Category Archives: Warehouse

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, 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.  

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Ashland, OH – Sprinkler system keeps warehouse fire in check

A fire caused unknown damage to the warehouse of Gifts4You Wholesale Inc., at 1201 Jacobson Ave., Tuesday morning.

Ashland Fire Department Assistant Chief Gabe Campbell said an electrical system showered sparks onto some pallets in the northeast corner of the building.

He said the occupants had left and returned to find smoke coming from the building.

Firefighters knocked the hot spots of the fire down;  the sprinkler system had kept the fire in check and did what it was supposed to do, Campbell said.

Campbell did not have an estimate of damage to the building or contents.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

San Leandro, CA – Fire at warehouse with polystyrene foam contained with help from sprinklers

Firefighters contained a 1-alarm blaze to a warehouse in San Leandro Wednesday evening with the help of the building’s sprinkler system. Alameda County Fire Department crews were dispatched a commercial warehouse in the 2400 block of Polvorosa Avenue at 5:33 p.m.

Blocks of polystyrene foam were burning and filling the structure with a large volume of black smoke, but a sprinkler system stopped the spread of the fire until firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Hebron, OH – Fire at Owens Corning warehouse contained with help from sprinkler system

Insulation at Owens Corning’s Hebron building caught fire Thursday, bringing fire crews from multiple departments to the warehouse. Newark Fire Department Assistant Chief Tom O’Brien said the sprinkler system contained the worst of the fire. O’Brien said he was not aware of any injuries.

Crews will rotate in an out as they find and extinguish all the bundles of insulation. The process could take hours.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Charlotte, NC – Warehouse fire “mostly extinguished” by sprinkler system, according to fire officials

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Charlotte fire crews responded to a two-alarm warehouse fire Saturday in north Charlotte. It happened around 1 p.m. on Century Place. The fire was caused by an electrical issue with a light fixture, fire officials said.

The battalion chief said crews initially responded to a water overflow call but saw the smoke when they got on scene. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.  According to the battalion chief, the fire was mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Elgin, IL – Sprinkler system holds warehouse fire in check

A fire damaged the inventory Monday morning in an Elgin warehouse that sells shipping and storage boxes, fire officials said.

The fire started just after 9 a.m. at Boxpartners.com, 2650 Galvin Drive, in the northwest corner of the warehouse, Elgin fire officials said in a news release.

A  sprinkler system held the fire in check until firefighters arrived to extinguish it. Nobody was injured. The blaze caused about $25,000 in damage. It remains under investigation.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Hanover Twp, PA – Warehouse fire held in check by sprinkler system

A fire in the warehouse of CVS Caremark is under investigation. Crews responded to the facility shortly before 7 a.m. for commercial fire alarm — scanner reports indicated a commercial structure fire a short time later.

Lt. Bill McDaniels of the Hanover Township Fire Department said that the fire was in the warehouse area where medicine was stored on racks. The fire did not spread and cause any structural damage to the building.

“The sprinkler system activated, held it right there until we got in there,” he said. McDaniels added that crews extinguished the blaze quickly. Smoke billowed out of the building from a loading dock, and crews used fans to help ventilate the building. McDaniels said employees were in the building at the time of the fire, and said employees in the office portion of the building would be able to continue working.

The warehouse, he said, would be off limits until the smoke cleared. McDaniels said the source of the fire is still under investigation. No injuries were reported.