Category Archives: College/University (on campus)

College/University (on campus), School / University

Riverside, CA – Dormitory fire at university campus held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

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Authorities Saturday continued investigating a dormitory fire at the UC Riverside campus that displaced approximately 20 students.

The fire was reported around 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Glen Mor dormitory located at 400 W. Big Springs Road, where firefighters found smoke coming form a first-floor window of the five-story, apartment-style dormitory.

Firefighters were quickly able to extinguish a kitchen fire that was being held in control by the building’s fire sprinkler system. Crews then attempted salvage operations to limit water damage from the fire sprinkler system.

A total of 147 students were evacuated and 20 were being placed in alternative apartments, officials said.

The UCR fire marshal and the city of Riverside’s Fire Investigation Unit assumed the investigation.

Damage was estimated to be approximately $100,000 with much of the damage caused by the fire suppression system.

No injuries were reported.

College/University (on campus), Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, School / University

Holland, MI – Two separate fires contained by sprinkler systems; No injuries reported

Two fires broke out at Holland-area buildings within 48 hours of each other, and both were stopped by fire suppression systems before causing major damage, according to the Holland Fire Department.

The first fire was reported just before midnight on Feb. 8 at the Resthaven Farmstead, a senior living community in Holland. Crews were initially notified of a waterflow alarm, which was upgraded to a structure fire. Firefighters arrived to find that a bag of linens had caught fire in a kitchen storage area. The fire marshal’s investigation determined the cause was spontaneous combustion of products within the linens. The building’s sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire before crews arrived.

The second fire happened on the morning of Feb. 10 at the Hope College DeWitt Student and Cultural Center, located at 141 East 12th Street. At 7:02 a.m., Holland firefighters and police were dispatched following a waterflow alarm. Hope Campus Safety had been investigating the alarm and discovered smoke in the basement. When firefighters arrived at 7:08 a.m., they found that a fire had occurred in a basement office. The Holland Fire Marshal determined the fire likely started near a desktop light. Again, the building’s suppression system had done its job before firefighters got there.

No injuries were reported at either scene, and the Hope College fire had minimal impact on classes and normal building operations, the department said.

The Holland Fire Department credited proper maintenance of the sprinkler systems for the outcomes at both buildings and is urging all building owners with sprinkler systems and fire alarms to keep them maintained and functioning as designed.

The Holland Township Fire Department, Holland Police Department, and American Medical Response provided assistance at both fires.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for trash can fire at community college

A fire activated the sprinkler system at Pima Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Building on its Downtown Campus, Wednesday morning.

According to PCC, an individual lit a garbage can on fire outside of the building at 9 a.m.

The contents of the garbage can caught fire, which in turn caused the heat to break a window in the building, alerting the sprinkler system to activate.

No injuries were reported.

The investigation is ongoing.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Franklin, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at college campus center

At 5:17pm Friday evening, the Metacomet Emergency Communications Center received a fire alarm activation for 135 Emmons Street, the Dean College Campus Center. Franklin Fire units arrived on scene within minutes and found a fire in a basement kitchen.

This incident was upgraded to a working fire assignment, bringing in mutual aid from Bellingham, Medway, Norfolk, Plainville, and Wrentham.

The fire suppression system and automatic sprinkler system were activated, keeping and holding the fire in check. Firefighters made entry and conducted an interior attack to complete the extinguishment of the fire. The fire was fully extinguished at 5:35pm.

Crews conducted a comprehensive investigation for fire extension, utilizing thermal imaging cameras to verify the fire had not spread beyond the kitchen. Firefighters secured the sprinkler system and utilities, ventilated smoke from the building, and assisted college officials with occupant accountability. Thanks to the coordinated actions of the sprinkler system, the fire alarm system, and the rapid and professional response of Franklin Firefighters, the fire was confined to the kitchen and no students or staff were injured.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Franklin Fire Department. The building was able to be partially reoccupied for the evening.

According to Charles Allen, Fire Chief, the Foxboro Fire Department provided station coverage during the incident.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Madison, WI – Sprinkler systems help stop the spread of two separate fires on university campus

Automated sprinkler systems help stop the spread of two fires on the Universities of Wisconsin – Madison campus in the last two weeks.

The first happened on October 16 just after 11:00 p.m. at the Discovery Building on North Orchard Street on the campus’ west side.

The fire started in a hamper full of rags or towels in a kitchen, and the automatic sprinkler system helped contain the fire with minimal damage to the wall nearby before firefighters put it completely out. The rest of the building was not impacted, and was fully operational within hours.

The second happened on October 28 around 4:50 a.m. at the Gordon Commons on West Dayton Street on the campus’ southeast side. Firefighters found heavy white smoke and a dryer fire in a lower-level room.

The sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading as fire crews extinguished it. Investigators are still not sure what caused this fire, but the dryer did contain rags and towels from the kitchen.

Public Health Madison-Dane County was notified because of food items in the area being impacted by the smoke.

Both fires are still under investigation by the Madison Fire Department.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at UW-Madison Discovery Building

Madison Fire Department credited a fire sprinkler head for putting out most of a fire at the UW-Madison Discovery Building Thursday night.

At 11:15 p.m. firefighters arrived at the building on the 300 block of N. Orchard Street for a fire alarm going off.

MFD said an automatic fire sprinkler head detected the fire and turned on. The sprinkler head also triggered the building’s fire alarm.

Firefighters put out the rest of the fire with a two-and-a-half-gallon water can extinguisher.

The fire appeared to start in a hamper full of rags or towels in a kitchen, MFD noted.

The fire caused a few burned items, MFD said, and a small amount of damage to a wall nearby.

There was no damage to the rest of the building, and it was reopened in a few hours.

“The incident highlights the importance of protecting buildings and facilities with automatic fire sprinklers to contain fire, minimize damage, and prevent injury and harm,” MFD said in a statement.

The building is home to two research institutes and a community hub for science and innovation, crews noted.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Hamilton, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at university research lab; No injuries reported

A small fire in the basement of the Communications Research Laboratory, located near the Engineering Technology Building, was quickly extinguished Wednesday afternoon.

The sprinkler system put out the fire and the building was safely evacuated. There were no injuries reported.

The building was briefly closed to be ventilated and assessed for water damage, and has now been cleared and reopened by the Hamilton Fire Department.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Terre Haute, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at college; No injuries reported

Crews were called to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology over the weekend for a small fire.

On Sunday, the Terre Haute Fire Department responded to the college and found light smoke coming from a building on campus.

Fire officials said by the time crews made it inside, students had already used three fire extinguishers and the building’s sprinkler system to put out the flames.

The fire started in a grinding and sanding booth and was ruled accidental. No one was hurt.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential, School / University

Macomb, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at university hall

A fire at Western Illinois University Grote Hall led to $20,000 in damages. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading.

At 8:55 p.m., Wednesday, January 15, the Macomb Fire Department was dispatched to a water flow alarm at Grote Hall, 720 W Adams Street on the campus of Western Illinois University (WIU) in Macomb.

While enroute, the WIU Office of Public Safety (OPS) advised that they had smoke and flames in room 410. The first arriving units arrived on scene at 9:01 p.m. and began high-rise standpipe operations. Fire command made contact with OPS who had discharged two fire extinguishers on the fire.

The interior firefighting crew stretched a hose line to the fire room and finished extinguishing the fire. The fire was contained to a waste basket in the room.

The fire activated a sprinkler within the closet of the room and kept the fire from spreading. Multiple rooms sustained smoke and water damage and at least two residents were displaced.

Four on-duty firefighters responded to the call and nine additional firefighters responded to a crew callback. Emmet- Chalmers and Good Hope Fire Departments responded to the scene and assisted with primary searches of the building.

The fire was deemed under control at 9:12 PM. All units cleared at 11:21 p.m. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital for observation and was treated and released.

A smoke alarm was present in the room, however, did not alarm due to the device being obstructed by the resident. Once the sprinkler system activated the water flow alarm notified OPS dispatch of the fire.

The structure sustained fire, smoke, and water damage throughout and has an estimated loss of $20,000. The fire was investigated by the Macomb Fire Department and WIU OPS. The fire was deemed unintentional due to improper disposal of ignited materials.

The Macomb Fire Department wants to again remind citizens that smoke detectors are essential safety devices that play a crucial role in protecting lives and property by providing early warning of smoke or fire. Tampering with smoke detectors can lead to criminal charges.

The following agencies assisted: McDonough County Communications Center, Macomb IL Police, WIU OPS, WIU Support Staff, Lifeguard Ambulance Service of Illinois, Emmet- Chalmers FPD, Good Hope FPD, and the City of Macomb Public Works.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Lexington, VA – Sprinkler system activated for overnight fire on university campus

Sprinkler System Kept Nighttime Fire From Growing

A nighttime electrical fire in an academic building on Washington and Lee University’s campus last week was quickly contained by the building’s fire suppression system, and extinguished by the Lexington Fire Department.

“At approximately 1:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, a small electrical fire occurred in a third-floor bathroom in Reid Hall, which was unoccupied at the time,” said Drewry Sackett, university spokesperson.

Reid Hall is home to the university’s journalism and mass communication departments.

“The sprinkler system was activated, the fire department responded, and the fire was extinguished quickly,” she told The News-Gazette.

Dispatched around 1:15 a.m., Lexington fire crews put out the fire and turned off the sprinkler system to limit water damage to the building.

The fire was declared under control at 2:05 a.m., though firefighters remained on the scene until 3:40 a.m. to monitor and help control water damage.

Lexington Fire Chief Ty Dickerson said that the building’s fire suppression system prevented what could have been significant damage to the building.

“It is very fortunate that the building had a fire sprinkler system. That single fire sprinkler head was activated by the heat from the fire in the light fixture and was contained prior to the fire department’s arrival,” he said.

“The fire alarm connected to the fire sprinkler system activated and notified a monitoring company who notified our regional 911 center who dispatched the Lexington Fire Department,” said Dickerson.

“Without that fire sprinkler and alarm system, a fire in an unoccupied building in the middle of the night could have grown very large before being noticed,” he said.

Sackett said that the building was reopened in time to welcome students back from spring break.

“The building sustained water damage and was closed briefly for repairs,” she said.

“It reopened over the weekend, in time for Monday morning classes, and is fully operational at this time, except for the third-floor bathroom where the fire originated.”

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers