Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Christmas tree fire extinguished by sprinkler system (North Vancouver, BC)

Firefighters responded to a call around 6:20 p.m. Thursday after a Christmas tree caught on fire in a townhome. “Luckily the townhouse unit has a sprinkler system in the building,” said Dan Pistilli, fire chief at the City of North Vancouver fire department. The tree ignited when the homeowner lit a sparkler for their young child and got too close to the tree.  Pistilli said the situation could have been much worse. “If the unit did not have a sprinkler system it would have been a different result,” he said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fire at manufacturing plant halted by sprinkler system (Lititz, PA)

A fire broke out at a manufacturing plant that makes over 2,500 products, including rodent traps, on Wednesday morning. The flames began close to a piece of machinery which makes papier-mache items, and two employees attempted to put them out with a fire extinguisher. When this proved unsuccessful, the heat from the fire activated the building’s fire sprinkler, containing the blaze until fire crews arrived.

According to Lititz Fire Company Deputy Chief Mike Smith, the fire could have easily spread to other area of the building through oven ducts if the sprinkler system had not been turned on.

No injuries were reported.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sprinklers save lives and property in assisted living facility fire (Rochester, NY)

Residents of the Madonna Meadows Assisted Living Facility were able to remain “protected in place” after a small fire began and was extinguished at about 1 a.m. on Tuesday, December 16. Residents did not have to be evacuated into the cold outdoors thanks to the facility’s fire sprinkler system, which eliminated the fire and limited smoke exposure. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Fire extinguished by sprinklers at high rise (Fargo, ND)

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An unattended lit candle was the culprit for the fire which began in a 15th floor apartment on Tuesday, December 16. According to reports, the resident discovered the fire when she re-entered her bedroom; the fire had ignited her pillow and bedspread. The resident attempted to put out the flames on her own with no success. The room’s fire sprinkler system activated from the heat of the fire and put out the blaze before fire crews arrived. No injuries occurred in the entire situation.

** Blog Editor’s Note – Please let us know what you think of the coverage by the INFORUM and Archie Ingersoll, who focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system**

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Sprinklers credited with saving non-profit building (Albermarle, NC)

When a fire broke out at West Stanly Christian Ministries in the early morning hours of Thursday, December 12, fire crews broke in through the front door to find that the majority of the fire had been doused by two sprinkler heads. The fire had began on the first floor when one of the building’s electrically-powered heating units malfunctioned. 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Fire sprinklers put out fire at aquarium (Dubuque, IA)

Fire crews were alerted to a fire at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium on Saturday morning. The fire, which had started on the second floor of the aquarium in a tortoise enclosure, was eliminated by the building’s fire sprinkler by the time the crews arrived. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but no animals or people were injured in the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fire squelched by sprinkler system at apartment complex (Holyoke, MA)

A 103-unit apartment building had a fire break out on December 10 in one of it’s three-bedroom apartments. The sprinkler system in the hallway activated, containing the fire until fire crews arrived and put out the rest of the flames. Firefighters are crediting the sprinkler system with saving lives and property. 

“Sprinklers help keep the fires in check which gives the residents time to get out of the building, working in connection with a fire alarm that works well definitely saves lives,” Holyoke Fire Captain Anthony Cerruti said. “A small fire can go to a large fire in less than three minutes, and if you don’t have a working smoke detector or more importantly a sprinkler system, you’re looking at a total loss.”

All residents were able to evacuate safely and without injury. 

College/University (on campus), School / University

Sprinkler assists fire crews in university fire (East Stroudsburg, PA)

A fire started in the Enrollment Services Center building of East Stroudsburg University on Friday morning. While the cause is under investigation, fire officials claim the fire appeared to have started by a computer. No one was injured.

** Blog Editor’s Note – Please let us know what you think of the coverage by the Pocono Record, which focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system**

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