No injuries were reported in the fire.
The fire broke out on the evening of Aug. 11. Fire officials credited a single fire sprinkler for containing the blaze to one specific area and preventing further damage.
No other information was provided.
Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at historic university building
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.
Idaho Falls, ID – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported
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.
Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported
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.
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.
Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for commercial building fire; No injuries reported
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.
St. Louis Park, MN – Sprinkler system activated for early morning arson fire at fitness center; No injuries reported
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.
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.
Isla Vista, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes early morning fire at restaurant
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.
Portland, OR – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire outside warehouse; No injuries reported
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.