Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Clearfield, UT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at wood molding company; No injuries reported

Fire crews from multiple agencies responded to a commercial fire Thursday afternoon in Clearfield.

North Davis Fire District Chief Mark Becraft said the single-alarm fire, at 560 S. Main St., was inside the large structure owned by Interior Works, a company that produces wood molding.

“When crews arrived, there was smoke showing, and the building was evacuated,” Becraft told Gephardt Daily. “A sprinkler head popped and kept the fire in check.”

He said the fire was caused by a planer that malfunctioned, and it was a good thing “the sprinkling system did its job,” because firefighters’ visibility was hampered by all the smoke and sawdust.

“It wasn’t really a big fire, but it was a little bit of a task getting the building ventilated afterward because of (the building’s) size,” Becraft said, adding that crews were on scene for about an hour and 15 minutes.

He estimated damages at $100,000, with roughly $80,000 of that being the cost of the large commercial planer that caused the fire.

There were no injuries, Becraft said.

All North Davis Fire District crews responded, as well as firefighters from Syracuse, Hill Air Force Base, and Layton. The Davis County Sheriff’s Office also was on scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashville, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

The Nashville Fire Department responded to a kitchen fire at an apartment in the Fifth and Broadway complex Thursday night.

Crews were dispatched to 5055 Broadway Place. A security guard from The Place Apartments told the fire department the building was evacuated after someone reported seeing flames. 

When crews arrived to the scene, they discovered a kitchen fire on the sixth floor. According to NFD, the stove was accidentally turned on and started the fire. Crews were able to get a dog out of the apartment uninjured.

During the fire, the apartment’s sprinkler system activated and water was released through the balcony to prevent extensive water damage beyond the affected unit.

There were no injuries reported from the fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Berkeley County, SC – Fire at chophouse extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire investigators are working to determine what sparked a fire Thursday morning at a restaurant in the Nexton Community.

The C&B Fire Department responded to the Halls Chophouse at Nexton after a call came in to Berkeley County Dispatch at approximately 4:40 a.m.

The C&B Fire Department said its first officers on the scene spotted smoke showing from the fire.

C&B Fire Chief Josh Woodall said the restaurant’s sprinkler system put out the small fire. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Owner Tommy Hall released a statement Thursday morning about the fire:

Early this morning while Halls Nexton was closed, fire crews responded to a small fire contained to the lounge on the first floor of our restaurant. Authorities will be looking into the cause over the next few days. We are thankful that no one was hurt and that there was minimal damage.

The Pine Ridge, Summerville and Dorchester County Fire Departments also responded.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Escanaba, MI – Sprinkler system activated for fire in college welding building

This afternoon Escanaba Public Safety responded to a fire in Bay College’s welding building.

18 students and two instructors were evacuated safely.

Upon arrival, officers deployed attack lines and entered the building. The automated fire sprinkler system was already on.

It was determined a filter-system from one of the welding machines caught fire.

The building sustained smoke and water damage.

Escanaba Public Safety was assisted by DTE, Escanaba City Electric, and the Delta County Central Dispatch Center.

Apartment Building, Residential

West Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for couch fire at apartment complex

West Kelowna firefighters spent some of Sunday afternoon dousing a couch fire potentially sparked by an electrical charging device.

Reports of a fire alarm going off at the Harbor Ridge Apartments on Old Ferry Wharf Road prompted a crew to head to the building, where they found the sprinkler system activated and was holding a small fire in a couch on the first floor.

“Residents had evacuated the building and fire crews finished extinguishing the fire and stopping the flow of water from the sprinkler system,” fire chief Jason Brolund said in a press release.

“In this case, all systems and the residents of the building performed well. The fire alarm and suppression systems in the building functioned exactly as designed, alerting residents and holding the fire to a small size. The residents and building management did exactly as they should, evacuating the building and showing patience and understanding as firefighters took care of the emergency.”

Fire damage was contained to one unit and there was a small amount of smoke and water damage from the sprinkler system to five other nearby units.

“Most residents of the building were able to return home within two hours,” Brolund said. “The residents of six units have been offered Emergency Support Services while the status and damage of their units is further evaluated. Any residents with questions or requiring further assistance are directed to contact the building manager.”

The fire investigation has been completed. The cause of the fire has been deemed accidental, possibly related to an electrical charging device in the unit.

“This event is a great reminder of the importance of having an emergency plan including a grab-and-go kit for your self, your family and your pets. You never know when or why you may have to leave your home without notice and a few minutes of preparation can make this process much smoother,” he said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system activated for large electrical fire; No injuries reported

An electrical fire caused about $350,000 in damage and losses at a downtown Bend office building late Saturday night, but an official said the sprinkler system prevented more damage.

Bend Fire and Rescue was dispatched around 11:40 p.m. to the reported fire in a two-story commercial building in the 100 block of Northwest Greenwood Avenue, Deputy Fire Marshal Susie Maniscalco said.

Police and fire personnel arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the second story and roof of the unoccupied building, which is equipped with a full fire sprinkler and alarm systems, Maniscalco said.

Crews got to the second floor and said a single fire sprinkler in the attic kept the fire from spreading through the attic.

“Had the fire sprinklers not been in place, the long-term cleanup and disruption of businesses would have been greatly impacted,” Maniscalco said in a news release.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical fire relating to heat tape. No injuries were reported.

The building’s estimated value is $2.7 million, and property losses were estimated at $200,000, Maniscalco said. Contents were valued at $400,000, with losses of about $150,000.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Cincinnati, OH – Sprinkler system activated for grill fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Red Squirrel Restaurant is closing indefinitely after a structure fire, according to the Colerain Police Department.

Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 5 p.m. to 8227 Colerain Ave. over the weekend. Agencies arrived approximately two minutes later and found heavy smoke coming from the front door of the restaurant and flames were on the roof, according to a press release.

The restaurant had been evacuated of all employees and customers.

The fire began on the restaurant grill, officials said. The Colerain Fire Department was assisted by crews from North College Hill and Mount Healthy. 

The building had extensive smoke damage and water damage from the activated sprinkler heads, according to the Colerain Fire Department.

No injuries were reported.

The entire hood system and suppression system will need to be replaced, the fire department said.

Damages are estimated at approximately $20,000, according to the Colerain Fire Department.

Apartment Building, Residential

Skokie, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

People in one Skokie residential building are dealing with the aftermath of a fire that has left them in the dark.

About 140 people live in the 10-story building.

On the fifth floor, a small fire triggered the sprinkler system, and while the fire was quickly contained, those sprinklers did their job so well spraying water that it actually flooded parts of the rest of the building.

“There’s too much of it on five, and it’s all through the elevators and everything,” said resident Michelle Carelli. “My apartment’s got it through the hallway. I”ll have some cleaning to do in my apartment.”

There were no injuries as a result of the fire.

Skokie Fire said the fire actually got inside the electrical system, which can be dangerous, so they had to shut down power to the building. Saturday morning they were working with electricians and Cook County Emergency Management and hoped to have power restored within several hours.

Apartment Building, Residential

East Wenatchee, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes cooking fire caused by oil

A Tuesday night structure fire in East Wenatchee left occupants displaced and was a result of oil left cooking on the stove.

According to public information officer, Kay McKellar, Douglas County Fire District 2 responded to the structure fire around 9 p.m. in the 500 block of 11th street. A man in the home was cooking oil on the stove and left to head to the grocery store. When he returned home, the oil had started a small fire.

The overhead sprinkler did put out the fire, however there was water damage from the sprinkler to both the unit and the one below. The Red Cross was called to assist with the displaced occupants.

Residential, Single Family Home

Lexington Park, MD – Sprinkler system activated for residential fire; No injuries reported

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at 4:34 a.m., firefighters from the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department were alerted to 22278 Scott Circle in Lexington Park, for the residential fire alarm.

Dispatchers received a 911 call from the alarm company reporting a 1st floor smoke detector sounding. Less than 2 minutes later, the resident called 911 reporting the house was on fire.

The assignment was then upgraded to a structure fire, bringing firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, and Hollywood to the scene.

Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with smoke showing.

Upon further investigation, firefighters located and extinguished a small fire in a closet.

Firefighters checked for extensions and searched the residence which yielded negative results.

The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal responded to the scene to continue the investigation.

Preliminary investigation revealed the residents were alerted to the fire by the smoke detectors in the home, the resident discovered the fire and called 911.

Officials want to continue the importance of citizens replacing smoke detectors yearly and making sure they work properly. The smoke detectors and residential sprinkler system were both present and activated, with the sprinkler system controlling the fire until the arrival of fire department personnel.

The owner is identified as Ronald Flowers, with the estimated loss of structure and contents valued at $11,000.00

No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross was requested for three adults and one child.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Southern Regional Office, at 443-550-6831.

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