Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Grand Forks, ND – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at correctional center

At approximately 2:04 am on Tuesday, December 12th, the Grand Forks Fire Department was dispatched to 1701 North Washington Street, which is the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, for a report of smoke and flames in the laundry room.

Fire crews arrived on the scene and were met by employees who had found smoke and flames in the laundry room. Crews found that the clothes in the dryer had caught fire, and the sprinkler system had activated. Fire Crews quickly extinguished the fire and removed the smoke from the building. The cause of the fire is undetermined. One inmate was transported to Altru with unknown injuries. There were no injuries to fire personnel or corrections staff.

The fire department responded with five engines, one aerial truck, one command vehicle, and twenty personnel. The fire department was assisted by the Grand Forks County Corrections Staff, Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office, and Altru Ambulance.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Fairfield, CT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at abandoned building

Fairfield police say the old Fairfield Cinema has once again been damaged.
Patrol officers noticed plywood missing from the doors Tuesday night.
Police say they heard a fire alarm coming from the building. Upon entering, they say the interior of the building had been badly vandalized.
They say a fire was put out on the second floor by the building’s sprinkler system.
Authorities say the vandalism is under investigation.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Sooke, BC, Canada – Fire at middle school extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes resumed Wednesday (Dec. 13) despite a small fire Tuesday evening at Journey Middle School.

The Sooke Fire Rescue was called out for a fire in a utility room during the evening band concert. All students, staff and community members were safely evacuated from the building when the fire alarm sounded and no one was injured, School District 62 said in a news release.

The fire was extinguished by the school’s sprinkler system. Staff and firefighters worked together to clean up the water from the sprinkler system and the systems were reset.

“Thank you to everyone involved in safely evacuating the school,” the statement reads. “We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Sooke Fire Department and the SD62 staff who worked well into the night to ensure the school could open this morning.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system contains third floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters quickly doused a blaze that erupted in an Exposition Park apartment building this morning, officials said.

The fire, which was contained in a single unit on the third floor of the four-story structure at 3671 S Western Ave., was subdued by the building’s sprinkler system before the fire department arrived.

Upon receipt of a 9-1-1 call at 9:07 a.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.

According to LAFD, firefighters made entry and were able to extinguish the fire completely within 16 minutes, preventing the spread of flames and ensuring no injuries were reported.

The buildup of water from the sprinklers led to salvage operations by the crew to mitigate damage to the property.

The unit, part of a modern apartment complex comprised of three residential floors over parking, showed light smoke when the first responders arrived.

“Firefighters located fire in one unit on the 3rd floor being held in check by sprinklers,” stated LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

As a precaution, crews conducted thorough investigations to ensure that there were no remaining threats. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and details as to the extent of the damage have not been disclosed. According to the fire department’s estimate, the swift action of the sprinkler system and the efficiency of the responding teams curtailed what could have been a much more severe incident, a testament to the importance of fire safety systems in residential buildings.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Salvation Army

A fire at St. Cloud Salvation Army’s emergency shelter forced dozens of people out of the place they were calling home for the holidays.

According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, the fire started around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Fire damage was limited to one room because of the sprinkler system.

Lt. Nathan North of the St. Cloud Salvation Army feels fortunate the fire didn’t spread but says the water damage left most of their space needing full renovations.

“In that moment, it just, it fell off, and my heart sank,” North said about getting the phone call about the fire.

“Unfortunately, our shelter [became] unsafe to be in until we can assess everything,” North said. “So unfortunately, it displaces all of our residents that are here with us.”

That’s around 40 people, many of whom are now with Place of Home Ministries.

“It’s terrible for the people,” Pastor Carol Smith, with Place of Home Ministries, said.

“We were able to get [a floor at] our facility ready that we were not occupying at the moment, miraculously,” Smith said.

She adds pillows, blankets, and bedding would be warmly welcomed and that donations can be dropped off at 511 9th Ave. N. in St. Cloud.

“We’re just trying to provide what we can for support and all that this holiday season,” Smith said.

As for the St. Cloud Salvation Army, North is asking people not to share physical donations with them as they work to clean up their facility. He added that donating to the Salvation Army’s red kettles is the best way to help.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Palmer, MA – Sprinkler system activated for trash fire at food distribution center; No injuries reported

The Palmer Fire Department was sent to Iberia Foods on Saturday for a trash fire.

According to the Palmer Fire Department, at 2:35 p.m., crews were sent to Iberia Foods on Wilbraham Street for a report of the water flow activation. When crews arrived, they found a pallet full of trash in flames directly below an activated sprinkler head.

The sprinkler system successfully kept the fire down and stopped it from spreading. Crews were able to put out the remaining fire. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Palmer Police and Palmer Fire Department. Three Rivers Fire, Bondsville Fire, Monson Fire, and the Palmer Police Department assisted in putting out the fire.

Iberia Foods Crop. is a leading food and beverage distributor in the U.S. Hispanic and Caribbean markets, according to their website.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Ottawa, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hospital; No injuries reported

Police charged an Ottawa man with arson Friday after an early-morning fire inside the Civic Hospital emergency department.

The department remained open and operational throughout the day.

Jean-François Lalonde, 43, was to appear in court Friday to face charges of arson endangering life, arson to property, possessing incendiary materials and breach of probation, the Ottawa Police Service said in a news release.

Police said hospital security had already taken a suspect into custody by the time emergency services responded to the fire at 6:34 a.m. The fire was extinguished by the hospital’s sprinkler system.

The Ottawa Hospital declared a “Code Red” at 6:30 a.m. because of the fire. About 30 patients had to be moved to other areas of the facility, hospital spokesperson Rebecca Abelson said.

A spokesperson for Ottawa Fire Services said a sprinkler head was activated when they arrived and firefighters helped clean up the water.

No staff or patient injuries were reported, Abelson said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cedar City, UT – Sprinkler system activated for trash can fire inside commercial building

Fire officials are highlighting the importance of automatic fire suppression sprinklers after a commercial business building was saved earlier this week.

Cedar City public information officer Gabrielle Costello said a fire started inside a trash can inside the Jones Paint and Glass building located at 38 E. 1600 North at approximately 9:11 p.m. Monday.

Chad Barnes, assistant manager of Jones Paint and Glass and also a full-time firefighter with Cedar City Fire Department, was reportedly notified in both capacities that the facility’s sprinkler system had been activated after hours.

According to a news release issued by Costello on Friday afternoon, Barnes wasn’t on duty with the fire department but arrived alongside on-duty fire crews that evening to find that the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire within 30 seconds of being activated.

Prior to the activation of the sprinklers, the fire and smoke had been building up inside the trash can for approximately four minutes, as seen on the company’s surveillance cameras, the statement added.

“This is a prime example of how a sprinkler system can save a business,” Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said in the news release. “Recovery after a fire can often put a business out for a few days or sometimes forever but there are ways to prevent complete devastation and resume operations soon after.”

Barnes noted that even though the initial cost upfront for a sprinkler system can be costly for small business owners, the benefits are far greater if the sprinkler system is activated and saves the business.

“We are thankful to have resumed normal business operations the very next morning,” Barnes said.

“On behalf of everyone at Jones Paint and Glass, we want to thank the firefighters for their prompt response and the time they spent helping clear the water from the building,” he added.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials said.

Small business owners in Cedar City or Iron County who have questions about fire suppression systems are invited to call the Cedar City Fire Department at 435-586-2964.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Fire forced the evacuation of a hotel Tuesday night.

The Rochester Fire Department says it was called to Candlewood Suites – Rochester Mayo Clinic Area just after 7:30 pm.  Firefighters arrived to find an evacuation underway due to a fire alarm and encountered smoke in a hallway.

The Fire Department says the hotel’s sprinkler system had extinguished flames in a single room.  No one was injured in this incident but the hotel room suffered smoke and water damage.

The Rochester Police Department and the Red Cross assisted at the scene.

The Fire Department responded to this incident with units E16, E5, BC1, E1, E2, E3, T12, and Fire Marshal 4.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire in high-rise apartment; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire in a high-rise apartment in Town Center has displaced one person and damaged several other units in the building.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the 4500 block of Commerce Street in Town Center on Tuesday evening. They arrived at about 8:35 p.m. After unsuccessfully attempting to reset the alarm, further investigation found water flowing from the door of an apartment on the ninth floor.

When they entered, firefighters found an active sprinkler head, fire and smoke in the apartment.

The fire was extinguished at 9:03 p.m. There was also water damage to twelve units below the apartment.

One person has been displaced. No civilians, firefighters or pets were injured.

The cause of the fire was found to be accidental from boxes left on a stove.

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