Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Apartment Building, Residential

Damage minimized at apartment thanks to fire sprinkler system (Rochester, NY)

A second story apartment unit had a kitchen fire the afternoon of September 1. Fire crews were alerted to the fire by the activation of the building’s fire sprinkler system. The sprinklers quickly suppressed the fire.

“This was a great save,” said Rochester Fire Marshal Larry Mueller. “Had the sprinkler not been installed in the structure, the fire would have rapidly grown and caused extensive damage to the structure.”

No one was reported injured, and the cause of the fire was slated as unattended cooking on the stove.

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinklers control fire at apartment building (Alabaster, AL)

A second floor apartment building caught fire the afternoon of August 22, and two fire crews arrived to the scene. The fire sprinkler activated and contained the fire, which is now believed to have started due to unattended cooking materials on the stove. No one was injured in the fire, and no structural damage occurred thanks to the fire sprinkler activation. 

***Blog Editor’s Note – Please let us know what you think of the coverage by AL.com and journalist Martin Reed, who focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system.***

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Sprinklers control fire at commercial building (Falmouth, ME)

An afternoon fire began August 18 in the basement of a 30,000 square foot commercial building, and the responding fire crew is giving the building’s fire sprinklers credit for limiting the damage. According to Falmouth Fire Chief Howard Rice, Jr., one sprinkler head activated and controlled much of the fire that began in near the hot water heater in the basement; firefighters were able to extinguish the remaining fire in 15 minutes. There were no injuries reported.

Department Store, Retail

Fire sprinkler system aids firefighters in suspected arson fire (Amherst, NY)

A fire that broke out in a department store on the afternoon of August 15 is now being ruled as “suspicious” by the Amherst Police Department. A stack of men’s shorts spontaneously caught on fire, and the store was evacuated while the store’s fire sprinkler system activated and kept the fire from spreading. There were no reported injuries from the incident, and the store was slated to open the following day.

*** Blog Editor’s Note: Tell us what you think of the coverage by WKBW News and Megan Erbacher. Only the substantial heat from potentially deadly and damaging fire will operate a fire sprinkler, not smoke. Also, the sprinkler saved the store from experiencing a much larger fire, where the damage would have been much worse, and could have possibly caused injury or loss of life. ***

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Sprinklers make the difference in manufacturing plant fire (Prescott, AZ)

When a fire broke out in a manufacturing plant the afternoon of August 13, several fire crews came out to suppress the flames. The origin of the fire was in the ventilation system behind a sanding machine, and the flames climbed up the wall to the ceiling. Two sprinkler heads activated and contained the blaze.

Fire Marshall Rick Chase said, “Without those sprinkler heads going off, it could have easily been really bad.” 

There were no injuries. 

Dry Cleaner, Retail

Fire sprinkler system helps contain blaze at dry cleaner (Pleasanton, CA)

A dry-cleaning business at a strip mall caught fire Wednesday, but a sprinkler system inside the building kept the blaze from spreading and causing even more damage to the surrounding stores, a battalion chief said. The blaze began around 5:47 p.m.  Fire crews saw heavy smoke coming from the business when they arrived, but the fire sprinklers inside the store were activated after clothes on the conveyor system caught fire, Neiman-Kimel said. Those sprinklers kept the fire at bay until crews were able to get inside and extinguish it, Neiman-Kimel said.