Category Archives: Other – Retail

Other - Retail, Retail

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at furniture store; No injuries reported

Leave a comment

Lithium-ion batteries were suspected to have sparked a fire at a Yuma furniture store Friday morning.

According to the Yuma Fire Department, at 5:30 a.m., crews were dispatched to a report of a “water flow alarm” in the 300 block of West 32nd Street. Upon arrival, crews found a large furniture store with heavy smoke and water exiting from the front door. Firefighters were able to enter the structure and extinguish the fire quickly.

It was discovered that a properly working fire sprinkler was able to prevent any further damage to the building and its contents, YFD said. No injuries were reported, and business operations were not disrupted.

“Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant property damage and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex,” YFD noted.

A YFD investigator discovered the fire’s area of origin was a shelf with lithium-ion batteries and a battery charging station, YFD said, noting “This is yet another call for service in which lithium-ion batteries have been involved.”

YFD offered the following battery charging tips:

Use the provided or approved charger for the battery

Do not use extension cords or overload surge protectors

Do not use damaged or deformed batteries

Keep batteries away from high temperatures, do not charge them if they are hot

Remove the battery from the unit when done charging and do not cover the battery

Do not keep batteries on a charger once the charging cycle is completed

Keep the battery away from other combustibles

Fire sprinkler systems save lives and property.

Other - Retail, Retail

Anderson, SC – Sprinkler system activated for fire at thrift store; No injuries reported

The Anderson City Fire Department said officials are investigating following a fire at a thrift store in Anderson early Wednesday morning.

Dispatch officials said crews responded to a Haven of Rest location on West Orr Street at 1:25 a.m. after someone reported the situation.

According to the Anderson City Fire Department, the fire damaged the building but was mostly contained to a trailer outside. They added that a sprinkler system helped prevent the fire from spreading inside.

Haven of Rest is a non-profit with a discipleship program that focuses on assisting people battling drug addiction. The organization posted the following message following the fire.

The Anderson City Fire Department confirmed no injuries were reported following the incident. However, they are still investigating what caused the fire.

Other - Retail, Retail

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Dollar Tree store

A snack aisle at a Dollar Tree caught fire Sunday evening, destroying a shelf and damaging part of the building’s ceiling. 

The Central Fire Department posted pictures of the fire’s aftermath Sunday. Officials said the operational sprinkler system inside the store prevented the fire from spreading, and the scene was under control shortly after the firefighters’ arrival.

There was no immediate known cause of the fire, but the CFD encouraged anyone with information about the fire to contact the Baton Rouge Fire Department.

Other - Retail, Retail

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at thrift store

A fire damaged a central Fresno thrift store Monday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews responded to the Amvets thrift store around 7:30 a.m. near Cedar and Shields avenues.

Investigators say when fire crews arrived they found a fire inside the garage area. The fire sprinkler system helped to put out the fire.

It’s unknown when the store will open but management say the fire caused minimal damage to the store itself. Officials add that the store should be able to reopen when repairs are complete.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other - Retail, Retail

Rock Springs, WY – Sprinkler system activated for fire at auto repair shop

The Rock Springs Fire Department (RSFD) was dispatched to a report of a structure fire at The Tire Den, located at 202 Industrial Drive, at 12:59 a.m. on August 30.

RSFD responded with three apparatus and nine personnel. The first-arriving unit from the RSFD was on scene within one minute of being dispatched. Upon arrival, Command was established and a 360-degree size-up conducted. Crews noted heavy smoke and flames coming from the C/D (North-East) area of the building in the compressor room.

The attack team knocked the fire down and the fire was declared controlled at 1:17 a.m. Fire crews remained on scene to conduct salvage and overhaul operations to protect the property from further damage and ensure that the fire was completely extinguished. The local fire suppression system, with the deployment of a single sprinkler head, limited fire extension into adjacent areas of the facility, which prevented what would otherwise have been a significant conflagration involving multiple structures.

A callback was initiated to backfill reserve fire apparatus to handle any additional calls for service that might come in during the fire. Five personnel responded to address those needs and begin preparing replacement fire hose to rehab the trucks used at the scene. The equipment and hose used during the suppression operations was cleaned and the truck was placed back in service by 5 a.m.

The Patrol Officers with the Rock Springs Police Department noted heavy smoke at the building during routine patrol and helped fire crews gain access to the property.

The fire is under investigation and the cause has not yet been determined.

Other - Retail, Retail

Bayonne, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at discount store

Bayonne firefighters only needed 20 minutes to extinguish a blaze at a discount store in the area of Broadway and 22nd Street on Monday.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Bill Bartos, firefighters responded to Deals & Discounts just after 9:50 a.m. Upon their arrival they found heavy smoke coming from the front of the store.

Handlines were used in conjunction with the building’s sprinkler system to bring the fire under control by 10:10 a.m.

Other - Retail, Retail

Oregon City, OR – Sprinkler system controls early morning arson fire at store

Bales of hay at a Wilco Store in Oregon City were set on fire early Thursday morning. Clackamas Fire District says a fire alarm brought crews to the store on Molalla Avenue. The sprinkler system helped control the fire, and firefighters put it out before it caused any more damage. Surveillance video shows a suspect wearing a baseball cap, mask, a T-shirt, and short pants lighting the fire. Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect to contact Oregon City Police.

Other - Retail, Retail

Yarmouth, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at marketplace; No injuries reported

A fire at a Route 1 mall in Yarmouth on Monday night was contained before it could spread to a dozen or so adjoining businesses.

Yarmouth Fire Chief Mike Robitaille credited the sprinkler system at the Sherwin Williams paint store, 438 Route 1, for preventing a much larger fire that he said could have caused significant damage to other businesses at Yarmouth Marketplace.

Robitaille said the fire started just after 6 p.m. in a ceiling dormer above Sherwin Williams. It did not reach any of the paint products stored at the business, but the store sustained significant water damage.

“The fire was quickly contained, but in all honesty, it was the sprinkler system that did the job,” Robitaille said. “If the fire had spread, it could have been a significant dollar loss.”

Some of the adjoining addresses in the mall, which include Romeo’s Pizza, Enterprise Rent a Car, an AT&T store, P&P Screen Printing and Royal River Baptist Church, sustained smoke damage.

Mutual aid was provided by Cumberland, Freeport and Falmouth. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.

Other - Retail, Retail

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for trash compactor fire outside of retailer; No injuries reported

An employee at an east side retailer noticed smoke coming from a trash compactor chute Monday morning, approximately a half-hour after tossing a few bags of trash into the chute. Upon opening the door to the compactor, the employee discovered flames inside. He discharged multiple fire extinguishers in an attempt to put out the fire, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

Firefighters received the 911 dispatch at 9:29 a.m. and responded to the 2452 East Springs Drive. All occupants safely evacuated the building prior to firefighters’ arrival.

Engine Co. 8 located a large compactor near the loading docks outside the building. A sprinkler inside the compactor chute had already activated, but there was still active fire inside the compactor container. Engine 8 connected to a hydrant, and Medic 8 brought an attack line to the compactor. Firefighters sprayed water into the compactor, and a tow truck was requested to help pull it away from the building. Once the compactor was pulled away, firefighters shut down the internal fire sprinklers system. Engine Co. 5 assisted with overhauling the contents inside the compactor and extinguishing any remaining fire. No injuries were reported.

The exact cause of the fire could not be determined. Investigators and store employees could not rule out the possibility that a lithium ion battery may have been discarded and placed inside the compactor.

Other - Retail, Retail

Asheville, NC – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at shopping center outlet; No injuries reported

Asheville Fire Department had several crews at Asheville Outlets on Wednesday night, Jan. 11, 2023.

About six fire engines could be seen in the shopping center parking lot, where an alarm could be heard and firefighters could be seen heading to the roof.

Asheville Fire Department said the fire happened in a storage room near Restoration Hardware just before 11 p.m.

Officials tell News 13 that the sprinkler system put out the fire and no other businesses were damaged other than possible smoke damage.

No one was injured in the fire.

Simple Share Buttons