Other - Retail, Retail

London, ON, Canada – Official thanking sprinkler system following Goodwill Donation Centre blaze

A Goodwill Industries official is praising the sprinkler system after a fire broke out Wednesday morning at the Outlet & Donation Centre on White Oak Rd.

President and CEO of Goodwill Industries Michelle Quintyn tells AM980 when fire crews were called.

“At about 11 o’clock this morning, we had a small fire start in the back end of the building. Alarm went off, the one area of the sprinkler system went off, we evacuated the building, everyone got out safely,” she said. “We have had quite a bit of activity here today making sure that the fire is out, it’s a building full of textiles and all kinds of recyclable materials.”

A damage estimate and cause of the blaze could not be determined by the Fire Inspector on duty

Quintyn did, however, mention that the building was undergoing roof work

“The area that the fire occurred is more a warehousing area, it is not a production area. In that vicinity there was some roof work going on,” she said. “A sprinkler system is a good thing to have in a big building like this.”

Fire crews could also be seen inspecting tar machines near where the fire broke out.

Quintyn added that there were well over 200 people in the building at the time, many of them employees and some customers. No injuries have been reported.

 

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Chester, VA – Sprinkler system keeps apartment fire from spreading; Fire caused by clothes dryer motor malfunction

A fire Wednesday evening at an apartment complex in the Enon area of Chesterfield County has displaced three residents. The Chesterfield County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded at 5:37 p.m. to the 2300 block of Golden Garden Circle for a dryer on fire inside of an apartment, according to officials. 

Fire crews arrived to find a small amount of fire inside of the dryer. The fire sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the bulk of the fire, stopping it from spreading throughout the apartment. It took crews approximately 20 minutes to get the fire under control, according to a release. 

The fire started as a result of the dryer motor malfunctioning during operation. Two adults and one child were displaced and are being assisted by apartment management.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Oxford, AL – Sprinkler system holds fire in check at National Gypsum Company facility

Oxford Fire Department responded to a minor fire Tuesday at the National Gypsum Company on U.S. 78. A call first came in about a fire in the plant’s paper bale room around 11:15 a.m. from an employee at the plant, Oxford fire Chief Gary Sparks said in a phone interview Tuesday. Firefighters were on scene within three minutes of the call, extinguished the fire and left the scene by 12:40, Sparks said. It is unclear how the fire started but the sprinkler system held the flames in check until responders arrived on the scene, Sparks said.

“There was minimal damage,” Sparks said. “The majority of it was to the paper bales, but there was some smoke damage in the office area.” There were no injuries reported during the incident and the plant was expected to be up and running before the day ended, Sparks said. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for the plant Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Portage, MI – Fire at Pfizer manufacturing facility doused by sprinkler system; No injuries

An “over-pressurization” event led to a fire Saturday that damaged equipment and a section of the Pfizer Inc. manufacturing complex on Portage Road, a Pfizer spokeswoman said Tuesday. Kim Bencker, head of communications for Pfizer Global Supply, previously said no one was injured in the incident, but she could not provide more details.

The incident occurred about 10 a.m. Saturday in Building No. 335. “There appears to have been an over-pressurization event and a fire. The fire was immediately extinguished by the sprinkler in the area,” Bencker said Tuesday in an email response to questions.

The fire damaged equipment and caused “limited building damage,” she said. “No employees were in the area of the building where the incident occurred.” “Most of the building is operating normally, and Pfizer is investigating the cause of the incident,” Bencker said.

Kameron Jordan, Kalamazoo district coordinator for the Department of Environmental Quality, said a small fire in Building No. 335 was reported to the DEQ.

“Because of the possibility that water used to suppress the fire could have resulted in runoff of manganese and/or acetone compounds, the retention pond was tested,” he said. “Neither substance was found to be in excess of background levels of those compounds. A final report will be prepared, and no further response is required.”

Tanya Baker, of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, said the incident was not reported to the state, but such reporting is not required in incidents when no employees were injured.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Wilmington, DE – Morning fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system

Stubbs Elementary School in Wilmington was evacuated after a small fire Monday morning, but the site will reopen Tuesday. Principal Jeffers Brown “will be notifying parents and staff of this decision,” Christina School District Public Information Officer Wendy Lapham said.

City fire crews were dispatched at 8:10 a.m. after sprinklers set off an automatic alarm, according to Battalion Chief James R. Jobes, the department’s public information officer. Firefighters found medium-heavy smoke on the second floor with water in the hallway, Jobes said. Crews that began searching the second floor with fire hoses found an activated sprinkler in one room, with the fire already out, he said.

Nearly 330 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade were relocated from their school in the 1100 block of N. Pine St. to the nearby Howard High School of Technology in the 400 block of E. 12th St., Lapham said.

 

“Being right across the street, it worked out perfect,” she said.

 

Since school doesn’t start until 9 a.m, only teachers and other staff members were in the building, Lapham said.

 

Arriving buses were directed to the high school, she said, and students who walk were escorted there.

 

Water from the sprinkler reached adjoining rooms and leaked through the floor to classrooms below, he said.

 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office.

 

Parents and concerned citizens may call the school at (302) 429-4175 for more information.

 

There was no immediate estimate of damage to the elementary school, built in 1953 and named for city native Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs, one of the country’s top thoracic surgeons.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norfolk, VA – Early morning apartment fire put out by sprinkler system

Multiple people have been displaced following a fire in a Norfolk apartment building Tuesday morning, officials said. The fire, which began in a kitchen at 3:30 a.m. at 819 West 38th Street, was put out by the complex’s sprinkler system before fire units arrived on the scene. No injuries were reported. Red Cross is assisting the six adults and eight children who were displaced by the incident.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activates in overnight fire at manufacturing plant

Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating a blaze at Arauco North America. Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services was called to the Base Line site, formerly Flakeboard, at about 11:50 p.m. on Sunday.

A sprinkler system was activated. Arauco workers were fighting a fire in a press machine and dust collection system, said platoon chief Stan Martynuck. Firefighters took over.

Spot fires followed in the early morning Monday. The fire was under control by 8 a.m., said Martynuck. The fire department was on scene until 5 p.m.

One firefighter received minor injuries. He was not taken to Sault Area Hospital.

Cause of the blaze is under investigation by fire prevention officer Carlo Provenzano and OFM investigators. Heavy damage prompted OFM participation, said Martynuck.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Mt. Pocono, PA – Daily operations unaffected at Walmart after sprinklers activate to control early morning fire

No injuries or significant damage were reported in a fire occurring shortly before 6:30 a.m. Monday at the Mount Pocono Walmart, said Walmart corporate spokesperson Erin Hoffman. An HVAC unit malfunction started the fire, activating the sprinkler system which then damaged a small amount of store products in a back room, said Hoffman. The store was closed from 6:30 to 9 a.m., but daily operations otherwise will not be affected.

 

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

Nashville, TN – No one hurt in senior high-rise after sprinklers extinguish overnight fire

Emergency crews evacuated a Nashville retirement home early Monday after a resident reportedly fell asleep while smoking and caught a chair on fire, a fire spokesman said. Fire crews responded about 1:15 a.m. to Trevecca Towers at 60 Lester Ave. for a report of smoke at the 16-story building, Nashville Fire Department spokesman Brian Haas said.

Arriving crews evacuated the tower and found several pieces of furniture on fire in a room on the second floor, Haas said. The building’s sprinklers put the fire out shortly after crews arrived, Haas said.

“We have a lot of residents whose families are concerned,” said Tyler Jones, the building’s manager. “Thankfully, the sprinkler system worked as designed, so we’re grateful no one was hurt.”

Nearly two dozen residents were displaced, Haas said, but some of them were able to be housed at vacant units in the same building. The American Red Cross was called in to contact families of the other displaced residents to find temporary homes until their units are repaired. The nonprofit agency also provided cots for a few other displaced residents.

Although the facility may also have to put some displaced residents in hotel rooms, Jones said he wants to assure families that the residents will be taken care of.

 

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Branson, MO – Balcony fire at condominium building contained by sprinkler system

The Branson Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire last Friday morning. According to a press release, reports stated that heavy black smoke was coming from the back side of one of the Vineyard Condominiums located off Missouri 376.

“Upon investigation we discovered a fire had started on the wood deck material and extended up the railing and exterior wall,” Fire Captain Scott Cizek said. “Our crews discovered one fire sprinkler head above the deck had contained the fire.”

The fire sprinkler activated automatically, which initiated the fire alarm where occupants evacuated the building. The probable cause of the fire could have been due to cigarettes not being fully put out according to the press release.

“Upon investigation it was discovered the fire had smoldered for quite some time causing deep charring on part of the wood deck and railing. We could not rule out cigarette smoking material as a possible cause,” Division Chief Randy Fogle said.

The press release stated that “firefighters encourage those using cigarette materials to properly extinguish cigarettes and place them in fire-resistant containers.”

According to Fire Chief Ted Martin, lit cigarette fires often occur on these types of properties.

“Unfortunately in multi-family dwelling properties such as condos and apartments, we see a lot of cigarettes tossed over balcony railings to the ground level, accidentally dropped between the decking materials, or discarded inappropriately in containers as simple as plastic planter pots,” Martin said.

The press release did not mention any injuries or people harmed.

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