Apartment Building, Residential

Nashua, NH – Sprinkler system contains apartment grease fire on Easter Sunday

Crews were called to the Tara Heights Apartments at 10 Digital Dr. around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, where they found a grease fire on a stove that had spread to the cabinets and activated the sprinkler system.

The fire was quickly contained by the sprinkler system, but crews were still tied up for an hour ejecting smoke and doing salvage work in the apartment where the fire was and the apartment below it.

Apartment Building, Residential

Louisville, KY – Occupied apartment’s sprinkler system extinguishes intentionally-set fire

A Louisville man was arrested Saturday after he intentionally set fire to an occupied apartment.

The Louisville Metro Police Department arrested Anthony Green, 30, on charges of first-degree arson and criminal mischief.

Officials said Green poured gasoline throughout an apartment in the 400 block of East Saint Catherine Street and then set a couch on fire inside the residence.

Investigators said Green made threats to kill the victim before setting the fire.

The fire was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system but caused over $1,000 in damages.

Green is being held in Metro Corrections on a $10,000 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Brockton, MA – Fire at recycling and waste management facility doused by sprinkler system

The sprinkler system at Champion City Recovery did its job early Sunday morning, containing a fire at the transfer station before firefighters arrived. Fire officials responded to the scene at 138 Wilder St. at 2:23 a.m., discovering smoke and fire from a debris pile within the main building. There was minimal damage to the building, and no one was injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, fire officials said Sunday afternoon. The sprinkler system was already activated when firefighters arrived at the transfer and recycling station on the city’s north side, containing the fire to the debris (comprised mostly of construction materials). Firefighters used multiple hoses to douse the pile, and a heavy equipment operator from Champion City Recovery helped move the pile around for firefighters. The owner was on scene, the Fire Department said. Champion City Recovery is a rail-served transfer station managing construction and demolition waste. The fire was extinguished before 4 a.m. The city’s Building Department was called to survey any structural damage. The facility also had two fires in 2014: a smoky blaze within the building in June, then an excavator fire in November.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

Oklahoma City, OK – No injuries after fire at high rise retirement home is put out by sprinkler system

A northeast side retirement home has been partially evacuated due to a high-rise fire.  The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded around 12:18 p.m. on Sunday at the Senior Living Center in the 1200 block of N. Kate Avenue.  Upon arrival, heavy smoke was reported.  Officials said the fire ended up being a mattress in a room on the fifth floor. Some residents evacuated, and others sheltered in place.  The fire was put out, while a sprinkler system continued flowing and crews worked to control the water.  Firefighters said no injuries have been reported.  Less than an hour later, residents were allowed back in their rooms except for those who live on the fifth floor.  Automatic sprinkler systems save lives,” said Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson. “Water damage is much preferred over larger fires and fatalities from smoke.”  No other details have been released at this time.

Hotel / Motel

Lake Placid, NY – Fire at Crowne Plaza Resort suppressed by sprinkler system; Overheated computer was cause

The Crowne Plaza Resort and Golf Club was evacuated after the fire broke out around 11:12 a.m last Thursday. “The evacuation plan went great,” Lussi said. “We had actually just had a fire drill about six week ago.” The fire was triggered by a guest’s overcharged computer, he said. The guest was not in the room when the blaze broke out. Flames were contained to the room and had been mostly extinguished by the hotel’s sprinkler system when firefighters arrived.

“Sometimes in small businesses we think of things like sprinkler systems as extremely costly,” Lussi said. “You have to pay to have them inspected and re-certified. “This is just a phenomenal example of why it’s worth doing these things.

“The safety boards or building inspectors should get a lot of credit because we didn’t use to have individual sprinkler in all rooms. It evolved in past 15 or 20 years. When the mandate came to put them in individual rooms, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s going to be really expensive.’ “Then you realize this was worth every penny we invested, and we encourage other people to do the same.”

Lussi credited the Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department for a quick response and for suppressing the hotel’s sprinkler system, which could have drained its entire water supply, he said. “They were very thoughtful in not letting anyone back into the building until they knew the area had been contained and was safe.” Fire Chief Jim Wasson said bedding in the room had ignited. “There was a lot of smoke and a lot of water when we arrived,” he said. “Thank goodness for sprinkler systems. It did a good job of soaking it.” Seventeen members of the department responded. They were back in service by 12:40 p.m.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Colonial Heights, VA – Fire in meat department of grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Crews from multiple jurisdictions responded to a fire inside the Food Lion located in the Dunlop Village shopping center in Colonial Heights. At approximately 4:46 p.m., Colonial Heights and Chesterfield Fire arrived on scene and were told that the Food Lion had a fire in the meat department. Companies from Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, Hopewell and Petersburg all responded.

The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction in a mechanical refrigeration unit, according to a Colonial Heights Fire spokesperson. A spokesperson with the Colonial Heights Fire Department said four people were treated for minor smoke inhalation. Later, one of those people wished to be transported for treatment. The fire was reported to be under control by 5:30 p.m.

The grocery store’s fire sprinkler system activated and controlled the fire until fire crews arrived and could extinguish the hot spots. The meat department suffered major fire damage, while the rest of the building suffered smoke damage. The damage to the building is estimated at about $15,000 and the estimated damage to the products are unknown at this time. The business will remain closed until it is cleaned up and safety repairs have been made.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Cumming, GA – Fire at assisted living facility controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Nearly 40 residents of an assisted living facility are safe after being evacuated due to a fire.  According to Forsyth County Fire Department spokesperson Jason Shivers, the fire happened at Gracemont Assisted Living. The fire apparently originated in a ventilation fan in a storage room for the facility’s dining hall. The fire itself was kept under control by the sprinkler system and a maintenance worker who took hold of a fire extinguisher. However, the water damage from the containment process will mean the building is unavailable for some time until crews can make repairs. Shivers said the fire was not considered suspicious and said that no residents, staff or firefighters were injured. The fire department is now working with the facility and the Red Cross to provide assistance to 38 residents who were forced out of their homes.

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Hampton, VA – Sprinkler system knocks down apartment building fire; No injuries reported

Hampton Division of Fire & Rescue responded to a report of a fire in the 200 block of Marcella Road shortly before 6 p.m. last Thursday, Battalion Chief Jeff Bartgis said at the scene.  Firefighters arrived and found fire in a third floor unit, Battalion Chief Jeff Pereira said.

The sprinkler system helped contain flames to the one unit, but it caused water damage in adjacent units on three of the floors, the officials said.  “A lot of them have a lot of water in them,” Bartgis said. “The sprinkler system did exactly what it was supposed to do and knocked the fire down for us,” he said. A restoration company was requested to dry out the units, and Bartgis said he’s hopeful residents can return to their homes soon. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Jasper, OR – Small fire at Seventh-day Adventist school extinguished by sprinkler system

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Officials are investigating the cause of a small fire on Wednesday that led to water damage in Laurelwood Academy southeast of Springfield.  Pleasant Hill and Goshen Fire Districts were called to the private secondary school about 5 p.m. Wednesday for a report of smoke coming from the building. The school, affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is on Jasper Lowell Road.  Firefighters discovered smoke coming from the third floor and found that the school’s fire sprinklers had extinguished a small fire on that floor, Pleasant Hill-Goshen Fire Chief Andrew Smith said.  The Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police are helping in the investigation to determine the fire’s cause.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Thief River Falls, MN – Arson fire at college put out by sprinkler system

Two Northland College students are accused of setting fires in restrooms at the college on the same day. According to a news release from the Ashland Fire Department, both fires happened on March 19. A morning fire in a Wheeler Hall restroom was put out by a sprinkler system and an evening fire in a Fenenga Hall restroom extinguished itself. No one was injured in either fire. Damage estimates are not available. The fire department said two suspects, a 30-year-old woman from Ashland and an 18-year-old woman from the Twin Cities area, have been arrested to face possible charges of arson and recklessly endangering the safety of others. Investigators believe the suspects and fires are not connected.

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