Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Peoria, IL – Fire at senior living center controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Peoria Fire officials are investigating a blaze that broke out Thursday at Courtyard Estates at 1117 N. Western Ave. There was a reported explosion from one of the apartments, however officials cannot determine if there actually was one. Fire crews discovered the blaze in an apartment on the fourth floor where they found an air conditioning unit that appeared to have an electrical issue and caught fire. The complex’s sprinkler system activated, according to Battalion Chief Aldo Scott. A fire investigator was called to the scene to determine an official cause. No injuries were reported.

College/University (on campus), School / University

West Lafayette, IN – Fire in computer lab at Purdue University extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A fire occurred at Purdue University’s Hampton Civil Engineering building this morning. The entire building was evacuated after smoke alarms detected the fire at roughly 11:30 a.m. Aaron Bukowski is a Junior in the College of Department of Physics and Astronomy.  He was in the building when the fire began.

“We were working in our lab and we smelled something burning and the fire alarms ended up going off,” said Bukowski. “They evacuated the whole building and by the time we got out was maybe two minutes before the fire department showed up. Then we saw them go in then they came back out, put their gear on, and went back in. Now their squeegeeing water off the floor.”

By roughly 12:15 p.m. three marked police vehicles were present on the scene, as well as three possible unmarked vehicles. Other safety vehicles present included one fire engine, one ambulance, one fire command, as well as at least seven Purdue University vehicles.

Kevin M. Ply is a fire chief for the Purdue University Fire Department. He was among those that responded to the call. “The fire department was dispatched here on an active fire alarm for Hampton at 11:14 a.m,” said Ply. “One of our ambulances was out on campus. They arrived at 11:15 a.m. so a minute later. When they arrived the building was being evacuated.” Ply said, “the fire alarm panel indicated an active sprinkler head in room 1268. When they proceeded to that area they encountered smoke and water coming from out of the door.”

After informing the rest of the first responders, they forced entry to the room, put out the fire, and confirmed that it had not spread to the rest of the building. There was “minimal damage” according to Ply.  Room 1268 is a computer lab in Hampton. Ply said the fire only affected a limited portion of the room. He confirmed there were no occupants in the room at the time and the room was secured.

“The fire was extinguished pretty quickly, we got to sprinklers shut down pretty quickly,” said Ply. “We’re working with the police department to determine the cause. Right now, it doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious but we’re going to try to determine exactly what the cause was.”

The old section of Hampton has been reopened, as well as parts of the new section where the fire occurred. The room is expected to reopen after the police department concludes its investigation.

“The key thing is we had a quick response, the sprinkler system did its job and contained the fire from spreading,” said Ply. “So everything worked the way it should.”

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Battle Creek, MI – Kitchen fire at senior apartment complex controlled with help from sprinkler system

NORTH POINTE WOODS FIRE: Damage was estimated at $20,000 after a fire at North Pointe Woods at 700 North Ave. Battle Creek firefighters were called at 6:43 a.m. Monday, the city reported in a news release on Thursday. Firefighters said the fire began on the stove when a stove burner was left on. The fire activated the sprinkler system. A second-floor apartment was damaged with smoke and water and a first floor apartment below had water damage. A hallway on the first floor also filled with water. Residents remained in their apartments as firefighters used ventilators to remove smoke from the hallways.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Omaha, NE – Sprinkler system activates to help limit damage in overnight restaurant fire

A fire early Wednesday in the kitchen of an Old Market restaurant did not appear to cause significant damage. But the blaze set off smoke alarms and a sprinkler system and forced the evacuation of a nearby nightclub, according to initial 911 dispatch reports.

Roja Mexican Grill, 1212 Harney St., was closed when the fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. Police helped evacuate people from Parliament Pub.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Hutchinson, KS – Chemical fire in student’s apartment confined by sprinkler system

Hutchinson police investigators think a Hutchinson college student was experimenting with mixing chemicals to create an explosion when he caused a fire in his Plaza Towers apartment Tuesday evening. Local authorities also contacted Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation after their investigation revealed the man was sharing his knowledge in chemical bomb making with people in other states, Hutchinson Police Detective Jamie Schoenhoff said.

Police arrested Chase Lee Coble, 22, on suspicion of aggravated arson in an occupied building, unlawful possession of explosives in an occupied building, conspiracy to commit use of explosives and felony criminal damage to property. He has not yet made a court appearance and remains jailed on $12,500 bond.

Firefighters responded to Coble’s apartment at the Plaza Towers, 17 E. Second Ave., at about 4 p.m. after a fire triggered the building’s sprinkler system. The fire itself was small, said Deputy Fire Chief Doug Hanen, and was confined to the top of an upright freezer. He estimated damage from water to the apartment, however, at $4,000 to $5,000.

“After the fire department responded, they discovered numerous chemicals in the apartment they thought might have been meth-lab-related,” Schoenhoff said. “Due to my past history with investigating meth labs, I quickly observed it was not a meth lab but something, in my opinion, more nefarious.”

Police called the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which in turn contacted the South Central Region Homeland Security Hazmat Response Team. All of the chemicals were collected and properly disposed of, Schoenhoff said.

“Mr. Coble is a student at (Hutchinson Community College) majoring in chemistry,” Schoenhoff said. “He’s attended several colleges in other states, in the same major.”

He came to Hutchinson from Salina about a year ago, the detective said.  In talking with Coble and finding items throughout the apartment, they identified at least three chemicals that when mixed with others would create an explosion of flash fire, Schoenhoff said.

“That created a danger to all the occupants of the building,” he said.

The 12-story building has 63 apartments. There also were indications in the apartment that there had been previous fires or explosions there, Schoenhoff said, though none resulted in firefighters responding or significant damage.

“Of equal concern, he’d been communicating with individuals in other states with reference to giving advice and detailing how to make chemical explosives,” he said.

At least one such contact was in Minnesota.  That information, he said, led investigators to contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI.

Investigators seized at least 10 computer servers from the apartment, though all “went through the sprinkler system shower,” he said.

“Right now, we’re handling it at the state level, but everyone is interested in the computer analysis.”

The chemicals, for the most part, Schoenhoff said, are items anyone can purchase and none was illegal in itself to own. The problem, he said, is in mixing them, and Coble admitted to attempting to create explosives.

“He knew his stuff, as far as chemicals and reactions,” Schoenhoff said. “He gave different reasons, some legitimate reasons, as to why he was trying to experiment.”

Police arrested Coble last month on suspicion of driving under the influence and battery on a law enforcement officer, Schoenhoff said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brockton, MA – Apartment kitchen fire is kept from spreading thanks to sprinkler system

A kitchen fire displaced 11 residents of a Brockton home Wednesday night. The Brockton Fire Department responded to 18 N. Arlington St. about 8:16 p.m. for a report of a grease fire on the stove in an apartment in the building.  The fire extended to the kitchen cabinets and into the wall, Brockton Fire Deputy Chief Mark Baker said.  A sprinkler went off in the building, which helped to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Ladder 1 responded and put out the flames with a hose. The building sustained about $50,000 worth of heat, smoke and water damage, Baker said.  The home’s 11 residents were displaced and were assisted by the Red Cross in being placed in other properties owned by the landlord.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Tulsa, OK – Oven fire at manufacturing business suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A Tulsa business was briefly evacuated Thursday morning after a fire inside an oven. Firefighters got the call before 7 a.m. to Sonoco Products in the 10000 block of East 52nd Street. 

Plant manager Lynn Ratliff told News On 6, a fire broke out in an oven in the company’s quality control room. An employee tried to use a fire extinguisher, but when that failed they evacuated the building and called 911.  The fire department said the sprinkler system put out the fire.  They said the fire was contained to just one room. 

Ratliff says the company makes paper tubing mostly for the film industry. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chesterfield, VA – Early morning apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system is being credited with quickly extinguishing a fire early Wednesday at an apartment building in Chesterfield.  A fire was reported about 2:30 a.m. on the balcony of a third-floor apartment in the 4500 block of Valley Crest Drive, but the building’s sprinkler system extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived, said Lt. Jason Elmore of Chesterfield County Fire and EMS.

The fire was caused by a discarded cigarette, Elmore said. Damage was limited to a section of siding on the building. No one was injured, but the apartment building was evacuated while firefighters investigated the incident.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Spencer, IA – Laundry room fire at hospital contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

No patients or staff had to be removed from Spencer Hospital Saturday when the Spencer Fire Department responded to an early morning fire at the local medical facility. At 6:08 a.m., Spencer Fire and Rescue personnel were dispatched to Spencer Municipal Hospital following the report of a fire in the laundry room.

While responding, firefighters were notified that the fire had been put out in the area when the sprinkler heads in the room were activated. There was still smoke in the area and Spencer fire crews were on site for approximately one hour working with Spencer Hospital staff and Spencer Police.

The fire originated in the laundry area but the cause remains undetermined at this time. There was flame damage to the laundry room with some smoke entering the hallway and stairwell adjacent to the third floor. Fans were used to remove the smoke.

No injuries were reported. The sprinkler system contained the fire and the smoke was contained by the closure of fire doors through the activation of the fire alarm system.

Office Building, Other Business

Philadelphia, PA – Fire in downtown high-rise controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries

A sprinkler system prevented a Center City Philadelphia high-rise fire from spreading early Tuesday morning. The blaze, believed to be electrical in nature, broke out shortly before 2 a.m. on the 18th floor of 2000 Market Street, said the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Luckily no one was hurt as the sprinklers kicked in and doused the fire, said firefighters. Crews declared the blaze under control around 2:25 a.m. but hazmat crews remained at the 29-story building.  The building, which opened in 1973, houses a slew of businesses including law firms, a restaurant and a Santander Bank branch.

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