Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Fort Worth, TX – No injuries as sprinkler system helps extinguish intentionally-set fire at Walmart distribution center

The Fort Worth Fire Department said a fire at the Walmart Distribution Center on Westport Parkway Friday morning appears to have been intentionally set and is under investigation.

The fire started around 11:10 a.m.The fire department said employees were evacuated as smoke was coming from the building and water was coming out of the sprinkler system.

Soon after firefighters arrived, they called for more units.The fire department said the fire started on a bottom shelf and spread to the second and third shelves.

The sprinklers put out most of the fire and there is now significant water damage to the merchandise.

The Walmart Distribution Center is an open floor plan 8,000 square foot facility.

There are four levels of shelves containing merchandise.

No one was hurt.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Hamden, CT – Sprinkler system holds fire in check at senior apartment complex

More than 40 elderly residents were evacuated during a fire early Friday morning at the Davenport Resident on Putnam Avenue, an eight-story building with 217 apartments that houses mostly senior citizens.

Firefighters responded to the apartment complex, located at 125 Putnam Avenue, at 6:46 a.m. after receiving 911 calls and a report from the fire-alarm company that services the property, according to Deputy Chief Gary Merwede.

The first-arriving crews found multiple elderly residents were in the process of evacuating the building and required assistance. The fire was determined to be in a third-floor apartment, according to Merwede.

Merwede said that several residents were physically carried from stairwells by firefighters.Incident Commander Ronald Desroches called for a second alarm and all remaining Hamden Fire companies were dispatched to the scene and the fire was under control at approximately 7:25 a.m., according to Merwede.

“American Medical Response was asked to set-up a triage center in the adjoining 135 Putnam Dunbar Residence,” Merwede said in a press release. “AMR paramedics triaged more than 40 elderly residents, with one elderly female patient requiring transport for exposure to smoke and cold temperatures. The Hamden CERT Team was activated and assisted with displaced residents during operations. Several disabled residents were protected in place in apartments or designated areas of refuge by firefighters above the fire floor.

“The fire was contained to the room of origin. Companies worked to ventilate smoke, carbon monoxide and the other products of combustion on floors 3 – 8. The ventilation operation took more than an hour following suppression. After firefighters metered for a safe atmosphere, residents were escorted back to their apartments by Hamden CERT.”

Merwede said the building’s sprinkler system held the fire in check and allowed firefighters to stop the fire from spreading to additional floors and apartments.

“The fire-alarm system performed according to design and alerted the occupant of the fire apartment and all building residents of the emergency,” Merwede said. “Due to these fire protection systems, the resident in 313 and others on the fire floor were able to make it to the stairwell and either self-evacuate or await assistance from firefighters.”

Deputy Fire Marshal Tim Lunn determined that the fire was most likely caused by an overheated extension cord.

The management of the Davenport Residence is relocating any resident displaced by this emergency due to fire, water or smoke damage to vacant apartments elsewhere in the complex, according to Merwede.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Battle Creek, MI – Early morning fire in shopping cart storage area at Meijer store extinguished by sprinkler system

The Meijer Inc. store in Battle Creek has reopened after an evacuation and fire early Monday. Battle Creek firefighters were called to 2191 W. Columbia Ave. at 2:17 a.m. for a structure fire, according to Battalion Chief Matt Beauchamp.  He said when the first firefighters arrived they found smoke in the northwest corner of the building where shopping carts were stored.

“There was a decent amount of smoke,” Beauchamp said. He said a sprinkler had activated in the cart storage area and had extinguished the fire. “The sprinklers kept it in check,” Beauchamp said. Store employees, firefighters and Battle Creek police searched the building several times and evacuated everyone inside. No injuries were reported. Beauchamp said the fire appears to originated in an electric cart  stored with other shopping carts.

He said maintenance crews from the store were called to ensure the fire alarm and sprinkler system were functioning properly and the Calhoun County Health Department was notified because of the perishable food in the building. The health department inspected the store and determined it could be opened, firefighters said later Monday morning.  Firefighters left the scene about 4 a.m. They estimated damage at $3,000.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Glenwood, MN – Fire at high school limited to one room by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire sprinklers did their job at the Minnewaska High School Thursday night and helped contain a fire to a science room.

“Damage is fairly minor,” said Superintendent Greg Schmidt. “We’re thankful it was limited to one room and no one was hurt.”

Most of the damage was caused by smoke and water in the east academic wing of the one-story building, which houses the district’s 4-12 graders.

As a precaution to prevent students and staff from experiencing physical problems from the lingering smoke, all the classes were cancelled Friday in the district.

“It made a lot of sense to keep kids out of the building,” Schmidt said.

According to Starbuck Fire Chief Todd Johnshoy, a call at around 8:20 p.m. from a custodian at the school, as well as an automatic fire alarm, brought the Pope County Sheriff’s Department and fire departments from Starbuck and Glenwood to the scene.

When crews arrived flames were visible in the science lab but were quickly extinguished, Johnshoy said.

“The fire sprinkler system suppressed it and we went in and mopped up,” Johnshoy said. “Without the sprinklers there would’ve been a lot more damage.”

Schmidt said it appears the fire was contained to a work station cabinet in the science room and the ceiling tiles above it.

Johnshoy said the water damage was contained to a couple classrooms.

“The biggest problem is the smoke,” Johnshoy said. “Once you open up a building like that, it went through the hallways.Johnshoy said the cause of the fire was “undetermined” at this time and that a Fire Marshall was on the scene until about midnight investigating the blaze.

Schmidt said possible causes of the fire are suspected but he didn’t not want to comment until the Fire Marshall’s report was completed.

Schmidt praised the firefighters and law enforcement for their quick response and for getting the smoke out of the building.

The district’s insurance agent was expected to be on the scene Friday. Schmidt said he didn’t think the financial cost for the cleanup and repairs would be significant. “But certainly it’s a little disconcerting it happened.”

He said it’s expected that classes will resume Monday.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Orting, WA – Sprinkler system help limit damage in early morning fire at high school

All four schools in the Orting School District are on a two-hour delay after fire crews in Pierce County responded to a roof fire at Orting High School Thursday morning. The first call came in shortly after 4:30 a.m. By 5:30 a.m. crews had the fire out. According to the school district’s website, the fire started in a maintenance area above the boys locker room at the gymnasium. Sprinklers went off and contained the fire. It involved the HVAC system. No one was hurt.

“Right now we’re just having crews do an overhaul and waiting for the Fire Marshall to do their investigation,” Orting Valley Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Zane Gibson said. “Both Graham, Central Pierce, and East Pierce Fire and Rescue responded.”  Only the locker room has some water damage. “Sprinkler systems work, they did their job, and kept the fire very small,” Gibson said.  There is no financial estimate on the damage caused by the fire. The gymnasium is in a separate building on the same property as the high school. No classrooms were affected by the fire.

Other Business

Barrie, ON, Canada – Fire at UPS facility extinguished by single sprinkler

A single sprinkler did the trick, putting out a fire that started in a delivery truck inside the UPS building on Welham Road in Barrie, around four this morning. The fire department was called after employees failed to extinguish the flames.  By the time fire crews got there, the sprinkler had done its job, preventing what could have been a much larger blaze.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Riverton, WY – Sprinklers limit spread of fire at school bus garage; Only one bus damaged

Riverton’s bus barn caught fire canceling all bus routes this morning. The fire was reported at 7:00 pm Monday night.   Only one bus caught fire, the other thirty buses were saved by the sprinkler system installed just two years ago.  Buses in the barn are parked inches from each other so the Superintendent of Riverton’s School District said only losing one bus, was amazing.

Right now, bus drivers are cleaning the remaining buses of soot and smoke damage. The actual bus barn structure suffered some damage but was also saved from being a total loss by the sprinkler system.

Riverton schools continued to operate; all children unable to get to school because of the fire will be excused. There is no set timetable for when the buses will resume their regular routes.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Montville, CT – Overnight fire at packaging manufacturer limited by sprinkler system

An overnight fire at Rand-Whitney Containerboard caused minimal damage and no injuries despite extreme cold, according to Fire Marshal Ray Occhialini.  Occhialini said firefighters were called to the 370 Route 163 company about 1 a.m. after a machine that rolls and cuts the company’s cardboard liner paper malfunctioned, causing the paper to tangle and catch fire.

Occhialini said sprinklers in the building, which he described as the complex’s newer, paper machine building, held the fire “in check” until crews arrived to put it out completely.  He estimated firefighters spent about two hours working inside the building and then another hour or so cleaning up ice-laden equipment and spreading ice melt around the area.

“It was a cold night,” Occhialini said.  No firefighters or employees were injured. Rand-Whitney already has arranged for a company to replace sprinkler heads and has begun replacing electrical components damaged by flames or water, Occhialini said.

College/University (on campus), School / University

West Lafayette, IN – Fire in Purdue University laboratory extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Purdue firefighters rushed to Wetherill Hall on Oval Drive about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of a fire, which was extinguished within minutes after the fire department arrived.

Purdue fire Capt. Shane Jones said the fire caused moderate damage, which was contained to the fire hood area in the second-floor laboratory. The fire activated the sprinkler system, so there also was some water damage in the area.

The facility was evacuated when the alarm went off, and people were directed to the nearby Stewart Center and Purdue Memorial Union, Jones said.  Building services staff assisted in the clean up, and people were allowed back into the building about 2:15 p.m. However, the room where the fire  happened and the room directly below it remained closed, Jones said.

 

Other - Retail, Retail

Lexington, KY – Fire at thrift and antique mall held in check by sprinkler system

Lexington firefighters are trying to determine what caused a small fire at the Peddler’s Mall on New Circle Road Monday evening.  The fire started in one or two booths at the back of the building. There were no injuries and it’s not clear how much damage was sustained, said Maj. C.J. Haunz. 

The fire started after 7:30 p.m. Haunz said the mall — which has individual booths that sell antiques and other goods — had a sprinkler system that kept the fire in the back of the building. Fire crews were able to contain the fire quickly, he said.

Crews were on the scene for a few hours on Monday night. The Peddler’s Mall on East New Circle Road has more than 700 booths, according to the Peddler’s Mall Facebook page. According to the Fayette County Property Value Administrator web site, the building was built in 1964.

 

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