Residential, Single Family Home

Riverside, CA – House fire caused by short-circuited microwave oven controlled by sprinkler system

A microwave oven short-circuited, igniting a nighttime kitchen fire that displaced four Riverside residents and caused $4,000 damage to their home, city fire officials say. The blaze was reported at 9:49 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, along the 6400 block of Logan Court, just north of Arlington Avenue and about a mile southwest of Riverside Muncipal Airport.

“The home’s sprinkler system kept the fire contained to the kitchen,” Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said in a written statement. The crews of two fire engines and two ladder trucks fully extinguished the flames by 11:16 p.m. No one was hurt. American Red Cross volunteers were summoned to help shelter the residents until water and electrical service can be restored to the house.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

New London, CT – Evening fire at elementary school confined to one classroom by sprinkler system

A fire at the Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School has been knocked down, according to New London Fire Chief Henry Kydd Jr. The fire, which began about 9 p.m. Friday evening, caused the sprinkler system to go off and was confined to one classroom, the chief said. There were no injuries reported.

Two custodians, who heard the fire alarm go off and evacuated, said they were the only people in the school at the time. Superintendent Manuel J. Rivera, at the scene, said school officials will need to assess the scene when firefighters finish their work to see how it will impact operations. However, with the long weekend, he said they are optimistic that building staff will be able to get the school in shape for the return of students on Tuesday. No further information was available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lexington, KY – Fire at Clarion Hotel contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire led to an evacuation of a Lexington Hotel Friday evening. It happened around 10 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel on Athens-Boonesboro Road, near Interstate 75. Firefighters say the fire started around the pool and fitness area, but the sprinkler system kept it from spreading too far.

Firefighters say it caused minimal damage to the building. The hotel was evacuated but guests were allowed back inside shortly after. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Jersey City, NJ – Fire in compactor shaft at high-rise apartment building put out with help from sprinkler system

Jersey City firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at a residential building in the Newport section of the city Thursday night, an official said.  The fire began in the compactor shaft on the first floor of Parkside West — a high-rise apartment building on Newport Parkway — shortly before 11:45 p.m., Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

The sprinkler in the shaft activated to help extinguish the fire, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill added. The residents on the first and second floor evacuated the building, but there were no injuries and the fire was brought under control in about 20
minutes. All tenants returned to their apartments, Morrill said.

The fire reached a second alarm because the building is a high-rise, Morrill said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hagerstown, MD – Kitchen fire at new apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire that broke out at the Reserve at Collegiate Acres apartment complex in Hagerstown Thursday afternoon could have been much worse if not for the building’s second-floor sprinkler system.

Firefighters from the city and Maugansville responded to the apartment complex on Buckeye Circle at 4:45 p.m. to find the fire-alarm system activated and occupants evacuating the building, according to a Hagerstown Fire Department news release.

Residents reported a fire in the second-floor kitchen apartment, which had been extinguished by the sprinklers. Firefighters verified that the fire was out, shut off the sprinklers and worked to contain the remaining water, the release said.

“This new 28-unit apartment building would most likely have suffered significant damage, displacing much or all of the occupants without the fire sprinkler system,” city Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven said in the release.

“We have had too many large fires recently in the area. Today, we saw the importance of working smoke alarms, which activated alerting the apartment occupants of the fire; the fire sprinkler system, which extinguished a growing fire in the apartment; and the buildings fire alarm that alerted others within the building and notified the fire department,” he said.

The fire marshal’s investigation determined that a pot of grease on the stove caught fire, spreading into the exhaust fan and the above cabinets, the release said.

The occupants of the apartment found the burning pot and attempted to remove it, which activated the sprinklers, the release said.

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Columbia, MO – Fire at Boone County Jail kept in check by sprinkler; No injuries

A fire that broke out in a commercial dryer Monday night at the Boone County Jail was ruled accidental and caused by bedding materials that overheated in the unit.

Crews from the Columbia Fire Department and Boone County Fire Protection District were sent to the jail, 2121 County Drive, at 10:54 p.m. Monday and found neither smoke nor fire visible from the outside, according to a news release.

Fire district personnel arrived first and were taken to the laundry area, where there was light smoke and fire coming from the unit. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. One sprinkler activated before crews arrived, helping contain the fire to the single unit, the release said.

No injuries were reported.

Boone County sheriff’s Detective Tom O’Sullivan said the dryer is a loss, and damage to it and some light smoke damage in the building is estimated to cost about $6,000. The dryer was left on too long, and the heat setting was too high, he said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Durango, CO – Sprinkler system helps knock down fire at historic bar

El Moro, a popular downtown bar and eatery, filled with smoke early Wednesday, activating the sprinkler system and closing the 900 block of Main Avenue. (BLOG NOTE: Smoke does not cause a sprinkler system such as this to activate.  Only the substantial heat from a fire will activate a sprinkler).

The fire was reported at 7:11 a.m. at 945 Main Ave. The fire had been mostly knocked down as of 8 a.m., said Karola Hanks, fire marshal with the Durango Fire Protection District.

El Moro was named one of the 12 historic bars to visit in Colorado by The Gazette.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

San Diego, CA – Sprinklers help contain kitchen fire at Chinese restaurant; No injuries

A kitchen fire damaged a Chinese restaurant in Rancho Bernardo Tuesday afternoon and prompted evacuations of the eatery and several adjacent businesses.

The non-injury blaze erupted about 3:45 p.m. at Chef Chin, 11828 Rancho Bernardo Road, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Aided by built-in sprinklers, firefighters were able to contain the flames to the kitchen, attic and roof of the restaurant and had them under control within 35 minutes, SDFRD spokesman Lee Swanson said.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Salina, KS – Sprinkler system helps put out fire at Advance Auto Parts distribution center

Advance Auto Parts Distribution Center, 3633 S. Ninth, was temporarily shut down Tuesday afternoon after a fire that started when a 5-pound bucket of solvent on a pallet dropped from a forklift.

The fire was reported shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Saline County Undersheriff Roger Soldan said there was no damage estimate, but the north side of the building sustained fire, smoke and water damage.

Firefighters from Saline County Rural Fire District No. 2 responded to the fire. Soldan said the building’s fire suppression sprinkler system also activated.

The distribution center was in operation Wednesday.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Boca Raton, FL – Single sprinkler puts out garbage bin fire at warehouse; No injuries

A fire melted two garbage cans and caused some damage to a Boca Raton warehouse Thursday morning, a city fire official said.

Firefighters responded shortly before 11 a.m. to a fire alarm at 1181 South Rogers Circle, south of Clint Moore Road and east of Congress Avenue. Upon arrival, the firefighters found heavy black smoke in the warehouse area of a suite, Boca Raton Fire Rescue spokesman Bob Lemons said.

The firefighters entered and found two large plastic garbage cans that had melted. A single fire sprinkler had activated and extinguished the fire, Lemons said.

The fire damage was limited to the area where the garbage cans were located. Firefighters shut down the water to sprinkler system, opened the rear garage door and used several large fans to remove smoke from the business.

There were no injuries, Lemons said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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