Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Tampa, FL – Condo fire extinguished by sprinkler system; Lightning strike possible cause May 26, 2015 viking210 A fire that may have been sparked by a lightning strike was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler system at a condominium complex at 4115 Chatham Oak Court, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said Sunday. Residents said they thought they smelled something burning after the lightning strike on the roof of the complex late Saturday, but they could not locate a fire, according to fire officials. But a small blaze smoldered in the roof before it burned through the ceiling of unit 222 some time later, fire officials said. No injuries were reported. The American Red Cross helped families find temporary housing. Fire officials did not say how many families were affected nor provide the time of the blaze.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Lewiston, ME – Sprinklers help extinguish fire in mixed-use downtown building May 25, 2015 viking210 The fire began just after 6:30 p.m. at a four-story building at 221 Lisbon St. The Lewiston Fire Department told News 8 improperly disposed of smoking materials landed in dry mulch. Embers from the fire were kicked up by high winds and were blown into the basement. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished most of the flames. The fire caused a few thousand dollars in damage and no one was injured.
Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise Columbia, MO – Single sprinkler activates to control fire in apartments for seniors and disabled May 25, 2015 viking210 Officials said unattended cooking was the cause of a Thursday fire in an apartment at Paquin Tower, 1201 Paquin St., according to a Columbia Fire Department news release. A fire department crew was dispatched at 9:39 p.m. to the apartment building, where water was spotted coming from under an apartment door. According to the news release, one sprinkler head brought the fire under control and 84 percent of residential fires are contained by one sprinkler head. The crew remained on the scene to clean up the water in the apartment and in the hallway.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Colleyville, TX – Fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system May 22, 2015 viking210 The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School district has determined that classes will be canceled at a Colleyville school Friday after a small fire. District officials tell NBC 5 the fire was contained to a classroom in the second grade wing of Bransford Elementary School in the 600 Block of Glade Road in Colleyville. The school will be closed Friday so crews can continue to clean and assess the damage. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading and extinguished it, according to Heather Willden with the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Winnipeg, BC, Canada – Nightclub fire controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries May 22, 2015 viking210 A fire at a downtown bar shut down band rehearsals Thursday night. Multiple crews and a ladder truck were in front of the Main Street bar around 10 p.m. The popular spot was not hosting a bar night, but there were bands practicing in the upstairs recording spaces when the fire broke out. Gerry Suzuki was upstairs when he smelled smoke. “We thought it was an amp or something on fire so we investigated. We went upstairs and we went downstairs and we saw flames on the first floor on Whiskey Dix. It was at least six feet high and looked like six feet wide. It looked like the middle of the floor was on fire.” said Suzuki. District Chief Ted Humphreys said crews were quick to get the fire under control. “It was a fire that started in the back part of the building here on the main floor. About 90% was knocked down by the sprinkler system,” he said. Humphreys said everyone got out safely. There is no word on what started the fire, or how much damage it caused.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential High Rise Auburn, WA – Early morning fire in senior apartment building doused by sprinkler system May 21, 2015 viking210 A building sprinkler system contained a fire in a seven-story senior apartment complex in Auburn early Thursday morning. Damage was limited to four apartments, the Valley Regional Fire Authority reported. VRFA crews responded to a report of the fire at the Plaza 17 Apartment building, 1001 17th St. SE, shortly after 7:30 a.m. When crews arrived, they found that three sprinkler heads had activated containing the fire to one apartment unit on the sixth floor of the building. Residents were evacuating. Firefighters completed fire extinguishment and searched the building for any remaining residents needing assistance. Residents were able to rest in the building’s community room, unaffected by the fire, while fire crews cleared smoke and used water vacuums to remove excess water. Four apartment units were deemed uninhabitable, primarily because of the water damage. Building managers were able to find housing for all but one resident who will be helped by the American Red Cross. Kent Fire Department RFA, South King Fire and Rescue and King County Medic One assisted the VRFA. The fire is under investigation.
Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility Charleston, SC – Sprinklers help contain fire at recycling plant May 21, 2015 viking210 Firefighters from North Charleston, Charleston and Boeing worked Tuesday to put out a large fire at Sonoco Recycling plant. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to North Charleston Fire Department spokeswoman Bianca Bourbeau. Bourbeau said the sprinkler system in the building contained the fire where it started, but outside flames spread to outlying bales of recycled material. Sonoco spokesman Brian Risinger said that he was grateful there were no injuries and he appreciated fire crews’ quick response at 2025 Tellico Road. “At the time of this statement we understand the fire to be contained to a specific area of the facility and the fire department remains onsite and is making progress on extinguishing the fire,” he stated. “The only damage we are aware of is to our own facility.” He added that the blaze would not interrupt ongoing recycling services in the area and that operations were expected to resume by the end of business Wednesday. Sonoco was founded in 1899 and is a global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging and displays and packaging supply chain services, according to a media release.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Grande Prairie, AB, Canada – Condominium fire confined to one suite by sprinkler system May 21, 2015 viking210 On Sunday, the Grande Prairie Fire Department (GPFD) responded to reports of a fire at Grande Plaza Condos on 92 Avenue, near Resources Road. Firefighters found the alarm system indicating a sprinkler activation on the first floor and then discovered a fire in one of the suites. Tony Lutzmann, the platoon chief on duty, said a heat-activated sprinkler in the suite went off and controlled the fire. “In this case, obviously, there was a large enough fire that there was enough heat to set a sprinkler head off,” he said. The fire was confined to one suite, which sustained smoke and water damage. “Basically, it’s what we call a room and contents fire,” said Lutzmann. “It didn’t spread beyond the suite of origin and that’s what exactly what a sprinkler system is designed to do, is to catch a fire in its early stages and prevent it spreading into a larger, more serious fire.”
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Victoria, BC, Canada – Spontaneous combustion fire in mixed-use building suppressed by sprinkler system May 20, 2015 viking210 The spontaneous combustion of improperly stored or discarded construction materials is suspected in a fire early today in a commercial space on lower Yates Street, reports the Victoria Fire Department. The fire was suppressed by the room’s sprinkler system, according to the fire department. The fire will be ruled accidental and the cause stated as undetermined but the spontaneous combustion of stored or discarded materials remains “a probable cause,” said Victoria Fire Lt.-Insp. Brad Sifert. No one was injured. At 2:14 a.m., Victoria firefighters raced to a fire on the main floor of 524 Yates St., just above Wharf Street. The building, adjacent to Waddington Alley, is commercial on the main floor with condominiums above. The office space was under renovation, with the new owner scheduled to occupy the space in about a week, according to Battalion Chief Dave Bicknell. The floor was being finished with a highly flammable drying oil and it is likely that the fire was the result of spontaneous combustion from the disposal of these materials, Sifert said. Fire crews arrived to find smoke in the commercial space. Firefighters traced the blaze to a small smouldering pile of construction materials and waste including discarded window dressing. “I couldn’t find anything but the garbage,” Sifert said. Sifert interviewed two labourers who had been working on the floor until about 3 p.m. Monday. As part of their normal protocol, the workers said they put the oil-soaked rags in water in pails outside the building. “I can’t rule it out just based on what they’re saying,” Sifert said. “A rag could have been left in there.” Fire crews used a hose line to completely extinguish the fire, which was contained to a one-metre-square area on the floor.
Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise Shreveport, LA – High-rise apartment blaze knocked down by sprinkler system May 20, 2015 viking210 Firefighters were called to the high-rise Fairmont Apartments building in downtown Shreveport just before 7:00 Monday evening. Fire officials say the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen of a third floor apartment. Fortunately, the sprinkler system had mostly knocked out the fire before firefighters arrived. “The sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do, save the owners of the building money, reduce the damage and minimize injuries to the occupants. So, the sprinkler system was effective in doing its job,” says Shreveport Fire Chief Fred Sanders. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
