Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Elkin, NC – Hospital fire caused by portable fan contained by fire suppression system

Many times when firefighters respond to fire alarm calls, they turn out to be false alarms, but that wasn’t the case Monday night as Elkin fire officials arrived on the scene of such a call at Hugh
Chatham Memorial Hospital. One needs no further evidence in recognizing the effectiveness of fire protection systems than what
Elkin firefighters found upon responding to the fire alarm activation at the hospital Monday.  Responders and hospital employees learned that the fixed extinguishing system in the hospital’s server room had extinguished a fire caused by the failure of a portable electric fan.

The Elkin Fire Department was dispatched to the hospital at about 6:02 p.m., with the first fire engine arriving seven minutes thereafter. Firefighters and hospital staff quickly realized the fire alarm was not a false report, and upon investigating found the remnants of the now-melted fan in the otherwise
unaffected facility.

“The hospital can be thankful that their fire alarm and suppression systems worked exactly as intended, prohibiting further damage and ensuring the safety of both staff and occupants,” noted Elkin
Fire Chief Mike Morton. Fire and building codes require that these systems are designed to meet the specific needs of the building and its contents, and periodic maintenance and inspection of these important safety systems also is required to keep them ready in case the worst should occur, according to fire officials.

Morton also pointed out the dangers of specialized fire extinguishing systems are often significant as well. “Rooms like the one where this fire occurred are protected not with typical sprinkler systems that utilize water, but rather with extinguishing agents that displace the oxygen inside the room, smothering the fire,” the fire chief explained. It was thus important for firefighters and hospital staff to work together in returning a sufficient supply of oxygen to the affected area so it would be safe to occupy once more. Firefighters from Arlington Fire and Rescue also assisted in response to the incident as part of the mutual aid agreement between the two organizations.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Fire in shopping mall food court extinguished by sprinkler system

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is investigating the cause of a fire in the food court at City Place early Tuesday morning. Firefighters were called to the City Place mall at 234 Donald Street just before 1:45 a.m.  An official with the fire department said the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire before crews arrived, but there was a lot of smoke that had to be removed from the area.

The food court is open.  Manchu Wok, where the fire appears to have occurred, has cracked glass and smoke damage.  There were no injuries.  There is no damage estimate at this time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Oak Creek, WI – Sprinkler system activates to help limit damage in apartment kitchen fire

Oak Creek police and fire responded to the Oak Shores apartment on Nov. 10 on a report of a fire.  According to the police report, an apartment resident was cooking diner with oil on the stove when the stove caught fire.  Oak Creek fire advised there was no fire damage to anything, however the fire caused the sprinkler system to go off, causing water damage to multiple units.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Lee’s Summit, MO – Early morning fire in semi-conductor manufacturing facility held in check by sprinkler system

The fire originated in the piece of manufacturing equipment. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Residential, Residential High Rise

Chicago, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in low income residential high-rise

Last Friday, fire sprinklers controlled and extinguished a fire in a trash compactor room at the Lawson House YMCA at 30 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. The 24-story residential high-rise, which was built in 1934, is the largest single-room occupancy supportive housing facility in the Midwest with nearly 600 apartment units.

“Some of the residents in the low-income building are formerly homeless, so a fire that could potentially displace them again would be devastating. Fire sprinklers saved the day for the hundreds of people that live there,” says Tom Lia, executive director of the nonprofit Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board.

Lia also notes that the fire sprinkler save is a good reminder to Chicago high-rise building owners that the city’s deadline to retrofit high-rises with fire sprinklers by January 1, 2017, is fast approaching.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Williamsburg, VA – Suspicious overnight fire at Ramada Inn controlled by sprinkler system

Officials in York County say a fire at a Williamsburg hotel is being considered suspicious. The York County Fire Department was dispatched to the Ramada Inn- Williamsburg located at 500 Merrimac Trail at 4:24 a.m.  When crews arrived they found fire in a conference room and two other rooms. The hotel’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading, fire officials said.

The fire was put out quickly and damage was limited to the three rooms. Smoke was found in nearby areas of the hotel. Officials are working to determine the exact cause of the fire, however, at this time the incident is being considered suspicious.  The Williamsburg and James City County fire departments assisted in putting out the flames.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Wheaton, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at public works garage; No injuries reported

No injuries were reported in a small fire Monday night at the Wheaton public works facility that apparently started in the bed of a pickup truck inside the fleet maintenance garage. Firefighters responded at 7 p.m. to the facility at 821 W. Liberty St. and found the fire had been brought under control within minutes by the building’s sprinkler system.

Firefighters spent about 30 minutes at the scene clearing smoke and extinguishing some minor smoldering material. The cause of the fire is undetermined but does not appear to be suspicious. Damage estimates were not immediately available.  The building was turned back over to public works officials after the fire and the building was open for business on Tuesday.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Hopkinton, MA – Suspicious fire in school faculty bathroom extinguished by sprinkler system

State and local authorities are investigating a suspicious bathroom fire at Hopkins School on Monday that forced the school’s evacuation. The fire, located in a second floor faculty bathroom, was extinguished by the school’s sprinkler system, Deputy Fire Chief Bill Miller said on Tuesday.

The Hayden Rowe Street school was evacuated after the sprinkler system activated the fire alarm at 9:09 a.m. Miller said the fire caused minor damage, but there was water damage in the bathroom.

“They discovered a suspicious fire in the second floor bathroom,” Miller said. Miller would not discuss details of the fire, citing the open investigation. According to the Hopkinton Police log, an arson investigator from the state’s Fire Marshal’s Office came to the scene to help investigate.

Miller said school resumed about an hour after the fire and no one was injured. “The school did a phenomenal job of evacuating the students and following all plans and procedures,” Miller said.  Police spokesman Lt. Joseph Bennett said police are continuing to investigate the fire. Bennett would not release much information, citing the fire is still under investigation. Although the bathroom is a faculty bathroom, it was also open to student use.

Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal’s Office, said the cause of the fire has not been determined, but it appears to be intentionally set.

She said school fires are not uncommon. In 2015 there were 149 school fires. The majority of which were cooking related, but many were also set fires.

“Most of them were small,” said Mieth. “Although all fires start small.”

Hopkinton Public School Superintendent Cathy MacLeod said school administrators spent the day going from classroom to classroom explaining what occurred. She said the goal was to both make the students comfortable at the school, as well as to prevent the spread of rumors

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Searsmont, ME – Sawmill fire suppressed with help from sprinkler system; No injuries and minimal damage

Firefighters from several towns responded to Robbins Lumber Co. the afternoon of Nov. 14 for a reported fire in one of the facility’s buildings. Crews from Appleton, Lincolnville, Montville, Morrill and Searsmont responded to the incident, which was reported shortly before 3 p.m. Catherine Robbins-Halsted said the fire started in a sawmill building on the property. The exact cause of the fire is still being determined.  She said there was minor water damage in the building, as well as some damage to wiring. Robbins-Halsted credited the building’s sprinkler system and company employees, as well as local fire departments, with helping to suppress the fire.  No one was injured, she said.  Robbins-Halsted said the company will be open for business tomorrow.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Louisville, KY – Fire at middle school put out by sprinkler system; Fire started in tablet charging station

The de Paul School students have a longer weekend thanks to an overnight fire.  The fire broke out around 7:00 PM Sunday night on a cart that charges tablets.   According to Tony Kemper, head of school, no one was on campus during the fire and only the cart was damaged.   The school’s sprinkler system put out the fire, but water from the sprinklers seeped from the third to first floor.

Class was canceled Monday as a restoration company helped with water cleanup. “There’s no structural damage, just a bit of restoration work they need to get done,” said Kemper.

The de Paul School will be closed Tuesday as cleanup continues. Students should return to class Wednesday.

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