Category Archives: School / University

NOTE – Residence Hall, Dormitory, and Fraternity-Sorority is included under Residential Category

College/University (on campus), School / University

Provo, UT – FIre inside storage cabinet stopped by fire sprinklers inside BYU campus building

Firefighters responded to a fire in the Ezra Taft Benson building this morning. The fire had already been contained when they arrived.

Public Information Officer Captain Sam Armstrong said Provo Fire and Rescue received a call from BYU at 10:53 a.m. saying hydrogen was on fire.

Armstrong said the department sent firefighters from multiple stations in case of the fire being a catastrophic event. “We would rather be prepared and send everybody than be behind the ball and try and play catch up.”

Armstrong was unable to confirm exactly what it was that had caught on fire, but he said the fire was contained in a storage cabinet that had a fire suppression sprinkler inside it.

When Provo Fire and Rescue arrived, it found the fire suppression sprinkler had already put the fire out. Firefighters then worked with BYU Engineering to help shut down the water system so the water didn’t cause damage.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Fallston, MD – Single sprinkler head knocks down fire in staff lounge at middle school; No injuries reported

Crews responded to a fire alarm that activated overnight at Fallston Middle School.

At just after 4:15 a.m. on Thursday, crews from the Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company were dispatched to the school, which is located at 2303 Carrs Mill Road, for an automatic fire alarm activation.

Upon entering the area indicated on the alarm panel, firefighters found a single automatic sprinkler had activated and there was light smoke in the room, which was a staff lounge area that also contained IT servers.

An electric floor fan had been placed in the room to maintain air flow to assist in cooling the room. The fan malfunctioned and ignited directly below a sprinkler head, which activated extinguishing the fire and activating the fire alarm, thereby limiting the damage to the school building.

The fire was extinguished and the scene was cleared by 5:30 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system contains DUMPSTER fire next to middle school building; No injuries reported

12:02 AM: What started as a fire-alarm call at Madison Middle School has been upgraded to a “full response.” Updates to come.

12:06 AM: Firefighters are describing this as a “dumpster fire” and dismissing some of the units.

12:11 AM: Fire is reported “tapped” (out); next job, to turn off the automatic sprinklers.

12:40 AM: The cause is under investigation. We’ll follow up with SFD and the district later today.

3:09 PM: From SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo: “Crews confirmed it was a dumpster fire next to the school building. The building’s sprinklers were able to contain the fire while our firefighters fully extinguished it. No injuries reported. Our fire investigators were not dispatched to this scene as they responded to another fire that occurred at the same time” (in North Seattle).

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Kitsap, Wa – Arson fire contained to room of origin by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A 15-year-old Port Orchard male teen was arrested on suspicion of arson on Wednesday, hours after a fire at Marcus Marcus Whitman Middle School caused significant damage.

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether others were involved, Lt. Earl Smith said.

The call began as a burglar alarm early Wednesday. Smith said officers found evidence of forced entry and fire inside the building. Since they didn’t know if suspects were inside, law enforcement provided cover to fire crews as they battled the blaze.

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue was aided by fire crews from Bremerton, Central Kitsap and Navy Region Northwest and officers from the Port Orchard Police Department, SKFR said in a post on social media. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also has taken part in the investigation.

“Thankfully, there were no injuries,” said Amy Miller, spokeswoman for South Kitsap School District.

Smith said damage to the building was “significant.” A photo posted on social media by the sheriff’s office shows scores of ceiling tiles on the floor near the school’s entryway. South Kitsap Fire & Rescue reported that the fire was contained to the room of origin by the sprinkler system.

The school has been closed since March 16 along with all other schools in Washington state to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Detectives arrested the suspect with the help of a K-9 tracking team shortly before noon on suspicion of first degree arson and second degree burglary. He was interviewed Wednesday afternoon at the Kitsap County Juvenile Detention Center regarding whether he had accomplices, Smith said.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Rapid City, SD – Kitchen fire at elementary school extinguished by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Rapid City Fire Department was called to General Beadle Elementary located at 10 Van Buren Street for an automatic fire alarm around noon today.

As the crew from Truck 1 was arriving on scene, Pennington County 9-1-1 dispatch advised that a caller was reporting an active fire in the kitchen. A full first alarm was called that included additional units from Station 1 as well as Stations 3 and 7.

When Truck 1 was inside, they found that there had been a fire on the stove in the kitchen. The fire had been extinguished by the commercial hood system as well as a single sprinkler head from the fire sprinkler system.

The full first alarm system was canceled while Truck 1 remained on-scene.

The building was occupied at the time of the fire by Rapid City Area Schools personnel that were making and distributing lunches. The Rapid City Community Health Office was also open and operating during the time of the fire. No injuries were reported and occupants safely and quickly evacuated.

The fire was contained to the stove area while smoke was quickly cleared by firefighters who also assisted with the clean-up of water from the sprinkler system, and was determined to be an accident by an investigator from the Rapid City Fire Department.

Boxes being used for lunch distribution by the stove caught fire and were quickly extinguished by the sprinkler and hood systems. The fire shouldn’t negatively impact ongoing lunch distribution.

“The sprinkler system did exactly what it was designed to do”, said Lt. Brian Staton with the Rapid City Fire Department’s Fire and Life Safety Division. “Only the number of heads needed to put the fire out were activated. Instead of dealing with a big fire, we’re squeegeeing up water”.

The Rapid City Fire Department wants to remind everyone that it advocates for fire sprinkler protection, especially with large, public buildings.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Amherst, MA – Dorm room sprinkler system bookcase that caught on fire; No injuries reported

At least six University of Massachusetts students have been displaced following a fire that started in their dorm early Friday morning. 

Assistant Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren said firefighters responded to Maple Hall in the Commonwealth Honors College around 3:30 a.m. for an alarm. Soon after, the department received reports of smoke on the second floor, he said.

Stromgren said the fire started on a wooden bookcase in a student’s bedroom. The young woman woke up to the fire alarm and left the building, and the sprinkler system controlled the fire until firefighters arrived, Stromgren said. 

The entire dorm was evacuated for three hours, except for the second floor, which students were not allowed to re-enter for an even longer period of time due to water mitigation, Stromgren said. Students were brought to the nearby Roots Cafe during the evacuation to keep warm, he said.

At least six people who lived in the suite in which the fire started have been displaced indefinitely, Stromgren said.

“UMass is making arrangements for them,” he said.

Amherst fire investigators and the state fire marshal’s office are investigating the fire, Stromgren said. It is believed the fire was unintentional and accidental, he said, and no one was hurt.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Hanover, NH – Bathroom fire at Dartmouth fraternity contained thanks to fire sprinklers

Local fire departments on Sunday afternoon responded to a fire at Phi Delta Alpha fraternity. The fire was confined to the third-floor bathroom of the fraternity and quickly extinguished, according to Hanover Fire Department captain Michael Gilbert.

The fire tripped a heat sensor on a third-floor sprinkler of the fraternity, leading water to spread and seep to the lower floors of the building. He said that representatives from the College will determine the implications of the damage — namely, if residents will be able to continue to reside in the building.

Associate director of residential operations Bernard Haskell said residents of the building would be rehoused in residence halls until the Hanover Fire Department confirms that the building is safe and the fraternity decides to allow students to return. Phi Delt is taking measures to repair damage done by the fire in order to make the house habitable again, according to Haskell.

“They’re reaching out to contractors now,” Haskell said.

As of press time, Phi Delt president Sean Keough ’20 said that he did not know about the extent and implications of the fire. 

The Hanover, Hartford and Lebanon fire departments all responded to the incident. 

College/University (on campus), Other - School / University, School / University

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at LSU baseball stadium

Firefighters were called out to Alex Box Stadium for a fire before 1 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department reported crews received the call about the fire at 12:40 a.m.

Officials said members of the LSU Police Department told responding firefighters there was a fire but the sprinkler system had doused the flames.

According to BRFD, police officers said a cardboard box had been put on top of a dryer and caught fire. The firefighters stayed on scene long enough to make sure the fire was out.

Fire officials added the power was turned off temporarily as a precaution. The laundry room and other nearby areas received water damage from the sprinkler system. Officials estimated the damage to be about $25,000.

No. 11 LSU defeated Indiana, 8-1, just a couple hours before the fire department responded to the fire.

There was no indication the fire would affect Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader between LSU and Indiana.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Yorktown, VA – Sprinkler system controls fire at school after electrical fire in equipment room

Grafton High School and Grafton Middle School in York County were evacuated Monday afternoon after an electrical fire set off the sprinkler system. The two schools will now be closed for the next two days for cleanup.

York Fire and Life Safety crews were called to the school complex around 3:45 p.m. Arriving units found heavy smoke and fire in an equipment room. The initial fire was controlled by the sprinkler system.

Regular classes had dismissed for the day at that point, and all students and other personnel who were there for after-school activities got out safely.

If your kids were there for after-school activities, you can pick them up at the nearby Amory Funeral Home, located at 410 Grafton Drive. All remaining activities at the schools for the day are canceled.

As a result of the fire, Grafton Middle and High Schools will be closed Tuesday, February 4, and Wednesday, February 5.  All after-school activities on those days are also canceled.

School employees will receive a communication from their building principals regarding staff schedules.

A plan is being worked on for students and staff to reclaim any personal possessions left on campus.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Fort Wayne, IN – Fire sprinklers keep fire at elementary school from spreading on Christmas day

Firefighters are looking into the cause of a fire that broke out in a classroom Christmas Day.

Firefighters respond to a classroom fire at Horace Mann Elementary School in Huntington.

The flames sparked Wednesday morning at Horace Mann Elementary School on Waterworks Road.

Huntington Fire Chief Tony Johnson told our journalist on the scene that the flames were contained to one classroom. The sprinkler system activated and kept the fire from spreading. However, there is significant water and smoke damage to the classroom.

Due to the holiday break, there were no students or teachers in the building at the time.