Other Business, Place of Worship

Bartlett, IL – Sprinkler system holds fire in check, protecting suburban landmark BAPS Cultural Center

A fire that started in a large commercial dryer at the BAPS Cultural Center in Bartlett last week was held in place by a sprinkler until fire crews arrived, preventing the possible loss of a suburban landmark, authorities say.

Occupants of the building at 1851 S. Route 59 were quickly notified to evacuate by the fire alarm system at 9:39 p.m. Jan. 3, Damage was limited to the dryer and smoke damage to the immediate area around it.”

The building where the fire occurred is very large and unique,” Bartlett Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Falese said. “Without a fire sprinkler system, this could have been a very significant fire with millions of dollars of damage and a loss of a landmark facility.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Fayetteville, NC – Arson fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

Residents of a building in West Park Apartments in Fayetteville were evacuated about 9 a.m. Sunday after one of their neighbors threatened to kill himself by setting his apartment on fire, authorities said. The Fayetteville Fire Department said a small fire was set but quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system.  The Police Department said the man was taken into emergency custody for a mental evaluation. The Police Department had no record that a fire was set.  West Park Apartments is off Raeford Road on Laneridge Way and Fountain Grove Loop in western Fayetteville.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Redmond, OR – Downed power line causes fire at wood products business; Sprinklers contain blaze

A downed power line fell onto a roof at Redmond’s Bright Wood Corp., sparking a fire in an electrical box Sunday morning, officials said. A sprinkler system contained the blaze until power was shut off, but damage and expected repair costs still totaled an estimated $400,000. Redmond fire crews were called out around 10:20 a.m. to the Bright Wood mill at 630 Southeast First Street, said Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.  Firefighters arrived to find the downed power lines and a fire in an electrical box in a mill building, Cooper said.  The sprinkler system activated and contained the fire until Pacific Power could shut off electricity to the area, she added.  Fire crews then ventilated the building to remove smoke and ensure the blaze was extinguished.  The fire marshal said the cause of the downed power line was not known, though freezing rain had been reported in the area.

Office Building, Retail

Las Vegas, NV – Restroom fire at mixed-use retail and office center extinguished by sprinkler system

An automatic fire sprinkler put out a small fire in a restroom this afternoon at Tivoli Village, according to a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue news release. Firefighters were called to the complex at 302 S. Rampart Boulevard near Alta Drive just before 5:15 p.m. When they arrived, smoke was coming out an outside restroom. Firefighters found where the fire occurred and confirmed it was already extinguished by the fire sprinkler.  Firefighters assisted with shutting the water off and cleaning up the area.  The only item that burned was the motorized paper towel dispenser. Damage was estimated at $250. The restroom is outside near an outside playground area.  The incident remains under investigation by Las Vegas Arson Investigators. There were no reported injuries during the incident.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

New Haven, CT – Electrical fire at Marriott near Yale University knocked down by sprinkler system

New Haven Fire Department is on the scene of a fire at the Marriott on Whalley Ave. New Haven Fire Department sent out tweets around 2:00 p.m. Saturday saying there was a reported fire at the Courtyard New Haven at Yale on the 5th floor.  According to officials, the fire was an electrical fire with heavy smoke.  They say it was knocked down by a sprinkler and contained quickly.  New Haven Fire Officials are on the scene conducting an investigation.  Officials at the hotel say there was a brief evacuation, but guests are being allowed back into the hotel.

Apartment Building, Residential

Richmond, VA – No injuries reported in early morning apartment fire contained with help from sprinkler system

Residents in a downtown Richmond apartment building were evacuated shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday after a report that a couch had caught fire in one of the units.  The fire was reported in the Broadway Apartments, located above the Walgreens in the 300 block of East Broad Street, at 4:33 a.m. Saturday. The first crews were on scene about six minutes later, officials said.

Firefighters did not find a fire when they arrived, but the first and second floors were heavily enveloped by smoke, prompting the evacuation, said Lt. Chris Armstrong, spokesman for the fire department. A sprinkler system had activated in one of the apartments, he said.  The incident was marked under control at 4:53 a.m. after crews checked on all the residents.  No injuries were reported.

Residential, Single Family Home

Westminster, CO – Home fire sprinkler system extinguishes fire in three-story residence

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Westminster fire crews are giving to warning to all home owners after a three story home was saved by an in home fire sprinkler system. The fire department say a family heard their smoke alarm go off as well as ‘pop’ sound Friday evening. That pop was from their home sprinkler system being activated. The residents went to the garage to find a fire in a trash can. Before fire crews arrived, the sprinkler system has contained and extinguished the flames. 

Fire crews says this is a valuable demonstration on the effectiveness of home fire sprinkler systems. They say according to the National Fire Protection Association, in-home fire sprinklers can cut the risk of death in a fire by 80 percent. The risk of death in a home fire is cut in third with the use of a working smoke alarm. 

 “Because fire sprinklers react so quickly, they can dramatically reduce the heat, flames, and smoke produced in a fire,” says the NFPA. “Properly installed and maintained fire sprinklers help save lives.”  With home fire sprinkler systems only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly onto the fire.  The system may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take for the fire department to arrive to the scene. 

NFPA has listed facts about home fire sprinklers at http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/fire-and-life-safety-equipment/home-fire-sprinklers.

Apartment Building, Residential

North Stafford, VA – Apartment complex fire held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire in a North Stafford apartment complex Friday afternoon damaged three apartments, but no one was injured.  Stafford County firefighters responded to an apartment building on Minuteman Circle shortly before 2:45 p.m. and found a fire on the patio of a ground-floor unit that had spread into the apartment and to the balconies of the two units directly above, according to a news release from Stafford Fire and Rescue.  The building’s sprinkler system held the fire in check until firefighters could extinguish it.

 The three damaged units at Stonegate Apartments were deemed uninhabitable, displacing 10 adults and five children who were relocated to other facilities.    The fire caused an estimated $75,000 in property damage and $10,000 in damage to building contents.

The sprinkler system and a quick attack by firefighters is credited for saving $1.9 million in property and contents.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Weaverville, NC – Warehouse fire contained by quick response of sprinkler system; firefighters

Fire officials are trying to determine what caused a fire to break out at the Thermo Fisher warehouse near Weaverville.  Crews were dispatched to the scene around 1 p.m. Wednesday.  The chief credits the warehouse’s sprinkler system and fire crew’s quick response for the minimal damage to the building.  However, he said there is extensive damage to products that were inside. There were no reported injuries.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Medford, OR – Fire at commercial laundry business contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters battled both fire and ice Thursday night in northwest Medford when they responded at 8:50 to a blaze at Alsco Inc., 980 Ellen Ave. The building, a commercial laundry facility, sustained “moderate smoke damage,” with no visible damage to the structure, according to an agency Facebook post. An investigation showed the fire ignited in a large dryer that had been filled with mop heads and other textiles. The materials were left in the dryer by accident, fire officials said, likely leading them to smolder, ignite, then spread to some nearby linen bags. Alarms in the building began to sound and the facility’s sprinkler system kicked on.  Fire crews initially responded to the scene with four engines, but quickly upgraded the response to a second alarm because of the amount of smoke and the fire’s location deep in the building.

“Second alarm is actually used for resource improvement,” said Medford Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Erin Sawall. “It could be for any myriad of needs.” Six engines from Medford Fire-Rescue and Jackson County Fire District No. 3 responded, tangling with ice outside while they fought the fire inside. Thursday night’s low temperature in Medford dipped to 18 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, turning the roads outside into a skating rink for firefighters while they prepared hoses.  “It was a very icy scene,” Sawall said. “Crews operated in a pretty dangerous atmosphere.”  Crews deployed salt to help. One firefighter did slip, Sawall said, but he wasn’t seriously injured. No other injuries were reported. Firefighters had the flames extinguished within a half hour, but spent almost three more hours on scene venting the buildup of smoke.  Fire officials said the building’s sprinkler system was a big help in snuffing the flames.  “It had some serious potential,” Sawall said. “Under these conditions, that’s the best we can hope for.”

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