College/University (on campus), School / University

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at historic university building

Engine Co. 4 was called to Memorial Union for a fire alarm activation. While on scene, firefighters noticed smoke in the first floor kitchen that was getting thicker. Engine 4 prompted a full structure fire response, summoning multiple additional fire crews to the scene.

Engine Co. 4 located a custodial room where an automatic fire sprinkler had activated. There, firefighters found piles of oily kitchen rags smoldering. Memorial Union staff confirmed there was a bag of wet rags with oil mixed in them stored inside the room. The rags are believed to have spontaneously combusted, resulting in fire that triggered the automatic fire suppression system. Ladder Co. 1 remained on scene with Engine Co. 4 to ventilate the smoke and help overhaul the rags.

The Memorial Union was retrofitted with automatic fire sprinklers in recent years during remodeling projects that took place between 2012 and 2017. Without the presence of automatic sprinklers, this incident may have grown much larger before being noticed, and significant damage could have occurred to this historic building.

Following this incident on August 21, damage was contained to the room of origin and an adjacent office. The Memorial Union was re-opened to the public by 12:30 p.m.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Idaho Falls, ID – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported

The Idaho Falls Fire Department is on scene of a fire at the Hilton Garden Inn at 700 Lindsay Boulevard in Idaho Falls.

The department says the call came in at 4:47 p.m. stating there was a fire on the 4th floor. Officials say the fire is out now.

The sprinkler system activate and hotel guests were evacuated.

The fire was contained to one room. Firefighters are clearing the smoke out and checking rooms to make sure there was no extension of the fire.

There have been no injuries reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The building’s sprinkler system did its job and the fire department handled the rest after a fire sparked in an apartment in central Kelowna this morning.

The Kelowna Fire Department was called to the scene in the 1700 block of Ethel Street around 10:30 am and found the fire in a unit on the first floor of the four-storey building.

According to Platoon Captain Scott Clarke, the sprinkler system had activated and suppressed the fire to the stove top of the unit.

“Firefighters entered the unit and completed extinguishment,” he said.

The fire has been deemed accidental in nature.

While there was no one home in the unit affected by the minor blaze, the rest of the building was evacuated and Clarke said no injuries were reported.

There was some fire and water damage to the single unit and some general water damage to the first floor.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for cooking fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A hotel resident fell asleep after cooking in their room early Monday morning.

The Houston Fire Department arrived near Highway 290 and Pinemont Drive around 1:15 a.m. on Houston’s Northwest side.

Authorities arrived to the hotel and found a fire with heavy smoke on the third floor. The Houston Fire Department evacuated the entire hotel and were able to put the fire out with no injuries reported.

The Houston Fire Department says that after investigating, they found out that a resident was cooking in their room and fell asleep. That’s when the food and stove caught fire and the hotel sprinkler system went off. The sprinklers had flooded all three floors and due to the damage, the hotel was having to find other places for the residents to stay.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for commercial building fire; No injuries reported

A commercial building caught fire late Monday night in northeast Petaluma causing minor damage, fire authorities said.

Around 11:37 p.m., sprinklers went off inside a building at 1380 Redwood Way, notifying the building’s monitoring system, which called fire dispatchers, said Jessica Power, fire marshal for the Petaluma Fire Department.

Within five minutes, Petaluma Fire Department crews arrived and found heavy black smoke coming from the single-story building’s roll up door and roof, according to a media release.

Three engines from Rancho Adobe Fire District also responded.

No one was inside when the fire occurred and there were no injuries, Powers said.

The building showed only minor damage, thanks to the sprinkler system that helped control the flames until firefighters arrived, Powers said. She said the estimated cost of damage was unknown Tuesday afternoon.

The cause is still being investigated, she said.

“This incident is a opportunity to remind our citizens that having working fire alarms, carbon dioxide alarms, and sprinkler systems can be the difference in not only damage to a structure, but also in the amount of time a person, family, or coworkers have to escape in an emergency,” the department said in the release.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

St. Louis Park, MN – Sprinkler system activated for early morning arson fire at fitness center; No injuries reported

Members of the St. Louis Park Fire Department are investigating a fire at an LA Fitness early Monday morning, a city spokesperson says.

A 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS photographer saw several units at the scene and the building’s sprinkler system running.

Authorities say St. Louis Park firefighters were called to the location at around 4:15 a.m. and found multiple sources of fire inside. Firefighters extinguished the flames, which the sprinklers kept at bay, and no injuries were reported.

The fitness center, located at 3555 Highway 100, will be closed for the day.

The city says no arrests were made but the fire is being investigated as arson.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Louis Park Police Department at 952-924-2600.

It is unknown at this time if the location foresees any impact beyond Monday.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Oshkosh, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in high-rise apartment building; No injuries reported

Fourteen people were displaced last week by a fire at a high-rise apartment building in Oshkosh.

Firefighters say it wasn’t a big fire, but 100 residents had to be evacuated from the Court Tower in the downtown area.

The building’s sprinkler system put out a small fire on the ninth floor.

No injuries were reported but the sprinklers caused extensive water damage to the eighth and ninth floors.

Most of the people who lived in the 10 damaged apartments stayed at a shelter last Thursday night.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Isla Vista, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes early morning fire at restaurant

A fire-sprinkler system extinguished a small blaze at the Su’s Bowl restaurant in Isla Vista early Saturday morning.

Personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department were dispatched at approximately 4:30 a.m. to a report of a ringing fire alarm system on the 900 block of Embarcadero Del Mar, fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said.

They found a fire-suppression sprinkler head had been activated and put out the blaze, Safechuck added.

Firefighters assisted with removal of water from the business, which had minor damage, he said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, Safechuck said.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Portland, OR – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire outside warehouse; No injuries reported

Investigators with Portland Fire & Rescue say someone intentionally set something on fire outside a vacant warehouse in Northeast Portland on Thursday morning.

There were no reports of injuries.

The fire was reported at about 3 a.m. in the Sullivan’s Gulch area near Northeast 25th Avenue and Multnomah Street, across from Interstate 84.

Portland Fire said the building’s sprinkler system put out most of the flames.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Appling, GA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Amazon plant; No injuries reported

Fire crews were dispatched to the local Amazon plant located at 2150 Discovery Drive at 11:59 p.m. Monday night.

En route, they were advised that there was a water flow alarm.

When crews arrived, evacuation had already taken place.

Smoke conditions were encountered when entering Division 2 of the building. Crews made their way to the source of the fire and determined that there were 2 sprinkler heads activated.

Crews found some bins that had been damaged by fire and several others with water damage.

Fire was extinguished and water flow from sprinklers reduced.

Power was terminated to the area by Amazon and crews removed as much water as they could.

No injuries reported.

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