Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Le Mars, IA – Sprinklers contain fire after explosion at manufacturing plant; No injuries

A compressor fire shut down IML Containers in Le Mars Monday afternoon, causing an undetermined amount of damage to the manufacturer of plastic food containers. 

Le Mars fire chief David Schipper said the Le Mars and Orange City fire departments were called at 4:22 p.m. to IML, at 1620 24th St. SW in Le Mars, for a compressor that had caught fire, and what was described as an “explosion” in the building. 

IML employees stood watching as the firefighters went in and out of the building, deploying water hoses and venting the smoke. None of the employees or firefighters were hurt in the fire. 

 

“Everybody did evacuate safely, we did an accountability check, and everybody made it out of the building just fine,” Schipper said. 

The building was damaged to an unknown extent by the heavy smoke, which Schipper said came from burning oil in the compressor. Additionally, electrical and water infrastructure were damaged, and the compressor that caught fire was destroyed. 

“It’s going to be quite a while before this place is back up and in business,” he said. 

Schipper credited the building’s sprinkler system for helping to control the fire. 

“Once again, sprinklers do save a lot, they did contain the fire for us,” he said. 

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Greenville, OH – Sprinkler system keeps flames from spreading in retirement home fire

Authorities say a sprinkler system helped prevent flames from reaching the living quarters during a garage fire at the Brethren Retirement Community’s Chestnut Village Monday night.

The fire departments from Greenville City, Greenville Township and New Madison responded to the structure fire 9:20 p.m. at 888 Chestnut Circle after neighbors saw flames coming from the attached one-car garage.

According to the Greenville Fire Department, the fire was contained to the garage and did not have a chance to damage the inside of the unit or the joining unit to the north.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The contents of the garage including a vehicle were destroyed by flames and water. The homeowner was alerted to the fire by a neighbor. No injuries were reported.

Greenville Township Rescue and the Greenville Police Department also responded to the scene.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Libertyville, IL – (No Media Coverage) Fire at plastics manufacturing plant held in check by single sprinkler

** No Media Coverage – Fire Department Reported ***  Around 1029 hours on Sunday, the Libertyville Fire Department responded to an activated fire alarm at a plastic manufacturing plant. When the first in engine company arrived, the firefighter in the jump seat thought he saw smoke from the building. After accessing the building and alarm room, he crew found the sprinkler bell ringing. After opening a man door into the warehouse they noticed a heavy haze of smoke. At this time the response was upgraded to a structure fire response. The crews made entry via the north side door and found one sprinkler head activated. This sprinkler was controlling a fire that involved a plastic injection molding machine. The crews used one handline to finish extinguishment and mop up. Fire damage was contained to the machine, while other parts of the building sustained smoke and water damage. ***

Apartment Building, Residential

Conroe, TX – Early morning fire at mid-rise apartment building held in check by sprinkler system

Conroe Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Mike Legoudes Jr. credits fire sprinklers for saving The Towers Woodland Apartments and it occupants from a potential disaster early Saturday morning in Conroe. The Conroe Fire Department was notified at 5:26 a.m. of an apartment fire at 366 FM 1488. Firefighters arrived at 5:32 a.m. and reported heavy white smoke coming from the parking garage below Building 12.

“The cause of the smoke was found to be a single vehicle on fire,” information from Legoudes stated. “An aggressive offensive attack was initiated and the fire was quickly extinguished.” The fire was declared under control at 5:35 a.m. All occupants of the building were able to escape and were accounted for with no reported injuries to occupants or firefighters. Needham Road Fire/Rescue and The Woodlands Fire Department assisted.

The involved building consists of a ground-level parking garage with four stories of apartments above, for a total of five stories. The garage area and apartments are fully protected by fire sprinkler and automatic fire alarm systems.  “A single fire sprinkler head activated keeping the fire under control until arrival of firefighters while the automatic fire alarm system alerted occupants of the fire, allowing them to escape unharmed,” the release stated. “The potential for disaster in a residential building of this size, at the time of day the fire occurred, is great.”

Legoudes stressed in the release that the importance of properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler and automatic fire alarm systems cannot be overstated. As a result of the fire sprinkler activation, there was no visible damage to the building and no occupants were displaced, he said. “A properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler system is the single-most effective way of preventing loss of property or life in the event of a residential fire,” he stated. “In this instance, property was definitely saved while lives were very likely saved.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Osage Beach, MO – Electrical fire at resort hotel suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries and minimal damage reported

A worker was repairing an electrical circuit in the laundry area when a short resulted at the junction box where he was working. The power surge jumped to another electrical run which energized a nearby gas line, causing pin holes in the gas line and causing a fire. There was minimal damage resulting from a fire at the Inn at Grand Glaize about 2:07 p.m. Tuesday in Osage Beach.

A worker was repairing an electrical circuit in the laundry area when a short resulted at the junction box where he was working. The power surge jumped to another electrical run which energized a nearby gas line, causing pin holes in the gas line and causing a fire. The fire was held in place and extinguished by a fire sprinkler system.  There were no injuries to either fire personnel or employees.  Responding were fire personnel from Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, Sunrise Beach and Mid County.  Firefighters cleared the scene by 3:30 p.m.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinklers limit damage in fire at auto repair shop; No injuries reported

Las Vegas firefighters battled an auto repair shop fire last Thursday night. Fire officials responded to the Decatur Automotive Center in the 1700 block of N. Decatur Boulevard at 8:31 p.m. after dispatchers received numerous calls that there was an explosion in one of the auto repair shops and smoke was coming from the garage doors.  Officials say the Decatur Automotive Center is a strip mall made up a several automotive repair centers and parts shops.

When fire crews arrived on the scene, they say heavy smoke coming out three bay doors of one of the auto repair shops. Firefighters were able to cut the steel doors and found the business full of smoke. Once the smoke was taken out, two autos were found damaged by the fire. Crews put out hot spots in the two autos, the bulk of the fire was held in check by automatic fire sprinklers.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.  There were six vehicles in the shop during the fire and two autos were damaged.  The business itself was not damaged by the fire. A damage estimate was not immediately available.

There were no injuries during the incident. Fire officials say business was closed at the time. When the fire started, the fire sprinklers activated and held the fire from spreading until firefighters arrived and made sure it was out. If there were no sprinklers, fire investigators say it’s possible the fire would have spread to the other autos and significant damage would have occurred to the business.  It is estimated that several thousands of dollars of property was saved by the sprinklers and downed production time will be minimal to the business.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Bradenton, FL – Overnight fire at assisted living facility extinguished by sprinklers; No injuries reported

City of Bradenton Fire Department responded to a structure fire started by a dryer early Tuesday morning. Around 1:27 a.m., the fire department arrived to the scene of a multi-residential assisted living facility in the 1000 block of 7th Avenue E.  Heavy smoke was coming from the north wing and main hallways. Thankfully, a sprinkler head was controlling the dryer fire in the laundry room, according to firefighters.  By 1:37 a.m., the fire was extinguished.  Damage is estimated to be about $6,000 and no injuries were reported.  The Bradenton Fire Department is investigating the incident.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Fort Worth, TX – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Wal-Mart; Damage limited to one aisle

A 36-year-old man lit a fire at a Wal-Mart in far north Fort Worth last week to create a diversion and steal money, but he “chickened out” and left the store empty-handed, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Gilberto Hernandez was charged with arson this week, accused in a fire at the Wal-Mart in the 2400 block of Avondale Haslet Road on July 3. The fire was contained to one aisle and was extinguished by the store’s sprinkler system.  Hernandez, in an interview with arson investigators, admitted setting the fire, according to an affidavit written by investigator M.B. Sims.

Hernandez said he had been “casing” the Wal-Mart for more than two months and had managed to steal a manager’s set of keys, the affidavit said. On July 3, he went to the store with his wife, who was unaware of his plans to set a fire. At the store, Hernandez grabbed a flammable product from the automotive department, spread it on merchandise in the drapes aisle and started a fire with a cigarette lighter.   At a cash register, he told an employee that he smelled smoke. “He said he made this comment so that someone would put the fire out,” the affidavit said. “He said he couldn’t go through with stealing the money after all.”

Investigators obtained surveillance video of Hernandez walking into the drapes aisle with a container of fuel additive, the affidavit said. Photographs and video of him leaving the store were released to news outlets last week and investigators received numerous tips identifying Hernandez as the suspect.  Fort Worth police initially arrested Hernandez at his home Thursday on an unrelated warrant out of Indiana. He remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $50,000.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Yuma, AZ – Restaurant kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

The Yuma Fire Department said Saturday at about 7:30 am an audible fire alarm was reported going off at the Yuma Palace restaurant, 350 East 32nd Street, by a Yuma Police officer patrolling in the area. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived and confirmed the alarm was signaling water flow to the fire suppression sprinkler system, they also found the smell of smoke coming from the building. The business had not opened for the day and there were no employees on the property.

Firefighters forced entry into the kitchen area finding a sprinkler head was flowing water over the stove area. The water flow was shut down and a fire investigator was called to the scene. It was found that a pot of water had been accidently left heating on the stove top when the business had closed. The water boiled away and the heat ignited material around the cooking surface. The heat from this fire triggered the sprinkler head over that cooking area, stopping the fire spread and extinguishing it.

Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex. Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Hammond, LA – Arson fire at Walmart store contained by sprinkler system

A man is in custody and charged with arson in connection with two fires Saturday afternoon at Northshore Walmart stores. Louisiana State Fire Marshal Chief Butch Browning says 45-year-old Larry Paul Schouest Jr. started the fires at the Hammond and Amite Walmart stores as a distraction after stealing laptop computers from the stores.

Officials say the fires were set in the store’s pool chemical areas, but the sprinkler systems kept the fires from getting out of control. Fire crews evacuated the stores. No one was hurt. Fire marshal deputies say they also obtained a confession from Schouest that he set a fire on June 27 at the Ponchatoula Walmart, where he also stole laptops.  Browning says Schouest was charged with two counts of aggravated arson and six counts of felony theft. He was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish prison.

Simple Share Buttons