Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at UPS warehouse; No injuries reported

A Rochester UPS warehouse and UPS trucks were damaged by fire late Saturday night.

No one was injured, but it will be sometime before an estimate of damages to the packages and their contents, trucks and the building can be tallied.

Firefighters were called to the warehouse at the 1600 block of Opportunity Road NW just before 11 p.m.

An automatic alarm showed sprinkler system flow and smoke in different parts of the warehouse. Witnesses reported to dispatch that they saw flames shortly before firefighters arrived.

Fire crews found fire with smoke coming from the building in a loading dock area on the north end of the building where UPS trucks were parked.

Firefighters called for a ladder truck to help fight the fire from above. Firefighters also cut into some of the trucks that were on fire to put out the fire in the cargo areas of the trucks.

Pulver Towing helped move some of the trucks away from the warehouse in case of fire rekindling from one of the trucks.

Rochester Police Department, Rochester Public Utilities, Minnesota Energy, Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service, Stewartville Fire Department and Byron Fire Department all assisted at the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Westfield, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

Two families are left without a home following a fire in a Westfield apartment complex Tuesday night.

Fire officials told Western Mass News that this was not the first fire in that same apartment building.

Back in 2018, a fire in Building 5 of the Powder Mill Village displaced everyone living there. On Tuesday, another fire in that same building displaced two families.

The Fire Department credited a new sprinkler system for saving lives and stopping the flames.

“I laughed and thought it was somebody that just over cooked their supper,” said Sheila Elmer.

Elmer’s family is now without a home after a fire broke out in the apartment above hers, also leaving her handicapped husband and autistic son with just the clothes on their backs.

“We’ve lost most of everything,” she told us. “Everything has a very bad burnt plastic smell.”

Westfield Fire officials told Western Mass News that they responded to the fire in Building 5 of Powder Mill Village around 6 p.m. on Tuesday night and that the cause has been identified as an unattended candle.

Deputy Fire Chief Seth Ellis said that a fire in the same building close to 4 years ago displaced the entire building. It has since been rebuilt, and because of new laws, a sprinkler system had to be installed, which he said ultimately saved lives.

“The sprinkler system that was installed in the building after a serious fire in 2018 extinguished the fire for the most part prior to the fire department arrival and prevented this from being a much worse incident,” Deputy Chief Ellis explained.

Elmer said that if it was not for the sprinkler system, her family may not have gotten out in time.

“If the sprinkler wasn’t there, it would’ve caught on fire and burnt multiple, again like last time,” she told us.

She said that her husband is in the hospital after having difficulty breathing and her son’s therapy cat is missing, but she is glad everyone is safe and is hopeful her family will be able to find a handicapped accessible apartment quickly.

“We have a lot of support,” said Elmer. “The immediate need is just getting us a place to live. I have fourteen dollars in the bank. I’m not going to get anywhere with that. It’s too cold to be in the car; my husband and son can’t be in the car. I can, but not them.”

The fire department said that some of the other buildings in the complex have partial sprinkler systems in place but Building 5 is the only building with a full system. They also recommended using electronic candles instead of an open flame. No injuries were reported.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Indianapolis, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility; No injuries reported

More than 40 residents were displaced after a fire at an east Indianapolis senior living facility Tuesday morning.

The fire at Crown Pointe Senior Living Community, located at 7365 E. 16th St., was reported just after midnight. The Indianapolis Fire Department said an investigation revealed the fire started in the dining hall on the first floor at the location of a gas fireplace.

When first responders arrived, there was fire and smoke showing from the second floor, and an evacuation was in progress. The facility’s sprinkler system had activated.

IFD and Lawrence Fire Department crews brought the fire under control in roughly 30 minutes. 

IFD said 44 people were evacuated from the building without any injuries. Residents were placed on IndyGo buses for heated shelter and moved to a nearby senior living facility.

The Marion County Health Department responded to the scene due to the kitchen being impacted. The Indianapolis Department of Public Works was also dispatched due to slick areas from salt.

When first responders arrived, there was fire and smoke showing from the second floor, and an evacuation was in progress. The facility’s sprinkler system had activated.

IFD and Lawrence Fire Department crews brought the fire under control in roughly 30 minutes. 

IFD said 44 people were evacuated from the building without any injuries. Residents were placed on IndyGo buses for heated shelter and moved to a nearby senior living facility.

The Marion County Health Department responded to the scene due to the kitchen being impacted. The Indianapolis Department of Public Works was also dispatched due to slick areas from salt.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Santa Maria, CA – Sprinkler system activated for commercial business fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters got the call at 4:17 a.m., an official with Santa Maria Fire Department confirmed on Monday.

Crews were able to knock the fire down quickly.

Because the building’s sprinkler system was activated, fire officials say the fire only extended into a small portion of the building.

Investigators are reviewing security footage as they work to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire crews responded to a structure fire in Santa Maria early Monday morning.

Officials say the fire broke out on the 300 block of North Blosser Rd. in Santa Maria. According to a tweet the department shared, the fire started outside the building and burned into it, activating the building’s sprinkler system.

Santa Maria Fire Department sent four engines and a truck to fight the fire. Santa Maria Police Department and AMR were also on scene.

No one was injured in the blaze, but fire officials are urging people to avoid the area.

The fire’s cause is under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Loveland, CO – Sprinkler system activated for commercial business fire; No injuries reported

An indoor sprinkler system helped Loveland firefighters contain a commercial fire at The Forge Campus at the former Hewlett-Packard campus in southwest Loveland early Monday morning.

According to a Facebook post from the Loveland Rescue Authority, crews responded to a fire alarm at a building at 815 14th St. SW just after 4 a.m. Monday. Once on scene crews found a fire in the building that was being controlled by a sprinkler. The fire sprinklers, according to the post, contained the fire to the area of origin in the manufacturing portion of the business.

The incident was upgraded to a commercial structure fire, calling in additional LFRA resources as well as a Thompson Valley EMS ambulance to the scene. The post added crews quickly extinguished the fire, which involved hazardous materials, and hazmat personnel worked to identify the materials involved as well as necessary mitigating actions.

Tim Smith, who was recently promoted to operations division chief, said that the fire was still under investigation and no injuries were reported.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Fayetteville, NC – Sprinkler system activated for fire at nursing home; No injuries reported

The Fayetteville Fire Department battled a fire at Autumn Care of Fayetteville nursing home Sunday night.

The first units arrived around 11:30 p.m and found a fire located in a room on the 400 hall of the facility.

Thirteen residents were forced out of their rooms while six others sheltered in place.

The facility’s sprinkler system had contained the fire to a single room, through the Fayetteville Fire Department said the fire did extend to the exterior of the building.

Crews were able to extenguish the fire, which officials with the department said was caused by a mounted heater.

Cape Fear Valley EMS is assessing residents of the facility, though no injuries have been reported.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Lexington, KY – Sprinkler system activated for fire at ice rink

People enjoying some ice skating last night at the Lexington Ice and Recreation Center had quite the scare when a small fire started inside the building

According to the Lexington Fire Department, crews responded to the call around 9:17 p.m. Saturday.

The department says when they arrived everyone had evacuated from the building…and they were able to put out the fire with the help of the buildings sprinkler system.

The Fire Department says one girl did suffer minor injuries but was treated at the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lafayette, IN – Sprinkler system extinguishes electrical fire at hotel

A malfunction of an electrical device has been determined as the cause of a hotel room fire early Jan. 16 in Lafayette.

According to the Lafayette Fire Department, firefighters responded to a call at about 6:30 a.m. Jan. 16 to the Courtyard by Marriott, 150 Fairington Ave., for a reported fire inside a hotel room.

When firefighters arrived, the fire had been extinguished by the hotel’s sprinkler system inside the room, which had been occupied. Fire officials said the occupants were able to escape the room. There were no reported injuries to the occupants or other guests in nearby rooms.

Fire officials said heat from the fire activated a single head from the building’s sprinkler system and doused the fire, preventing the spread of flames to other areas of the room or hotel.

Officials said firefighters ensured the blaze was extinguished, had not extended to other areas of the building and shut down the activated sprinkler system.

The Lafayette Fire Department credits a self-closing door, and the building fire sprinkler system with containing, extinguishing and limiting the damage and amount of toxic smoke created by this fire.

The suspected electrical device which fire officials said caused the fire was not specifically identified. The estimated amount of damage to the hotel room has not been determined.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

San Antonio, TX – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at former restaurant

San Antonio fire officials say they believe someone deliberately set fire to a former restaurant on the northwest side of the city early Friday morning.

The fire broke out around 1 am at Joe’s Crab Shack in the 4700 block of Northwest Loop 410 near Babcock Road.

According to fire authorities, a San Antonio police officer happened to be driving a car, saw the smoke and called. Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire inside the building.

Officials say someone seems to have thrown a Molotov cocktail through the window and triggered the sprinkler system. The sprinkler system has put out most of the fire.

The restaurant was closed and boarded, so no one was inside and no other nearby building was threatened by fire.

Firefighters said this was the second time a suspicious fire had broke out in a building within the last few months.

Currently, investigators have not been arrested.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A fire sprinkler system did its job at a Madison apartment complex Sunday.

Crews were called to the complex in the 200 block of North Walbridge Avenue just after 11 a.m.

Officials said a resident on the third floor had heated oil on a stovetop, which caused a fire. The fire sprinkler system was activated, extinguishing the flames.

No injuries were reported and no occupants were displaced. Officials said the fire caused about $1,500 worth of damage.

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