Residential, Single Family Home

Napa, CA – Garage fire contained by sprinkler system

The residents of a Napa house escaped injury after a fire began in the garage before dawn Monday, according to Napa Fire.

Firefighting crews were dispatched at 4:37 a.m. to Lugo Lane near Saratoga Avenue, where they found smoke filling a garage that had been converted to living space, according to Napa Fire spokesperson Matt Colburn. A firefighter used a circular saw to cut a hole in the garage door, which was disabled and could not be rolled open.

A sprinkler system contained the flames to the garage, and firefighters stayed at the scene for about 2 ½ hours putting out remaining hot spots in walls, Colburn said.

A person in the garage area heard an alarm sound and notified other residents, and all were able to leave the home uninjured, according to Colburn.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Monday’s residential fire was the second in the city to be contained by sprinklers in less than 24 hours, according to Napa Fire. Shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday, a sprinkler system helped put out flames inside an apartment at a senior housing center in the 1400 block of Redwood Road, although the resulting water flow forced about 10 other units to be vacated.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Santa Rosa, CA – Fire at senior housing center extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A small fire Sunday morning at a senior housing center was squelched by the sprinkler system, but the resulting flooding displaced several residents, according to Napa Fire.

The fire department was notified of a sprinkler activation and water-flow alarm at the building in the 1400 block of Redwood Road, according to Napa Fire spokesperson Matt Colburn. After the first engine company at the scene saw smoke in a hallway, other firefighters were called to the building, Colburn said.

Sprinklers doused the fire inside an apartment, but about 10 other units had to be vacated due to the resulting flow of water, according to Colburn, who said firefighters stayed for more than four hours to help clear out the water. No injuries were reported.

The cause remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Leavenworth, VA – Arson fire in apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire that resulted in the displacement of about a dozen people at a privately operated apartment building on the Leavenworth VA campus is being called a case of arson.

The fire was reported at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 3900 block of Franklin Avenue. No injuries were reported.

Leavenworth Fire Marshal Andy Brooks said someone apparently broke into a vacant second-floor apartment and placed miscellaneous items including mail and a DVD player on top of an electric stove. The person then turned on the burners.

The resulting fire activated the sprinkler system in the apartment, which put out the fire.

“The sprinkler basically ran until we shut it off,” Brooks said.

He said water from the sprinkler system flooded the apartment and a foyer area located on a lower level.

Brooks said electricity had to be shut off at the building.

“Water was flowing where we couldn’t see it,” he said. “We didn’t want to have any electrical hazards.”

He said the sprinkler system also was shut down to stop it from running and allow it to be drained out.

Brooks said about 12 tenants were displaced. He said the American Red Cross offered assistance to the people who were affected.

Angie Springs, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross, said in an email that the response team assisted the people who were impacted to address their immediate needs.

Brooks said a suspect has not been identified in the arson investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Riverside, CA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A man was taken into custody for allegedly setting fire to his room at a hotel in Riverside.

Firefighters were sent to the Hyatt Place hotel at 3500 Market St. at 10:09 p.m. Monday regarding “reports of (an) occupant in a hotel room trying to burn down his room he was occupying,” the City of Riverside Fire Department said in a statement.

“Firefighters arrived to find the hotel being evacuated, light smoke on the second floor and the hotel room door locked with a fire sprinkler activation,” the statement said.

“The environment was safe for RPD officers to assist firefighters with opening the door and securing the hotel room. Firefighters discovered a small fire in the hotel room extinguished by the fire sprinkler system.”

The suspect was not in the room but was found in the building and detained by Riverside police officers. His name was not immediately released.

Firefighters assisted hotel staff with water removal from several hotel rooms and a hallway. Four hotel rooms were affected by the water from the fire sprinkler system. Damage was estimated at $100,000, the fire department reported.

About 50 occupants were evacuated from the structure but were allowed to re-occupy their rooms by about 11 p.m., the fire department reported. Hotel management accommodated occupants who were displaced by the water damage to other unoccupied hotel rooms.

City of Riverside Fire Department Arson Investigators responded to the scene and working with RPD conducted an investigation that is still ongoing.

There were no injuries.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Lexington, KY – Fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews and an industry’s sprinkler system combined to quickly put out a fire today at the J.M. Smucker facility on Winchester Road.

According to Lexington Fire Battalion Chief Jordan Saas, firefighters responded to the report of a fire at about noon at the facility. Crews found smoke coming from the roof on the backside of the building and once on top, fire was discovered in one of the hoppers.

The fire was extinguished using a hose line and the building’s sprinkler system, Saas said.

No injuries were reported.

As of 1 p.m., crews remained on the scene checking for hotspots but the scene was turned back over the company at about 1:15 p.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Columbus, IN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire on apartment balcony; No injuries reported

Columbus firefighters were sent to The Enclave Apartments, 275 N. Marr Road, at 9:56 a.m. Sunday after a fire alarm activated due to water flow being detected in the building’s sprinkler system.

When firefighters arrived, they saw a sprinkler head on a third-story balcony had activated and was showering water. When they went to the third floor apartment, they were unable to make contact with anyone inside and breached the door to do a search, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.

After determining no one was in the apartment, they went to the balcony where they saw evidence a fire had occurred and had been extinguished by the sprinkler system, Wilson said.

The fire caused damage to the exterior vinyl siding as well as a portion of the wooden structure on balcony. To ensure the fire had not extended into the attic space or internal apartment, firefighters removed additional sections of siding and drywall which confirmed the fire was isolated to the balcony area.

Damages are estimated at $5,000. Columbus Fire Department investigators are investigating the cause. No injuries were reported at the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Montgomery, AL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Pike Road firefighters say a fire Sunday could have been much worse if not for the apartment’s sprinkler system.

According to the Pike Road Fire Department, Capt. David Hughes, the fire happened at the Stone Park Apartment complex. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. Firefighters deactivated the sprinkler system and began cleaning efforts.

No one was injured during the fire, according to Hughes.

Additional details surrounding the fire have not been released.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Easley, SC – Sprinkler system activated for fire at market; No injuries reported

A fire at the Ingles on Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley is under investigation.

It happened around 11:06 p.m. Friday. The Easley Fire Department said crews located a fire in the storage area near the bakery. The sprinkler system was actively working and no one was injured.

According to the fire department, this is the second incident at this store this week and the fire has been ruled suspicious.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wichita Falls, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

A two-alarm fire broke out early Friday in a Wichita Falls apartment complex that caters to Midwestern State  University students.

According to Wichita Falls Fire Depart assistant fire marshal Jared Burchett:

The alarm at Mustang Village, 5005 Lake Park Drive, came in shortly before 1:30 a.m. Firefighters received a report multiple people were trapped with some jumping from windows to escape.

The first fire trucks on the scene reported smoke coming from one of the buildings. Firefighters ran hoses and began rescuing multiple people from the burning structure.

It was discovered most of the fire damage was to an exterior potion of a storage area located in a corridor of a stairwell. The fire appeared to have spread along some plastic siding, through the stairwell and up to the third floor. Burchett said residents attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers and the building’s sprinkler system was activated.

AMR medics evacuated multiple people at the scene, but no one was transported to the hospital. A man and woman were seen being treated for what appeared to be smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross was called to assist 13 people affected by the fire. 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Ottumwa, IA – Fire at hotel quickly extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Crews continue to review and repair the sixth floor of Hotel Ottumwa after Monday night’s fire. Residents were evacuated from the building Monday evening as firefighters put out a fire in an elevator storage room and funneled smoke out of the building.

The hotel is now letting residents back in, though at time of publication the power is still off on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors. The elevator is shut off, with the hotel’s maintenance worker saying it likely won’t be back up until Friday.

Fire Chief Tony Miller says the fire was caused by an electrical issue in an elevator storage closet. An electrical meter corroded, sparking a fire, and catching a roll-up mattress in the room on fire. It activated a sprinkler on the 6th floor, which firefighters say helped in putting out the fire quickly.

However, Chief Miller notes these types of sparks can just happen from time to time. “Hotel Ottumwa is maintained pretty good, but occasionally you have an accident. And that was what this was: nothing but an accident. Between the fire department and health department, we inspect that place on a regular basis. So if there’s anything that’s off kilter, we take care of it and make sure it’s maintained like it should be.”

The fire department is reviewing the fire damage done to the room and sixth floor of the hotel. They also had to kick in a door on the sixth floor to rescue a resident. Chief Miller says they took two people to the hospital, both with smoke immolation.

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