Rescue said a similar incident happened at the factory on Jan. 6.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at lab; No injuries reported

Rochester Fire Department (RFD) responded to a report of a closet fire inside Limb Lab Monday morning.

When firefighters arrived, they found smoke in the building and an evacuation was in progress.

Firefighters located the fire and extinguished it with a pressurized water can. Other RFD crews searched for victims and worked to locate the sprinkler system controls to shut it off.

Fans were set up in the building to ventilate the smoke.

The fire caused a small amount of damage to the contents of the closet and there was some water damage to the first floor and basement.

There were no injuries.

Automatic fire sprinkler systems limited the growth of the fire and provided occupants valuable time to evacuate. In this incident, fire damage was limited to the room of origin and RFD said it serves as another great example of how sprinkler systems can save lives and property.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

East Providence, RI – Sprinkler system activated for fire in commercial building; No injuries reported

A two-alarm fire broke out at a commercial building in East Providence on Sunday morning, city fire officials said.

Around 6:43 a.m., East Providence fire officials were alerted of a fire at 830 Waterman Ave. Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire coming from the loading dock and that the fire sprinkler system was activated.

Fire officials said they quickly struck a second alarm and made an aggressive attack at the flames inside the building.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, according to authorities. No injuries were reported.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The East Providence fire department received mutual aid from Seekonk, Massachusetts. Providence, Pawtucket and Barrington covered the fire stations.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Springfield, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in commercial building

Springfield firefighters were called out for a hazmat fire at Solomon Center around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The fire department says discovered there was a small fire that was put out by the sprinkler system.

Firefighters requested a hazmat response due to the large amounts of flammable materials stored in the building and the order of possible flammable vapors.

Hazmat crews arrived on the scene and sampled the air and the water on the ground for possible hazardous materials to find all normal levels.

One worker had minor burns on his hand.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Shreveport, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at church

A Shreveport church is speaking out after it was discovered Friday morning that an individual broke in and attempted to set the building on fire.

“I pray for the individual, if he is able to see this, that you would come to know the Love of Jesus,” Pastor James McMenis at Word of God Ministries said.

About 4:30 a.m., a security camera at Word of God Ministries showed footage of a masked male hitting a door of the church with a bat and gaining entrance into the building. Cameras followed the suspect, who proceeded to douse the children’s area with gasoline.

The masked man then lit a fire. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire within a minute.

Shreveport firefighters and police were on the scene within minutes of the incident.

A Word of God Ministries spokesperson said that services will go ahead as scheduled Sunday.

This incident is under investigation.

Office Building, Other Business

Yakima, WA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at office building; No injuries reported

Yakima fire officials say a fire at a North Sixth Street building caused $100,000 damage New Years’ Day.

Crews were called to the Costco Member Services Center in the 1700 block of North Sixth Street at 4:30 a.m. A fire started in a cubicle in the building and spread to a 900-square-foot area, according to a fire department post on social media. The fire also activated multiple sprinkler heads in the building, firefighters said.

Investigators traced the cause of the fire to a malfunctioning power strip.

Nobody was injured in the fire, officials said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Columbus, IN – Sprinkler system extinguishes lithium-ion battery fire; No injuries reported

Columbus firefighters were sent to Dorel Juvenile, 2525 State St., on a report of a fire in the building at 5:08 p.m. Monday.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find that an evacuation of the building was in process, said Capt. Mike Wilson. As crews prepared to investigate the incident, representatives of Dorel advised firefighters that a lithium-ion battery had begun to smoke within an office space on the interior of the building.

An interior fire attack crew entered the building and found a large amount of smoke within the facility. Firefighters located the area where the lithium-ion battery was stored and reported that the building’s automatic sprinkler system had activated. Firefighters reported that a fire had occurred in the area of the battery but the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system by the time firefighters reached the area involved. Firefighters located two additional lithium-ion batteries in that area and removed all three batteries to the exterior of the building.

After shutting down the water supply to the building’s sprinkler system, firefighters set up ventilation fans to aid in smoke removal from the interior of the building. Fire damage to the building was minor in the area where the fire occurred. The fire caused cosmetic damage to one wall near the origin but did not cause structural damage. Due to the activation of the sprinkler system, water damage to the area where the fire occurred was more significant. No damage estimate was provided. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported at the scene.