Government/Military, Prison / Jail Gadsden, AL – Detention center sprinkler system helps stop fire allegedly set by ICE detainee May 31, 2017 viking210 An investigation is underway after an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainee reportedly set a fire inside a maximum-security unit at the Etowah County Detention Center. According to the Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin, the fire was reported around 7:43 a.m. Friday in Unit 3. A detainee allegedly sparked a fire inside the common area of the unit, then set his mattress on fire inside his cell. The fire activated the sprinkler system inside the unit. Entrekin says the detainee, along with four others, were outside their cells on free time when it happened. The detainees involved are reported to be from the Middle East and Asia. “All inmates and detainees are accounted for inside the detention center. This was an isolated incident inside Unit 3 and no other units were ever in danger during the event. At this time, there is no need to evacuate any inmates or detainees to other facilities,” a press release emailed to media said. “There are no serious injuries to anyone inside the facility. Inmates who have complained with breathing issues received immediate medical attention and have been returned back to their unit. All Sheriff’s Office employees have also been checked and cleared by medical personnel.” Sheriff Entrekin said in the release: “I want to personally thank the Gadsden Fire Department for their quick and professional response. They did an excellent job in containing the fire. Words cannot express my appreciation and gratitude to the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, especially those inside the detention center. The detention deputies acted quickly to ensure the safety of all inside Unit 3. Their noble actions saved lives today.”
Apartment Building, Residential Oklahoma City, OK – Firefighters say sprinkler system helped halt apartment fire; woman and child safely evacuated May 30, 2017 viking210 Firefighters say a sprinkler system at an apartment complex helped put out a potentially dangerous fire. Fire crews were called to the scene around 3 a.m. near I-240 and Penn. Officials say a woman called saying her door was on fire and that her and her daughter were trapped inside. OKCFD crews say the sprinkler system put out that fire and crews were able to rescue the woman and the child. Multiple apartments in the complex were evacuated. There were no injuries to report. Right now, the fire is considered suspicious and arson investigators were on-scene.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing Rockford, IL – No injuries reported as sprinkler system keeps fire under control at fabricating company May 30, 2017 viking210 No one was reported injured after a fire broke out overnight at the Comet Fabricating and Welding building in Rockford, according to fire officials. Firefighters were called at 12:07 a.m. today to the building at 5620 Falcon Road after a fire sparked inside, according to the Rockford Fire Department. The first fire crews reportedly found that the building’s sprinkler system had kept the fire under control until firefighters could extinguish it. The building was closed at the time the fire broke out and no one was inside. When the sprinkler system went off, it triggered an alarm, Fire District Chief Tracy Renfro said, which summoned firefighters. The cause of the fire is being investigated but is considered accidental. Renfro said the fire was “most likely electrical” and began in a wooden enclosure in the northeast corner of the building. It occurred in a 10-foot by 10-foot area, he said. Damage was estimated at $25,000. Renfro said Comet Fabricating was open today.
Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Hinton, WV – No injuries in senior apartment fire controlled with help from sprinkler system May 29, 2017 viking210 Fire departments in Summers County responded to a fire Monday afternoon at Hinton House Apartments on Stokes Drive. Steve Pack, Assistant Fire Chief of Hinton Fire Department, said the fire erupted in a kitchen on the fifth floor of the building, and is believed to have started because of an issue with an electric stove. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating. When the sprinkler system kicked on and put out the fire, it caused flooding to the lower floors along with residents’ carpet, ceilings and several other areas throughout the building. Many residents were able to be housed with friends and family, but the local senior citizen center has been housing residents as well. Red Cross has been providing those affected by the fire with blankets, food and cots. Stephanie Elkins, property manager for the Hinton House, said they are hoping to open up the half of the building that was not damaged, but inspections are still being completed. “I wish I could bring all of these people home tomorrow, but sadly I am still unsure of when I will be able to do that,” said Elkins. Officials are working on reopening Hinton House, but it may be a substantial amount of time before the whole residence opens up its doors again. A time frame is still unknown.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill La Grande, OR – Early morning sawmill fire contained with help from sprinkler system May 29, 2017 viking210 A fire was reported at Boise Cascade’s Mt. Emily plant at 1917 Jackson Ave. in La Grande about 4:45 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which kept firefighters busy until about 7 a.m., according to Larry Wooldridge, chief of the La Grande Rural Fire Department. The fire originated in some wood stored inside a Boise Cascade building and caused no structural damage, Wooldridge said. Four fire departments responded to the blaze: the La Grande, La Grande Rural, Imbler and Union fire departments. The firefighters were aided by an automatic sprinkler system at Boise Cascade, which was running when they arrived. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Apartment Building, Residential Arlington, VA – Apartment fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries May 24, 2017 viking210 Arlington County firefighters are on scene of an apartment fire in the Long Bridge Creek neighborhood. The fire was reported in the bedroom of an apartment on the 2600 block of S. Veitch Street around 8:45 a.m. It was extinguished within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving on scene, before it could spread to other apartments. No injuries were reported. Scanner traffic suggests the building’s sprinkler system was activated by the fire. The fire marshal’s office is now investigating the cause of the blaze.
Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail Huntersville, NC – Suspicious fire at Target store contained with help from sprinkler system May 23, 2017 viking210 Investigators are considering the Target on Sam Furr Road in Huntersville to be a crime scene as they determine whether a fire Monday inside the store was set intentionally. The Mecklenburg County fire marshal revealed Tuesday that the fire was discovered in the paper product aisle of the store. “It was already barreling up like past my height when I saw it,” Erin Soloman said. Soloman called 911 after seeing the fire in the middle of a shopping aisle, and said she immediately knew it was suspicious. “I saw the toilet paper and paper towels on fire,” Soloman said. The Mecklenburg County fire marshal and Huntersville police are handling the investigation. They have not confirmed how the fire was started. As many as 36 firefighters from multiple agencies responded on the ground and on the roof, and extinguished the fire within 45 minutes. The fire was contained to the paper product aisle, but there is extensive smoke, soot and odor damage throughout the store, as well as water damage from the fire sprinkler system, according to the Mecklenburg County fire marshal. “We’re looking at a lot of damage inside that building,” said Bill Suthard, spokesman for the Huntersville Fire Department. Three customers and one employee were treated for smoke inhalation, but no one was seriously hurt. “It definitely started getting hard to breathe and I even started to feel it in my eyes,” Jarrod Bennett said. While many shoppers describe the fire and emergency response as somewhat inconvenient, they’re thankful no one was hurt. “It would’ve been a much more unfortunate situation,” Soloman said. Target released a statement on Tuesday regarding the fire: On Monday, the fire and police departments responded to a fire at our Huntersville Target store. At Target, the safety and security of our guests and team members is of the utmost important to us. We worked to quickly evacuate the store and provide medical treatment to a handful of guests and team members who needed it. At this time, the store remains closed as we assess the damage and determine when the store might reopen. This is an active investigation and we encourage you to contact local law enforcement with additional questions.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Burley, ID – Arson fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system May 22, 2017 viking210 A student is suspected of lighting a roll of toilet paper and some paper towels on fire Friday damaging a bathroom and temporarily evacuating White Pine Intermediate School. “The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system,” Debbie Critchfield, spokeswoman for the district said. An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Burley Fire Department and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office. The fire was started around 9 a.m. in the fourth-grade wing in the boys’ bathroom. “They have a suspect,” Critchfield said. The fire department was called to the school and the firefighters made sure the blaze was extinguished. The firefighters then reset the sprinkler system, which meant the fire system was down for about an hour at the school. Students were returned to their classrooms, except for the two classes that were affected by the cleanup, Principal Matt Seely said in a text message to parents Friday. Those students were supervised by their teachers in the gym. There is fire damage in the restroom and water damage in the hallway and in a classroom directly across the hall from the bathroom. When the water is dried, maintenance will determine what repairs need to be made, Critchfield said.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential De Soto, MO – Overnight fire at residential care facility extinguished by sprinkler system May 21, 2017 viking210 A small fire Wednesday night (May 17) at the Villas residential care facility in De Soto led to the evacuation of about 35 residents, the De Soto Fire Department reported. At 11:32 p.m., the fire department got a call about an alarm sounding at the facility, 1550 Villa Drive, Fire Chief Craig Block said. When firefighters arrived at 11:40 p.m., they found light smoke showing in the building, he said. “Upon further investigation, they found there was a fire in a storage room, but the sprinkler system had put it out,” Block said. “We have an updated sprinkler system and a current digital alarm,” said Beverly Rector, administrator for the Villas. Because of the fire and smoke, a second alarm was struck and firefighters from the De Soto Rural, Hematite, Hillsboro, Festus and R-7 fire protection districts responded to the scene and helped with the evacuation. They also were joined by emergency medical personnel from Valle, North Jefferson, Joachim-Plattin and Rock Township ambulance districts, Block said. Rector said people were already being evacuated when emergency responders arrived at the facility. “We evacuated the entire campus to safe zones on the property,” she said. Residents were evacuated to the parking lot of the facility. Meanwhile, firefighters ventilated the building to remove the smoke, Block said. One patient, who complained about being injured during the evacuation, was transported to an area hospital, Block said. The state Fire Marshal’s Office was called in and determined the fire was accidental, Block said. “We still don’t have a report on the cause of the fire,” he said. Residents were back in their rooms at about 12:45 a.m., Block said. He said safeguards in the building stopped the situation from becoming worse. “Luckily, the sprinkler system did its job,” Block said. Rector said staff at the Villas were grateful to the emergency responders. “The fire department and EMS should be commended,” she said. “They have our gratitude. They were quick and helpful and efficient in the process.”
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Chantilly, VA – Early morning fire in middle school classroom extinguished by sprinkler system May 20, 2017 viking210 At 2:00 a.m., Monday, May 17th, Fire and Rescue crews from Dulles South were dispatched for a fire alarm at J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, located at 26020 Ticonderoga Road. Firefighters arrived to find an active fire alarm and the presence of smoke inside the building. A full structure fire assignment, to include units from Brambleton, Fairfax County, and Dulles Airport, were dispatched to assist. Firefighters located a small fire in a classroom which had been extinguished by an automatic fire sprinkler system. Fire department personnel remained on scene to ensure the extinguished material was removed, the utilities were secured and that the building was adequately ventilated. Once deemed safe, the building was turned over to Loudoun County Public Schools representatives. The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation and determined the fire was accidental and estimated damages at $5,000. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. One pet reptile was removed from the room of origin and turned over to school staff for care. This incident is a prime example of the positive impact of a fire protection alarm and automatic sprinkler system. A small fire in a classroom triggered the school’s monitored fire alarm system, which alerted firefighters, while the fire was quickly contained and extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system. The damages to the building were minimized by the sprinkler system, allowing the school to remain open with little impact to the community and its students. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Officials continue to tout the importance of automatic fire sprinkler systems and their safety benefits. For more information on fire prevention activities and education in Loudoun County, visit www.loudoun.gov/firemarshal or call 703-737-8600.
