Category Archives: Storage / Warehouse

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Oak Ridge, TN – Warehouse fire caused by spontaneous combustion controlled by sprinkler system

On Thursday, at about 6:50 am, the Oak Ridge Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a sprinkler system activation alarm. Upon arrival at 342 Warehouse Road, the Fire Department found heavy smoke coming from the windows and doors of the building. The Fire crew entered through the front door and quickly extinguished a fire in a waste container.

The structure was unoccupied at the time of the fire and damage was minimal. The fire was initially controlled by the building sprinkler system; with a single sprinkler head activating. The fire was contained to a waste container and the remainder of the business suffered minimal heat and smoke damage. Without the sprinkler system, several businesses within the building could have been destroyed, an ORFD press release said.

The cause of the fire appears to have been spontaneous combustion from oily rags discarded in the waste container. This fire points out two critical safety items worth discussing:

The final solution requires either destruction by something like burning, or a safe way to let the material cure without cumulating heat. For home and small commercial shops, the easiest way is to spread the rags in a single layer so heat dissipates while the material cures. Then, depending on local regulations, the materials can be safely disposed of, either in hazardous waste collection sites, or in the general landfill, the press release said.

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Chattanooga, TN – Fire in cotton bales at ADM plant contained with help from sprinkler system

Chattanooga firefighters battled a fire in South Chattanooga at ADM Southern Cellulose Products at 103 W. 45th Street on Thursday. Chattanooga Fire Department spokesman Bruce Garner says though there was only light smoke visible from the outside, once inside the large building, they could see dozens of cotton bales that were on fire.

CFD says the company had recently repaired the sprinkler system in the building and it activated properly, which helped to keep the fire contained. A total of 13 fire companies responded to this fire. The fire was brought under control in 15 to 20 minutes.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire will be ruled accidental.  Company executives told firefighters that the bales are held together by wire, and they believe a wire on one of the bales might have created a spark against the concrete while being moved by a forklift. When the spark hit the cotton, a fire broke out.  About 200 bales of cotton were involved in the fire.  The dollar loss was estimated at $30,000.

The building itself was not damaged and company executives said the fire will have minimal impact on its operation.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system helps extinguish fire caused by exploding fuel tank

An automatic sprinkler system extinguished a “flash fire” before it could spread last Friday morning at a warehouse near Valley View Boulevard and Desert Inn Road, according to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue. Two workers were wielding a 250-gallon diesel fuel tank when vapors ignited to cause the explosion at the shop in the 3000 block of Sirius Avenue.

The sprinkler system kicked in and the employees used fire extinguishers to quickly put out the blaze before firefighters arrived. There were no injuries. The building remained intact and damage was estimated at $1,500. The fire was deemed accidental.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Elk Grove Village, IL – Warehouse fire limited by sprinkler system; Fire started in truck trailer

Fire engulfed a truck trailer filled with cleaning and restaurant supplies parked at the loading dock of a warehouse in Elk Grove Village last night (Wednesday). Firefighters spent about two hours battling the blaze and clearing the area of smoke after the flames were extinguished.

Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel said flames became so intense inside the trailer, it burned through the roof of the trailer sending large amounts of smoke billowing into the air and throughout the entire warehouse at 2301 Lunt Ave.

Mikel estimated the warehouse to be several hundred thousand square feet in size. Heat from the trailer fire activated sprinklers above the loading dock and saving the building from fire damage. Mikel said he is scheduled to meet with building owners to assess the extent of significant smoke damage. Mikel said water damage to the building was minimal.

Firefighters were alerted by witnesses from across the street who saw smoke rising at about 10 p.m., Mikel said. Firefighters had the fire out and smoke vented by about midnight. Mikel said there were no injuries and he did not believe anyone was in the building when the fire began.

Firefighters arriving on scene saw the entire building engulfed in smoke and called for an upgraded Code 4 alarm. That alarm brought nearly 30 firefighters from Des Plaines, Elk Grove Township, Itasca, Wood Dale and Bensenville to assist Elk Grove Village. Crews used a special Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) truck equipped with a giant fan to clear the building of smoke after the trailer was extinguished and towed away from the loading dock.

Mikel said had the building not been equipped with a sprinkler system, the building itself would have likely caught fire causing a vastly larger blaze. He also said the trailer did not have a semi tractor attached to it when it caught fire. He said that would have also made the fire worse.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Brampton, ON, Canada – Fire in 800,000 ft² Unilever warehouse extinguished by sprinkler system

Sprinklers are being credited with averting a potentially major fire at a massive warehouse in Brampton Wednesday night.  Flames broke out under some racking in the 800,000-square-foot Unilever building on Airport Road south of Steeles Avenue East around 10:30 p.m.

Firefighters were called to the warehouse, where they had to force open a rear door closest to the fire. But the building’s sprinkler system had been trigged, and extinguished the blaze. Damage was limited to 40 skids out of potentially millions of dollars worth of product, which includes soap and mayonnaise, according to Platoon Chief Gord Fowler.

“That type of fire is very difficult to fight,” Fowler noted, saying getting hose lines into a large, enclosed area like that is one of the many issues firefighters face in such a situation. Employees inside the building were evacuated and no injuries were reported.   It’s a good news stories that highlights the effectiveness of sprinklers, Fowler said.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

City of Industry, CA – Arson fire at paper goods warehouse held in check by sprinkler system

An arson fire scorched an Industry warehouse packed with paper goods Wednesday, authorities said. The fire was first reported about 2:45 a.m. at a 55,000-square-foot warehouse in the 700 block of South 5th Avenue, Los Angeles County fire and sheriff’s officials said.

Though largely “kept in check” by the building’s sprinkler system, firefighters battled the stubborn blaze for nearly two hours until it was declared extinguished, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Randall Wright said. No injuries were reported.

But firefighters determined the scene of the fire appeared suspicious and called in investigators from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail, Wright said. “The cause is arson,” sheriff’s Detective Cynthia Valencia said. It appeared the arsonist spread gasoline around in the rear portion of the warehouse before lighting it on fire.

The intent of the arsonists appeared to be to destroy the building, but they were thwarted by the businesses’ fire-suppression system, she added. “(The) sprinkler system did a great job,” Valencia said.

Preliminary estimates of the damage caused to the warehouse, as well as the paper plates, paper cups and other similar items stored inside ranged between $300,000 and $500,000, the detective said.

A subleased portion of the warehouse, which is used as a packaging business, was unscathed, she said. Investigators continued seeking clues Thursday, and trying to determine who would want to torch the warehouse, Valencia said.

The arsonists were described only as two men, driving a sedan. “The owner is very cooperative,” Valencia said.  Firefighters remained at the scene until about noon, Wright said.

Any witnesses, or anyone who saw anything suspicious early Wednesday morning is asked to contact Detective Valencia at the sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail at 323-881-7500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Billings, MT – Petroleum warehouse fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

A fire ignited at a petroleum warehouse near downtown Billings on Friday afternoon, causing damage to the building but no injuries. Billings firefighters were called to Cross Petroleum Services, 1818 Minnesota Ave., just after 2 p.m. and found flames near the front of the building.  With the help of a sprinkler system, firefighters contained and knocked down the blaze in about 15 minutes, said Billings Fire Department Chief Paul Dextras.

The warehouse stores flammable and combustible products. According to a report from Deputy Fire Marshal Jamie Fender, the fire ignited when flammable liquids were being transferred between containers and the fire was accidental. The estimated cost of damages for the insured building and the insured material destroyed is $100,000.

“It could’ve been somewhat catastrophic,” Dextras said. A large burn mark scarred the front of the building, running up to the roof, and metal tanks outside the building appeared scorched. Sprinklers continued to spray well after the fire was out. Dextras said it was unclear how much flammable material was currently stored inside the warehouse.

Online property records label the building as C & D Warehouse. Dextras and signage outside the building labeled it as Cross Petroleum Products. Records show that the warehouse is about 110,000 square feet.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Austin, TX – Fire in 18-wheeler extends into warehouse; Sprinklers extinguish blaze

A fire that began in an 18-wheeler and spread to a warehouse in southeast Austin late Thursday night has caused about $100,000 worth of damage. Crews with the Austin Fire Department responded around 11:30 p.m. to the fire that started in the 18-wheeler full of cardboard on Freidrich Lane.  Officials said the fire extended to a nearby warehouse, but a sprinkler system quickly put out the flames.

Crews were able to put out the fire inside the 18-wheeler shortly after arriving at the scene. No injuries were reported in the fire.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Storage / Warehouse

Omaha, NE – Warehouse fire contained by sprinkler system; Portions of business re-open same day

The Nebraska Furniture Mart is open for business with some restricted access in the aftermath of a Sunday morning fire.  A Mart spokesperson tells WOWT 6 News that the flooring warehouse is closed. That’s where people pick up flooring.

All main roads were opened at 10 a.m. Sunday.  Gordman’s shares some of the space involved. The full extent of the damage is still being tallied.  All of this follows a small fire in the Furniture Mart warehouse Sunday morning.

It happened just after seven o’clock Sunday inside the wood and tile warehouse at NFM and took about 40 minutes to contain, according to an Omaha Fire Department official.

Batallion Chief Kathy Bossman said crews were initially called to NFM for a “water flow alarm” which typically indicates that the sprinkler system has been activated. Crews noticed smoke and then observed that it began to change colors, becoming a darker gray. She said crews then discovered that wooden pallets inside the warehouse caught fire.

“There was a little bit of delay because the pallets were beginning to crumble a little bit so we had to move pallets to really get all of the fire extinguished,” said Chief Bossman.

Bossman said wood flooring in addition to the wood pallets burned. No one was inside the building at the time, and there were no injuries. Chief Bossman said there was no structural damage to the building but there was some damage to contents inside.

Omaha fire eventually turned the scene over to Furniture Mart personnel for clean-up. They removed burned debris from the building and stacked it in the parking lot.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Edmonton, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system helps keep fire from spreading when stored cooking oil ignites

More than forty firefighters battled a fire that broke out late Sunday morning at a storage warehouse in northwest Edmonton.

Fire crews were called to the commercial warehouse in an industrial area near 148 Street and 128 Avenue just before noon.

“When they arrived, there was black smoke coming out of the building,” Edmonton Fire Rescue spokeswoman Holly Budd said. “They forced entry and the sprinkler system had been activated in the building.” 

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services district chief Marc Zubick said the portion of the building that was engulfed stored edible oils. 

“It’s cooking oil that was the cause of the smoke but the cause of the heat that created the smoke on that oil has not been determined yet,” said Zubick. 

Zubick said the fire suppression system in the warehouse did a good job keeping the fire from spreading. As a precaution, firefighters called for more fire trucks at around 12:10 p.m., and a second alarm was called around 10 minutes later. 

Forty five firefighters fought the remainder of the blaze for two hours. The cause is still unknown.