Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Steinbach, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at window manufacturer; No injuries reported

There were no injuries from a fire Wednesday afternoon at Loewen in Steinbach.

The Steinbach Fire Department was called to the window manufacturer at approximately 2:30 pm. By then, the building was evacuated.

“Usually if we are getting a call at Loewen there is potential for a large fire,” says Fire Chief Kel Toews. 

Toews says when they arrived on scene they determined the fire was coming from within a wood hopper. 

“It was quickly extinguished,” he notes. “Fire damage was contained basically to that room.”

Toews notes the fire set off the sprinkler system and as a result there is water damage in the room below.

Jon Sawatzky is Director of Product and Marketing at Loewen. He says they are still waiting to hear the official cause of the fire and the extent of damage. But, he says damage appears minimal.

“Our staff did an incredible job of following protocol, which helped to keep everyone safe and we’re already back in operation, we’re thrilled and relieved to say that nobody was hurt,” said Sawatzky on Wednesday shortly after 4 pm.

“We also want to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the Steinbach Fire Department, Southern Health Emergency Medical Services, and the RCMP for the quick response in keeping us safe,” adds Sawatzky.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Franklin, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at restaurant

Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King ruled the fire that significantly damaged the Red Pony restaurant in downtown Franklin Saturday morning was accidental.  

The cause is still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. 

King said Franklin Fire Department investigators are working with private investigators hired by the property insurer. Due to structural instability, they haven’t yet been able to access all areas of the building to complete their investigation. He said they hope to have more answers later this week. 

The fire started on the lower level in the rear of the historic two-story building, located at 408 Main Street. King estimated damage at $300,000.  

“While this was a big loss to our community, the damage could have been much worse,” he said. “A combination of early detection and notification, a quick response and solid tactical decisions by firefighters, and the automatic fire sprinklers led to a positive outcome.”  

King said more fire sprinkler heads activated than investigators originally thought.  

“At least four or five fire sprinkler heads activated on the first and second floors of the building, which helped to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings,” he said.

To learn more about how to equip your building with fire sprinklers and take advantage of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act, contact King at andyk@franklintn.gov or 615-550- 6752.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fast-food restaurant fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters arrived on scene within four minutes to find people evacuating a fast-food restaurant located inside a grocery store. A fire was found coming from the commercial deep fryer controls and oil tanks. A sprinkler head had been activated as well. The firefighters completed extinguished the fire and shut the sprinkler system off. Although the fire was contained to the appliance, most of the restaurant surfaces and items were damaged or wet. As a precaution, crews turned off most of the circuit breakers. The Health Department was also requested and notified. Firefighters from Stations 26, 35, 46 and 40 responded to this incident.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Lower Merion, PA – Sprinkler system activated for restaurant fire; No injuries reported

 A fire broke out in downtown Ardmore Friday night, causing a brief interruption in the evening restaurant scene.

According to officials, firefighters from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore were called to 11 Cricket Avenue Friday night at 7:24 on the report of a fire alarm.

Arriving crews found heavy smoke in the basement of the two-story building.

The incident commander declared a working fire, and all other Lower Merion fire companies responded.

A burning electrical panel was quickly controlled by both the internal sprinkler system and by firefighters.

The fire was declared under control in 50 minutes, and there were no injuries reported.

Uncategorized

Wichita Falls, TX – Sprinkler system activated for laundry fire; No injuries reported

The Wichita Falls Fire Department responded to a structure fire at Alsco Linens early Thursday morning.

Firefighters were sent to the building around 2:25 a.m. An employee was unable to find the source of the fire, but firefighters reportedly found it in a laundry storage area where bags of bio-hazard laundry were stored overhead.

WFFD officials said the fire was ignited by a chemical reaction from rags in the laundry basket that was covered in grease and oil. Officials have declared the fire was unintentional. The sprinkler system reportedly contained the fire, but did not put it out.

Firefighters extinguished the fire after about 45 minutes, according to WFFD officials.

There were no injuries reported on the scene. The Alsco Linens building did not sustain any obvious fire damage, but a large amount of the linens in the basket and bags were damaged.

Government/Military, Public Library

Cedar Rapids, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at public library; No injuries reported

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Public Library is closed until further notice after a fire broke out in a light fixture above the Commons area Wednesday, according to a news release.

The sprinkler system activated and the fire was quickly extinguished. The extent of the fire damage to the building is not yet known, but books and other library materials do not appear to have been damaged by the sprinkler water, the release states.

The building was safely evacuated and no one was injured. The library will remain closed through Thursday, and possibly longer, depending on how much cleanup is necessary.

Hold times and due dates will be extended accordingly.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Vernon Hills, IL – Sprinkler system activated for early morning fire at warehouse; No injuries reported

Several departments responded to a smoky fire early today at a warehouse/distribution center in the Corporate Woods campus in Vernon Hills.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the blaze and extent of damage at Automotive Keys Group, 633 Hickory Hill Drive, is being investigated.

The Lincolnshire Riverwoods Fire Protection District was dispatched to the business at 4:24 a.m. through an automatic fire alarm.

First-arriving emergency crews encountered heavy smoke throughout the large warehouse, according to Battalion Chief Steve McCaughey.

The call was upgraded to a working fire scenario, which brought firefighters from the Deerfield, Countryside, Lake Zurich and Long Grove fire protection districts and Buffalo Grove, Lake Forest, Wheeling and Libertyville municipal fire departments.

An automatic sprinkler system was activated before firefighters arrived, keeping the blaze from growing before it could be completely extinguished, McCaughey said. Nobody was at the facility when the alarm was sounded, he added.

McCaughey said extensive smoke hampered crews and a special mobile ventilation unit was used to clear the warehouse and office spaces.

According to its website, AKG is a leading remanufacturer and distributor of replacement automotive keyless entry remotes, other key replacements and related equipment.

In April 2021, the company consolidated locations with Locksmith Resources and Midwest Keyless in a new facility in Vernon Hills featuring centralized distribution and a training facility.

Investigators from Lincolnshire-Riverwoods were assisted by Vernon Hills police at the scene.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Urbana, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at food distribution facility; No injuries reported

Crews were called out to a fire at the U.N.F.I food distribution facility Tuesday morning just after 2:00. 

The 2nd alarm fire at 2611 N. Lincoln Ave. had moderate smoke and fire visible near a rooftop chiller unit located near the center of the building. 

The facility operates 24/7. Employees were already evacuating when crews arrived. 

The ladder truck was used to get access to the roof from outside.

The fire was contained to a 20’ x 20’ roof area around a chiller unit located above a mechanical and maintenance room.

There was minimal smoke inside the structure.

An interior building sprinkler head had also been activated.

The fire was extinguished, and the incident brought under control within an hour with no injuries reported.

The Urbana Fire Department was assisted by Champaign Fire Department, Carle Arrow Ambulance, and Ameren Electric.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Complete damage estimates are undetermined due to operational downtime and possible equipment damage.

Residential, Single Family Home

Alpharetta, GA – Sprinkler system extinguishes house fire; No injuries reported

A Monday morning house fire in Alpharetta was caused by a power strip that was placed on top of a blanket, firefighters say.

Fortunately, the home was equipped with a sprinkler system and the fire was extinguished before fire crews arrived.

According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety at about 11:45 a.m. Monday, Alpharetta firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire on Calypso Drive. As crews arrived on scene and made contact with the homeowner, they found that one of the residents had placed a power strip on top of a blanket on the couch, located on the second level of the townhome.

The resident had then gone downstairs to check on the food in the oven and, in the time that they were gone, the blanket and then the couch caught on fire.

The heat from the flames activated the fire sprinklers directly above the couch and extinguished the fire before fire crews arrived on scene.

Firefighters confirmed that the fire was out and made sure that the fire had not extended to other areas.

No injuries were reported from the incident. Smoke was evacuated from the structure and firefighters performed salvage and overhaul to reduce water damage from the fire sprinkler activation.

According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, in homes equipped with fire sprinkler systems, 97% of house fires never leave the room of origin.

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