Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Simmesport, LA – Sprinkler system activates to stop fire in nursing home storage room

“Always on a Sunday.”

That’s what Bayou Chateau Nursing home owner Gerard LaCour could say in a moment of relief following the evacuation of his facility just hours earlier.

Around 6 p.m. Sunday, the nursing home’s sprinkler system and fire alarm were activated after what LaCour said were “problems in a storage room.”

First responders including Simmesport Police and Fire and Acadian Ambulance got to the nursing home and quickly worked to evacuate residents.

According to Acadian’s Twitter account, two patients were moved to other nursing facilities and one was taken to an area hospital.

According to the captain of Simmesport Fire Department and Simmesport City Councilman Jacob Coco, there was no fire damage, but there was water in the building due to the sprinkler system.

He said that much of that water was quickly cleaned up by members of the community who responded to the scene, including the mayor.

Coco said that once the scene was cleared, they were able to bring the residents back to the nursing home.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Sterling, VA – Sprinkler system contains fire at Gold’s Gym following explosion; No injuries reported

Employees of Gold’s Gym in Sterling knew something was wrong when the lights inside the building started flickering on the afternoon of March 21. They evacuated everyone in the building just before there was an explosion and ensuing fire.

The fire was contained by the automatic sprinkler system and no one was injured thanks to gym employees’ quick actions. Still, the explosion and fire left an estimated $500,000 in damages, the Loudoun Fire Marshal’s Office said. The adjacent Marshalls received minor water damage.

The Gold’s facility had been placed on “fire watch” earlier in the day because the gym’s power — including power to the fire alarm system — was down. Knowing the building was having electrical problems is what led staff to recognize the dimming lights as a sign of danger, Gold’s Gym General Manager Daniel Ferrara said in a statement.

An electrical failure of a high voltage line ignited a methane gas leak in the area, which caused the explosion at the gym, said Laura Rinehart of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Fire and Rescue received the call for the fire at 46262 Cranston Street around 4:30 p.m., and responded with crews from Sterling Park, Cascades, Ashburn, Lansdowne, Leesburg and Kincora, along with multiple command officers after the amount of smoke inside the building prompted first responders to request additional resources.

While inside the gym, firefighters found a small fire at the back and structural damage to the walls, so they exited the building in case it collapsed, Rinehart said. Fire Marshal’s Office and fire and rescue officials verified that the wall was not load-bearing, so firefighters re-entered the building, ensured there were no hotspots in walls and cleared out the smoke, she said.

The Fire Marshal has determined that the fire was accidental.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Cleveland, OH – Sprinkler system assists medical center personnel in controlling early morning arson fire

Quick response by personnel at Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland is being credited with dousing a fire set in the emergency department there early Thursday morning.

Cleveland Fire Department Fire Marshal Ben Atchley said the incident occurred just after 3 a.m. Thursday, when a person at the emergency area of the hospital who was there for a psychological evaluation apparently used a lighter to set his stretcher and clothing atop the stretcher on fire. The 62-year-old male had hidden the lighter, and it was undetected when he was being evaluated, Atchley explained.

“When the fire occurred, the sprinkler system went off, the alarm at the hospital went off and the emergency area was evacuated,” the fire marshal explained. “The emergency area was inundated with water and they closed that area, but the emergency department remained in service.”

The fire department responded, and while personnel at the medical facility put the fire out with a portable fire extinguisher, there was still smoke in that area. Fans were set up by the CFD to remove the smoke. No injuries occurred in the fire, and the man remained in psychiatric care. “I have a warrant for him for aggravated arson once he is released from that care, but do not feel comfortable identifying him until that time,” Atchley said.

Atchley said the quick response by security and hospital personnel prevented the fire from becoming a bigger emergency. “They did a great job, and just clicked into another gear,” the fire marshal said. “We responded to the alarm, but found that they had put the fire out, though we were still there to help with removing the smoke from the area.”

He noted that the hospital had continuous training and drills to respond to such incidents. Stephanie Austin, assistant administrator and marketing at Tennova, said she is proud of the work done by staff at the hospital, and appreciates the response from the Cleveland Fire Department.

“No patients were injured,” she confirmed. “There is no fire damage to the area but water damage from the sprinkler system requires some rooms be closed for a short time to be repaired. “We are focused on ensuring the care of our patients is not interrupted, and thank the fire department and our staff for their fast response,” Austin stated.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hibbing, MN – Fire in apartments at mental health center extinguished by sprinkler system

No one was injured during an unoccupied apartment fire at 8:22 a.m. Wednesday at the Perpich Apartments, located at 3110 Fourth Ave. W. The apartments are located on the back of Range Mental Health Center (RMHC) in the former Cobb Cook School.

Hibbing Fire Department (HFD) was dispatched to RMHC due to an automatic fire alarm. While en route, the battalion chief received confirmation of a fire on the third floor of the apartments section of the building, according to an HFD report.

Firefighters arrived on scene within 5 minutes of the call and found a kitchen fire in an apartment. The fire had been mostly extinguished by the building’s automatic sprinkler system. Firefighters finished extinguishing the fire and then proceeded to ventilate the building.

“There was significant fire, smoke and water damage to the affected apartment as well as water damage throughout the building,” stated Fire Marshal Bryan Fagerstrom.  MHC staff is working to accommodate the displaced resident.  Hibbing Police Department assisted at the scene. The Chisholm and Keewatin fire departments had been called but were canceled prior to arrival.  The cause of the fire is under investigation by HFD.

Residential, Single Family Home

Riverside, CA – Early morning house fire isolated to garage by sprinkler system; Family escapes unharmed

The garage of a two-story Riverside home ignited Wednesday morning, March 22.  Riverside firefighters responded to the 9400 block of Newbridge Road about 4:25 a.m. to a smoking garage, according to a news release from the Fire Department.  The home’s sprinkler system kept the fire isolated in the garage, the release said, and firefighters put out the flames. Crews then worked to remove water from the home.  The family of four inside the home made it out safely. Nobody was injured, the release said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fair Lakes, VA – Early morning apartment fire suppressed by sprinkler system; No serious injuries reported

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department on March 14 at 3:07 a.m. dispatched units for a fire alarm sounding in the 12400 block of Hayes Court in Fair Lakes.  Less than a minute after the dispatch, authorities received a 911 call from someone at the address, who stated there was a fire. The department then dispatched additional units to the scene. Units arrived at the three-story garden apartment to find a small fire in a bedroom. The blaze was controlled by the fire sprinkler system and firefighters extinguished the remaining fire.

Three adult occupants received minor, non-life-threatening injuries while attempting to extinguish the blaze before fire personnel arrived. Rescue workers treated all occupants at the scene and none required transportation to an area hospital.

Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated in a bedroom. The fire was caused by an occupant who was smoking in bed and dropped a cigarette onto oxygen tubing, causing a flash fire that ignited bed linens and other combustible items.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Mill Woods, AB, Canada – Activated sprinkler system assist firefighters in containing shopping mall store fire

The Millbourne Market Mall in Mill Woods was forced to close Sunday after a fire in the kitchen of a restaurant. Fire crews responded to Remelies Cuisine in the area of 76 Street and 38 Avenue around 12 p.m. after the sprinkler system activated during a fire.  Firefighters contained the blaze to the kitchen and put it out quickly.  Officials said no one was hurt.  The mall is closed for the rest of Sunday, and the fire is under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sherwood Park, AB, Canada – Grease fire at retirement home controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire at Silver Birch Court last week resulted in the evacuation of 55 people.  During the evening of Thursday, March 16, Strathcona County Emergency Services responded to a fire alarm at Silver Birch Court, located in Sherwood Park and managed by the Heartland Housing Foundation.

As the alarm was triggered by a grease fire in an occupied unit, it was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system until first responders arrived to fully extinguish the fire. The water from the sprinkler flooded all four floors of the east wing of the affordable housing facility, resulting in considerable damage to the suite of origin; however, due to the rapid deployment of the sprinklers and firefighter response, no smoke damage was seen outside the suite of origin.

Strathcona County Victim Services staff, transit buses, RCMP and Enforcement Services provided on-site support for the evacuated residents of Silver Birch Court, and no injuries were reported. As of Friday, March 17, restoration services were on–site and work is being done to have residents return to their suites as soon as possible.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Greenville, DE – Overnight jewelry store fire controlled by sprinkler system

A building fire that caused about $100,000 in damages to the Jewelry Exchange of Delaware in Greenville was deemed accidental, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.  The fire, which happened around 2:30 a.m. at the Greenville Crossing II Shopping Center on Kennett Pike, prompted the response of the Talleyville Fire Company, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio. Investigators determined that the fire started in the back of the store when an electrical malfunction involving a refrigerator sparked the blaze, Chionchio said.  The automatic sprinkler system that contained the fire until firefighters arrived, he said. No one was hurt.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Mt. Juliet, TN – Single sprinkler contains fire at elementary school

Mt. Juliet firefighters extinguished a fire last Sunday morning at Mt. Juliet Elementary School that damaged at least one classroom. Firefighters responded to the school at 2521 W. Division St. at about 8 a.m. According to Mt. Juliet fire officials, the fire started in “hotel-style” heater” that activated one sprinkler head in a classroom, and the school’s sprinkler system contained the fire. Fire damaged the classroom, and four adjoining classrooms suffered water and some smoke damage.

“Something did malfunction, and it did ignite,” said Mt. Juliet fire Chief Jamie Luffman. “There was a significant fire as you can see by that wall over there and it came through the wall.” Luffman said the sprinkler kept the fire contained until firefighters arrived and extinguished the remainder of the fire. The single sprinkler head released a significant amount of water that then leaked into adjoining classrooms, Luffman said. “Obviously this fire was intense for a short period of time,” Luffman said. 

Wilson County Schools spokesperson Jennifer Johnson said in an email clean-up crews responded to the school after firefighters extinguished the fire. Firefighters remained on the scene for several hours. Johnson initially said classes would resume as normal with students returning from spring break Monday, but she later said Monday would be considered a “student holiday” for students. All teachers and staff are expected to report for work as a teacher in-service day to help get the school ready for classes Tuesday.  “We are so grateful to the Mt Juliet Fire Department for their quick response and ability to contain the fire to such a small portion of the school,” Johnson said.

Simple Share Buttons