Category Archives: Other – Residential

Fall River, MA – Sprinkler system suppresses fire caused by careless disposal of cigarette; No injuries reported

November 14, 2019 viking210

A smouldering cigarette discarded in a plastic trash can is the apparent cause of a Monday afternoon fire that briefly stalled the Fall River Veterans Day parade.

“It was determined that it was the careless disposal of cigarettes in a trash barrel,” said Fire Department Capt. Neil Furtado.

Furtado said the trash barrel was in a third-floor unit of a rooming house at 515 South Main St.

Fire investigators found a cigarette butt embedded in the melted plastic of the trash barrel “which was a strong indicator that’s where the fire started,” Furtado said.

The building’s sprinkler system suppressed the fire but caused water damage to the 18-unit structure, said Furtado. Investigators pegged the cost of the damage at approximately $15,000.

No injuries were reported to fire personnel or building residents, according to Furtado.

Firefighters responded to the building about 2:15 p.m. Monday. The residence was located along the parade route near where the parade stepped off from Kennedy Park.

The Veterans Day parade was briefly paused so that fire apparatus could approach the scene.

Other - Residential, Residential

Chesapeake, VA – Sprinkler system controls kitchen fire; No injuries reported

November 12, 2019 viking210

A kitchen fire has forced two people out of their home in the 1900 block of Robert Hall Boulevard Monday night.

The call came in at 7:46 p.m.

The first unit arrived on scene seven minutes later to find the small kitchen fire being controlled by the sprinkler system.

Firefighters quickly initiated an attack and made sure that the building was clear. The fire was completely extinguished at 8:09 p.m.

No one was hurt, and the residents are being assisted with lodging arrangement.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Wilmington, NC – Third floor balcony fire controlled by fire sprinkler; No injuries reported

August 19, 2019 viking210

Fire officials believe “improperly discarded smoking material” is to blame for a fire that damaged a multi- family home Sunday.

Fire crews responded to the call Sunday at 11:46 a.m. at 1119 Matteo Drive, building three.

Assistant Chief of Operations Thomas Robinson says Wilmington and New Hanover Crews arrived to find a sprinkler controlled balcony fire on the third floor. Units left the scene of the fire by 1 p.m.

Investigators determined the cause was discarded “smoking material” in a flower pot. The home’s vinyl siding was damaged as well as some outdoor furnitues, but the damage was minor.

There were no injuries reported to the family or fire crews.

Other - Residential, Residential

Bloomfield Hills, MI – Fire sprinkler systems controls fire in attic until crews arrived; No injuries reported

August 1, 2019 viking210

For the second time in just a few months, a fire broke out at the historical Manresa Jesuit Retreat House early July 31, according to police.

According to Sgt. Steve Splan, of the Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department, an alarm at the retreat’s main house, 1390 Quarton Road, was activated at 5:44 a.m. July 31. Upon arrival, first responders said they could smell smoke, and they circled the unoccupied building to find the source.

“We repositioned to the north side of the building and we could see smoke coming from what appeared to be the attic area,” Splan said.

The attic of the facility had been undergoing renovations and reportedly hadn’t been used in some time. With the help of firefighters from Bloomfield Township and Troy, the flames were extinguished from the attic — a space Splan said is notoriously tough for firefighters — and the damage was contained to an about 20-by-20-foot space.

“The sprinkler system did a fantastic job. It did exactly what it was supposed to do and hold the fire back until our crews were able to fully extinguish it,” he said. “It was lucky for the sprinklers — actually, probably not lucky: good preparation.”

Splan said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but as of now there is “zero suspicion of foul play.” There were no injuries.

The Eagle could not reach anyone at Manresa for comment before press time. The phone lines were disconnected, likely due to the department cutting off power to one of the buildings as a precaution, Splan said.

Just a little over three months ago, public safety personnel responded to another fire at the facility, on April 10, when a fire broke out in a large historical barn on the property. While the barn, one of three, was burned down completely, there were no injuries, and at that time, Steve Raymond, the associate director of Manresa, said the incident wouldn’t affect daily activities.

The cause of that fire has yet to be released by investigators.

Other - Residential, Residential

Spring Valley, CA – Sprinkler system puts out house fire ignited by lamp; No injuries reported

July 9, 2019 viking210

Firefighters responding to a house fire in Spring Valley Friday morning came across two guinea pigs swimming for their lives as a sprinkler system doused the flames.

At around 2:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a resident’s report of a fire at home in the 9800 block of Avenida Ricardo.

Responding fire crews entered the structure as the home’s built-in sprinkler system was active and putting out much of the flames.

However, crews saw that the water from the system had soaked two guinea pigs and flooded their cage.

Crews rescued the two guinea pigs and helped safely remove two dogs from the home. The pets’ owners were not home at the time of the blaze.

Fire officials believe a lamp fell near the guinea pigs’ enclosure and ignited some hay next to it.

No animals or humans were injured in the fire, but the home suffered extensive water damage from the sprinkler system.

Other - Residential, Residential

Visalia, CA – Dryer fire at homeless shelter stopped by fire sprinkler activation; No injuries reported

June 7, 2019 viking210

Visalia’s largest homeless shelter had a close call after a industrial-sized dryer caught fire early Tuesday morning, according to Visalia Fire Department.

Thankfully the damage was minimal but Visalia Rescue Mission (VRM) will be in the market for a new dryer and possibly a fresh coat of paint.

At 1:07 a.m., firefighters responded to a reported fire at the rescue mission, located at 322 Northeast First Avenue. The fire was reported in a laundry room toward the back of the men’s facility.

VRM offers meals and laundry services to many Visalia families and residents.

When the first crew arrived, they didn’t see smoke coming from the building. Eventually, fire crews found the fire coming from a dryer in the laundry room, according to Battalion Chief Darrin Hughes.

The fire was contained to the laundry room. The fire caused a sprinkler to activate which stop the spread of flames, Hughes said.

Mission staff and Visalia police helped evacuate those who were in the building. It’s unknown how many people were inside the building when the fire was reported.

No injuries were reported, firefighters said.

Utilities to the facility were left on so the mission could operate normally, Hughes said.

The cause was “undetermined,” Hughes added. The fire caused more than $5,000 in damage to the dryer. Water damage was minimal.

The property is worth approximately $350,000.

Finance Director Shon Baldwin encouraged anyone looking to support the mission in light of Tuesday morning’s fire to donate through the nonprofit’s website.

Other - Residential, Residential