Athletic Club/Sports Facility Madison, WI – Fire on 5th floor of YWCA building controlled by sprinkler system June 11, 2015 viking210 The City of Madison Fire Department is crediting an automatic sprinkler system for helping avoid major damage after a fire at the YWCA on Wednesday. Officials say the fire started on the fifth floor of the building located at 101 E. Mifflin Street around 1:15 p.m. Firefighters say there was heavy smoke conditions reported on the fourth and fifth floors after using high-rise firefighting operations. They were able to successfully extinguish the fire, keeping the water and fire damage to a minimum. The fire department says the YWCA staff followed all proper procedures upon hearing the fire alarms. They say everyone was evacuated safely and uninjured. Damage is estimated at $5,000-$10,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Office Building, Other Business Dayton, OH – Sprinkler system suppresses overnight fire at Standard Register Co. June 11, 2015 viking210 1 Comment Passers-by saw smoke coming from the Standard Register Co. complex on Albany Street and alerted authorities, Dayton District Chief Joe Meyer said.Crews forced their way inside Building No. 2 and found fire on the second floor in a graphic arts storage area where papers, some ink products and other items were burning, he said. The sprinkler system suppressed the fire and did most of the work for fire crews and kept the damage to a minimum, Meyer said. Meyer could not estimate a dollar amount for the damage. He said he doesn’t believe the fire was suspicious, but note that an arson investigator called in would have to determine the official cause of the fire.
Office Building, Other Business Herndon, VA – Sprinkler helps contain high-rise fire to room of origin June 11, 2015 viking210 There were no injuries in a fire in a high-rise office building near Dulles Airport on Tuesday, which started in a first-floor “battery room,” according to the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department. A security guard in the 10-story building called 911 after hearing an explosion. Arriving on the scene at about 7:45 p.m., firefighters and rescue personnel found an electrical transformer on fire outside the building, the fire department said. The building at 13820 Sunrise Valley Drive is the headquarters of Time-Warner, according to media reports. It is just south of the interchange of Route 28 and the Dulles Toll Road near Herndon. The firefighters also encountered heavy smoke coming from the lower level of the building, with flames coming from the battery room. The incident commander sounded a second alarm, bringing more than 60 firefighters to the scene, the fire department said. There were about 50 employees in the building when the fire broke out, and the firefighters ensured all occupants got out. The firefighters contained the blaze to the battery room and the transformer; it didn’t spread to other parts of the building, the fire department said. The building’s automatic fire alarm activated, as well as one sprinkler head, which helped contain the blaze. The fire department estimated that damage to the building totals $2 million. According to fire investigators, the blaze was accidental. They traced the cause to an “electrical event” in the control module of the building’s power supply.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Tallahassee, FL – Restaurant fire caused by malfunctioning burner halted by sprinkler system June 10, 2015 viking210 A popular Midtown restaurant is closed as a result of a fire. The Front Porch opened its Thomasville Road location in early 2013. The restaurant, known for its locally-sourced seafood dishes in an upscale atmosphere, posted a Facebook message to its customers on Monday morning. “We are very sad to announce that our beautiful restaurant suffered a small fire last week and we will be temporarily closed until further notice. Please continue to check back, as our Facebook page will be updated when we have a re-opening day in sight. We appreciate your loyal patronage and can’t wait to serve you all again soon!” Restaurant owners could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The Tallahassee Fire Department arrived at 8:52 p.m. May 30 in response to a fire, the incident report states. Investigators estimate damages at $35,000. No one was injured during the fire and the building was already evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. The internal sprinkler system went off as a result of a malfunctioning Butane burner, according to employee statements in the report. “The burning fuel from the burner was enough heat to activate the sprinkler head directly above it,” the report said. Investigators believe the fire was caused by a leak in the burner’s gas bottle. The report stated no actual fire damage to the building, and all content and structure damage was caused by the water from the sprinkler system.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Las Vegas, NV – Automatic sprinkler douses bathroom fire at senior apartment building June 10, 2015 viking210 Las Vegas firefighters aided by Clark County firefighters were called to a bathroom fire at the Destinations at Oakey Senior Apartments, 3900 W. Oakey Boulevard at 8:34 Tuesday morning. Firefighters found light smoke coming from one apartment in the two story wood frame/stucco apartment building. The fire was out when firefighters found it. The fire was extinguished by an automatic fire sprinkler in the bathroom. Fire investigators believe the fire started in the bathroom fan. The plastic front piece on the fan melted and dripped onto a towel that was on a towel bar mounted on the wall. That fire provided the heat necessary to activate the fire sprinkler which quickly put out the fire. Damage was confined to the wall and the area around the fan. Damage was estimated at $2500. The occupant told fire investigators he was lying on the couch in the living room watching TV. He smelled something burning. When he checked the bathroom, he saw the towel burning. Just as he was leaving, the fire sprinkler activated as well as the smoke alarm. The man escaped without injury. The entire apartment building was evacuated during the incident. The fire sprinkler activated and kept the fire to a minimum until firefighters arrived on scene and made sure the fire was completely out. Damage was kept to a minimum. The fire caused approximately $2,500 in damages.
Other Business, Place of Worship Murfreesboro, TN – Sprinklers activate and control suspected arson fire at church June 10, 2015 viking210 Two small fires damaged a Murfreesboro church and a beer brewery late Monday night. According to the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department spokeswoman Ashley McDonald, crews responded to a fire alarm call in the 500 block of Old Salem Road around 11:45 p.m. While on their way to the scene personnel learned the burglar alarm was also going off. The front doors of the building were not secure and the sprinkler system had been activated in the front corridor, which is shared by Experience Community Church and Mayday Brewery, according to McDonald. Fire crews found two small fires that had been reportedly set in what appeared to be donation bins in that corridor, and a gas can was nearby. McDonald said an abandoned pick-up truck was found in the parking lot. The doors were unlocked and there were slashes in the back tires. The sprinkler system kept the fire damage to a minimum, however the church did receive water and smoke damage while the brewery appeared to have very minimal water damage, according to the acting shift commander. The Fire Marshal’s Office is now investigating the case. It wasn’t clear if it would be ruled an arson.
Residential, Residential High Rise Ocean City, MD – High-rise condominium fire extinguished by sprinkler system June 9, 2015 viking210 A potential disaster was averted on Sunday evening when a sprinkler quickly extinguished a kitchen fire at a 25th-floor unit in a north-end high-rise condominium. Shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday, the Ocean City Fire Department responded to a fire alarm activation resulting from a fire in a unit at the Century I condominium building. When firefighters arrived, there was smoke reported from a unit on the 25th floor. The fire department response was quickly upgraded to a structure fire in a high-rise structure. The fire, which originated in the unit’s kitchen, was suppressed by one fire sprinkler upon arrival of the fire department. Firefighters on scene worked immediately to remove smoke throughout the 25th floor. OCFD officials said the fire at the high-rise structure illustrated the importance of working fire sprinkler systems. “Fire sprinklers respond quickly and effectively to fire, often extinguishing the fire before the fire department arrives,” said Ocean City Fire Marshal David Hartley. “This is a perfect example of how an automatic sprinkler reacted quickly, reduced the heat and flames and prevented injuries to those inside the building.” The unit was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire damage was limited to the unit in which it originated. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Huntingburg, IN – Sprinklers help limit damage in fire at sawdust storage building June 9, 2015 viking210 The Huntingburg Volunteer Fire Department was called Saturday morning to the report of a fire in OFS Plant No. 18’s sawdust storage facility. Department spokesman John C. Smith said, given a similar incident eight years ago, he braced for the worst and quickly called for manpower assistance from the Holland Volunteer Fire Department. On July 6, 2007, a similar fire in the then-60-by-120 sawdust storage building behind the plant kept firefighters busy for 14 hours, Smith said. But, he added, that building has been replaced by a new one with a sprinkler system. And it was that sprinkler system that curtailed damage after Saturday’s 8:58 a.m. call by activating and extinguishing the main body of the fire, Smith said. The fire’s cause was attributed to a mechanical failure in an auger system used to move sawdust into the building, according to Smith. Large front-end loaders supplied by Brewer Farms Inc., Huntingburg, were used to take sawdust out of the building so firefighters could access the area where the fire started. Smith said there was no appreciable damage to the building. Huntingburg’s department was on the scene with four trucks and 13 firefighters for five hours. Holland’s department responded with 10 firefighters. While four worked alongside Huntingburg firefighters for the duration, Smith said, others were released throughout the morning as conditions allowed. OFS personnel assisted with sawdust removal and a Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services ambulance was on standby at the scene. Members of the Huntingburg Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary were on hand to provide food and drinks for those extinguishing the smoldering sawdust.
Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse Modesto, CA – Sprinklers help contain fire in warehouse containing fireworks, almonds June 8, 2015 viking210 Fire crews were able to contain a fire at a warehouse that contains walnuts and fireworks in unincorporated Modesto, officials said. Firefighters were called to the large warehouse in the 2300 block of Tenaya Street just after noon Sunday, the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District said. The building’s automatic sprinkler system was activated and helped partially control the flames from spreading. When crews arrived, they saw smoke coming off the roof of the building and called for additional help. The east end of the warehouse was full of large bins of ground walnuts while the west end was full of fireworks. A firewall separated the fireworks and burning hulls of walnuts. Nearly 30 firefighters with the fire district and the Modesto and Ceres fire departments were called to the warehouse to battle the blaze. No injuries were reported.
Apartment Building, Residential Toms River, NJ – Overnight apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler June 8, 2015 viking210 A flash fire caused when a resident tried to extinguish burning candle wax was controlled when the building’s automatic sprinkler system turned on, fire officials said Monday. Two apartments at Greenview Way in The Villages at Bey Lea apartment complex were left uninhabitable due to damage from the fire Sunday evening, said James Mercready, director of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention. One person suffered minor injuries, he said. Firefighters from the Pleasant Plains Fire Company responded to the call at 11:20 p.m. and upon arrival found the fire — in the bathroom of one apartment — had been extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head that activated, Mercready said. Toms River Fire Inspector Dominick Roselli determined the fire was accidental. Candle wax caught fire on the kitchen stove, and when the resident put it in the bathroom’s shower to put it out, it created a flash fire, Mercready said. The resident suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention, he said. Firefighters checked for extension of the fire and performed ventilation, as well as shutting off electric and gas service to the two units because of the damage, he said. Mercready said it is the second fire extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system at the complex and fifth sprinker-controlled fire in the township since October. “In each case, one fire sprinkler head activated and controlled and suppressed the fire,” he said. “A properly designed, installed and maintained fire sprinkler system is an essential component in fire and life safety as well as property protection.” “The rate of effectiveness has been very good during the more than 100 years they have been in use in the United States,” Mercready said. Due to the extent of the damage, Roselli ruled two apartments uninhabitable, but six others in the building were able to be reoccupied, Mercready said.
