Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Las Cruces, NM – Sprinkler system suppresses fire until fire crews arrive

Firefighters dowsed a rubbish fire inside a downtown-area warehouse on Monday. 

Officials said the fire, which started shortly after 1 p.m. on July 5, threatened to consume the entire building and surrounding homes. Dan Trujillo, Las Cruces Police Department spokesperson, said sprinklers in the warehouse suppressed the fire until firefighters arrived. 

“Firefighters entered the warehouse and found heavy smoke and fire along the east wall of the building,” Trillijo said in a news release. 

Trujillo said that no one was inside the warehouse when it caught fire. He said the cause of the fire is still under investigation and that damage estimates are not available.

The Las Cruces Fire Department credits a working sprinkler system with helping prevent the fire from spreading and damaging more of the building,” he said. “LCFD encourages the professional installation and utilization of a sprinkler or fire suppression system in buildings that do not already have such a system.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire

Firefighters, with an assist from an indoor sprinkler system, knocked down a fire inside a Westchester apartment building Sunday.

The blaze inside a building at 7140 S,. Flight Ave. was reported at 4:48 p.m., Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said.

The department sent 28 firefighters to the scene and extinguished the flames in under 25 minutes, Prange said.

Firefighters used covers to protect belongings from water damage from the sprinklers, he said. Firefighters will remain on site to air out the building with mechanical blowers, he said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Fulton, MO – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at business

A Fulton woman was arrested for arson in the first degree after a fire was allegedly intentionally set in the basement of the Moser’s off of North Business 54.  

Pamela Cordrey, 48, is an employee of the Moser’s and was working at the time of the fire. She was arrested and taken to the Callaway County Jail on no bond, the Fulton Police Department said. 

The Fulton Police Department alongside the Fulton Fire Department, Central Fire Department and Callaway EMS responded to the fire around 2:07 p.m.

In a press release, the Fulton Fire Department said upon arrival of the first engine company smoke was showing from the grocery store. Fire crews made entry into the structure and reported moderate smoke inside the structure.

When the fire crews entered the basement, there was an active fire with the fire sprinkler system activated. Fire was extinguished within minutes.

With the help of the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s office, Fulton Police said it was determined that the fire was set intentionally and caused significant damage to the area.

The Fulton Fire Department said the structure received smoke and minor water damages and that the Estimated loss is unavailable at this time.

Fulton Police posted on Facebook around 2:55 p.m. Wednesday, announcing Moser’s would be closed until further notice. 

Anyone with any information should call the Fulton Police Department at 573-592-3100, Crime Stoppers at 573-592-2474 or your local law enforcement agency.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Collierville, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Target

Target in Collierville is temporarily closed for business after flames blazed inside the store Saturday.

The fire was reported just before 12:00 p.m. at Target on 325 New Byhalia Rd., according to the Collierville Fire Department.

When firemen arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames on a grocery aisle.

“Due to the location of the fire being in the back corner of the store, it took some endurance for our firefighters to quickly move back and forth from their engines to the fire. Two firefighters became overheated, were treated at the scene, and have now recovered,” said Paul Witt, Chief of Fire Prevention.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Officials said Target will remain closed as repairs and the investigation is underway.

There is currently no reopen date.

The Collierville Fire Department responded to a fire 6/12 at 11:54 AM at Target on 325 New Byhalia Rd in Collierville. Upon arrival, crews discovered heavy smoke and a fire on a grocery aisle which activated two sprinkler heads above the fire. Customers & employees exited safely.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Walmart; No injuries reported

On June 14 at about 4:36 pm Clark County Fire department says it received multiple calls of a fire inside Walmart located on Boulder Highway near Harmon Avenue.

A high-level response was dispatched consisting of 7 engines, 2 trucks, 2 rescues, and 2 battalion chiefs.

Prior to fire units arriving, CCFD says it was reported that a suspect was in custody. It was later clarified that the person had gotten away.

Fire command says they requested fire investigators respond upon being notified of this information.

CCFD says the store’s fire sprinkler system was activated preventing the spread of the fire.

Crews made entry and extinguished the fire and secured the sprinkler system, preventing further damage due to water.

A primary and secondary life search was conducted and found to be all clear.

There were no reported injuries.

This is still an active scene with crews still on-site, fire investigators have arrived and started their investigation.

Damages have not been estimated yet.

In all, 57 CCFD personnel responded.

This does appear to be related to other fires that have occurred at Walmarts throughout the city, but this is an ongoing investigation and a suspect has not been identified.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Norfolk, NE – Sprinkler system activated for warehouse fire; No injuries reported

Crews responded to the scene of a reported fire inside the MP Global building in northern Norfolk at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Two rigs from the Norfolk Fire Division initially responded to the scene off of Riverside Boulevard before mutual aid from Hadar Fire & Rescue, Hoskins/Woodland Park and Battle Creek Fire & Rescue were brought in.

The fire started in the southern, warehouse half of the building and was caused by a hot piece of metal inside grinder material, said Capt. Lannce Grothe with the Norfolk Fire Division. Firefighters entered the business from the west side.

Several employees could be seen standing in the building’s west lawn while crews worked the scene. Nobody was injured and all employees had evacuated the building by the time crews had arrived, Grothe said.

No structural damage was done to the building, Grothe said, but the fire caused about $20,000 in damage to equipment.

MP Global’s water sprinkler system and carbon dioxide sprinkler system contained the fire, Grothe said, preventing a far worse outcome. Initial reports led fire crews to believe that they had a much bigger fire on their hands, he said.

“We wanted to call in mutual aid with the possibility of a big fire,” Grothe said. “And, on a hot day like this, you want to have all the manpower you can.”

MP Global employs about 140 people across its two Norfolk plants and 85 at the Riverside Boulevard location where the fire occurred, said Al Collison, owner and chief executive officer.

“I was in shock at first. We have protocol that, when something like this happens, everybody evacuates the building, our systems respond to the fire and then the fire department takes over,” Collison said. “They all got out right away, so everyone is safe.”

About 25 employees were inside the building when the fire started, Collison said.

“It’s a shock; your biggest worry is making sure people are out,” he said.

As of about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, crews remained on scene and were working to ventilate the building. MP Global, which operates 24 hours a day, was expected to be operating again by 6 a.m. Thursday, Collison said.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Norfolk Police Division also responded to the scene.

MP Global is a cardboard liner company that had to recover from a major fire in 2005 that Collison, the founder of MP Global, said proved to be “the most challenging period of my life.”

Damage was estimated at between $5 million and $6 million. With a stack of orders, Collison said in a 2005 Daily News story that he had to immediately find a site where production could continue almost seamlessly. Within two days of the fire, Collison located a factory in Mexico City, Mexico. Production was moved to Mexico for six months until the Norfolk facility reopened, Collison said.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system controls high-rise building fire until fire crews arrive

Firefighters worked to contain a fire that broke out inside a historic high-rise building in downtown Fresno on Sunday.

Around 4:00 p.m., the Fresno Fire Department says a fire engine responded to the Pacific Southwest Building near Fulton and Mariposa avenues after receiving a report that a sprinkler system was going off on the 14th floor.

When firefighters arrived, they found an alarm sounding inside of the building as residents made their way safely outside.

Firefighters made their way up to the 14th floor, where they called for a 2nd-Alarm after finding smoke.

After a 2nd-Alarm was called, several more fire engines arrived and could be seen surrounding the 16-story building.

The sprinkler system was able to keep the fire under control until firefighters could arrive and put it out.

Fire officials say investigators are working to figure out what started the fire.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Concord, NH – Fire quickly contained due to sprinkler system

A fire at a business on Sheep Davis Road on Tuesday has been deemed accidental by the city’s fire marshal.

Concord fire and rescue teams were sent to 215 Sheep Davis Road around 2 p.m. for a fire. Concord Fire Marshal Paul Sirois said an overheated light fixture, installed in a store rack, ignited combustible materials on and near the rack. The fire was contained by sprinklers and overhauled and cleared by firefighters — who checked for spread and removed smoke from the building.

Chief Sean Brown said Thursday the fire showed the “value” of having a sprinkler system in a business or home.

“The fire department received the initial call for an odor of smoke in the building while there were already three other active incidents going on in the city,” he said. “This led to a limited amount of resources available to respond as well as units responding from further away. Had the sprinkler system not helped to contain the fire, it is likely that the damage would have been significantly worse.”

Concord police assisted and Loudon firefighters were called to Concord for mutual aid during the incident.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Caldwells, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at university residence hall

A fire was extinguished at a Caldwell University residence hall on Monday, authorities said.

According to the Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, their peers in West Caldwell got a call about an active fire alarm at the Mother Joseph Residence Hall at 5:17 p.m. The Caldwell Fire Department was immediately dispatched to the scene.

On arrival, firefighters found the alarm sounding and the building evacuated. Firefighters soon found “heavy smoke” coming from the second floor and an activated sprinkler system. Arriving fire crews stretched a line to extinguish the fire in the second floor recycling area, officials said.

Caldwell firefighters got mutual aid from Essex Fells, West Caldwell, Cedar Grove, North Caldwell, Roseland and the West Essex First Aid Squad.

All units were clear of the scene at 7:07 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.

Officials said that fire damage was limited to the room of origin, but smoke and water damage was found throughout the building.

“The sprinklers and fire alarm system did their job and kept the fire in check until fire units arrived to completely extinguish the fire,” Chief Andrew Pollara said.

Caldwell University staff relocated students to other residence halls on campus, authorities said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

San Diego, CA – Fire on 10th floor of hotel extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A minor fire in a high-rise hotel next to Petco Park prompted an evacuation of the structure today along with closures of various nearby streets in the western reaches of the downtown East Village district.

The non-injury blaze erupted within a mini-refrigerator in a 10th-floor guest room at the Omni San Diego Hotel about 1:15 p.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The flames spread to a wooden cabinet and a small section of wall before being extinguished by a built-in fire-sprinkler system, SDFRD spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.

“The hotel (also) has an automatic system that notifies everyone inside to evacuate when … activated,” she said. “So that is what took place. The only fire damage was to the room itself where the fire started. There is some water damage to other areas.”

Authorities shut down a stretch of L Street, which fronts the hotel, and parts of J Street, K Street, Sixth Avenue and Tony Gwynn Drive while firefighters made sure the blaze was fully under control.