Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Guymon, OK – Fire inside large steel cooker contained thanks to sprinkler system

Sunday afternoon, Guymon firefighters were called to a reported fire at the Seaboard Plant. The fire was reported at 12 p.m. to 911 dispatch from workers reporting a grease fire inside the large rendering room area. Upon firefighters’ arrival, “they found heavy smoke coming from the back portion of the plant and flames from inside and atop one of the main cookers just inside the building,” said Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley.

The fire was located inside a large steel cooker that is approximately two to three stories tall and held an estimated 18,000 gallons of animal fat. Firefighters had to use multiple fire lines to knock down the fire then begin cooling the equipment and the entire room down. Flame damage was present to the roof and insulation from the immediate area above the cooker. “Automated sprinkler system in this area played a huge part in containing this fire and prevented any spread to the rest of the plant,” said Chief Wadley. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to just the large room of the plant where the cooker was located. No fire extended into any other area of the plant. Two Seaboard employees were treated at the scene by Guymon Fire Department paramedics for minor smoke inhalation and heat exposure. Both were treated and released. Firefighters were on scene for nearly five hours.

The cause of the fire is under investigation along with damage assessment. Guymon Fire Department worked closely with Seaboard Plant officials in handling this fire and situation. This fire was not expected to interfere with normal operations Monday morning.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Pflugerville, TX – Sprinkler system contains fire to single unit at senior living complex

The Pflugerville Fire Department is crediting an effective sprinkler system and fire alarms in potentially saving many lives at a senior living apartment complex.

Firefighters responded to reports of the structure fire at 500 Grand Ave. Parkway, the HomeTowne at Picadilly active senior living apartments, Thursday around 12:52 p.m. A total of nine fire department units, including a fire department ambulance, arrived around seven minutes later.

Upon arrival, they discovered the fire was on the third floor with smoke showing. An employee on the scene was complaining of smoke inhalation, but they refused ambulance transport.

Firefighters said the fire was contained to just one apartment unit, thanks to fast action from the building’s sprinkler system. They also said smoke alarms alerted children in the apartment, who then told their grandmother, and they exited together.

“We consider this a huge success and shows the value that smoke alarms and fire sprinklers bring to the community with regard to saving lives and property, especially residents in multifamily dwellings and in a senior community such as this,” the fire department said. “This is a good reminder for everyone to check your smoke alarms frequently and to have a plan to escape a fire in your home, and to practice it. Fire can become inescapable in as little as three minutes.”

Officials said the residents will be displaced from the fire, but all other apartments will be reoccupied on Thursday. There was significant smoke and water damage to the unit below.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

London, Ontario, CA – Residential fire sprinkler system held mattress fire in check after dog chewed through battery pack on bed

London, Ont., fire officials are using an incident Thursday at a west London residential complex as a reminder for people to keep electronics, like power cords and battery packs, stored where pets can’t get them.

Fire crews responded to the scene at 320 Sugarcreek Trail, just northwest of Beaverbrook Avenue and Riverside Drive, around 3 p.m. July 23.

The call came in after the occupants of a unit at the address, who weren’t home at the time, were alerted to the fire by a home monitoring system, said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger.

After making a forced entry into the unit through a patio door, Mosburger said firefighters located two dogs inside and managed to get them out.

he building’s sprinkler system held the fire at bay until firefighters arrived, he added.

It was later determined the blaze began when a battery pack, chewed up by the dogs, ignited the mattress it was sitting on.“[Mattresses] are basically like a petroleum-based foam, so as soon as it gets going, it can be incredibly violent… and can consume a room and an apartment very, very quickly,” Mosburger said.

The two pups have since been taken to a veterinarian, he said. “From what I’ve heard, everything seems to be fine with the dogs.”

The blaze caused mostly smoke damage — about $25,000 worth, fire officials say. That tally doesn’t include water damage left behind by the sprinklers and fire crews.

Other - Retail, Retail

Vancouver, WA – Car on top of auto shop lift caught fire, kept in check by fire sprinklers

A fire sprinkler system helped check the spread of a vehicle fire at a Vancouver-area auto repair shop on Monday, according to the Vancouver Fire Department.

The blaze was reported as a commercial structure fire shortly after 4 p.m. at 7105 N.E. 40th Ave. after a car on top of an auto lift caught fire, the fire department said. Workers tried to put the fire out themselves but were pushed out by smoke.

The shop’s fire sprinkler system activated, keeping the fire in check until it could be extinguished by arriving firefighters. the department said.

No firefighters were injured, but one occupant of the business suffered minor burns to one of his hands. He declined medical treatment.

The fire is under investigation by the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Uncategorized

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system holds fire in check at commercial building; No injuries reported

A small fire broke out Monday afternoon in a one-story commercial building in Chatsworth, but no one was injured.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire, which was reported about 1:30 p.m. in the 9600 block of North De Soto Avenue. The blaze was held in check by the building’s sprinklers and workers who used a fire extinguisher, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The type of business was not immediately available.

Thirty-three firefighters responded to the scene and fully extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes, according to Stewart.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Langhorne, PA – Kitchen fire at four-story senior living building held in check thanks to sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system helped contain a Monday afternoon fire at a retirement community.

Firefighters were called to the Attleboro Village community off Winchester Avenue on the Langhorne Borough and Middletown Township border at 1:27 p.m. for an alarm. It was quickly determined that there was an active fire.

The fire was in an apartment and spread up the wall into the ceiling, said Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry.

The four-story senior living building was cleared of residents and crews had to account for everyone, Farry said.

The Penndel-Middletown Rescue Squad and Capital Health Emergency Medical Services evaluated the residents. No injuries were reported.

The fire was declared under control by 1:43 p.m., but Farry said it was largely held in check by the sprinkler system.

Several nearby apartments suffered water damage from the sprinkler system, Farry said.

The chief said the blaze was caused by the resident who turned on the stove with a plastic toaster on it.

The fire happened around the same time as strong storms came through the area. Farry said the worst of the storm had passed by the building was cleared of residents.

Farry said fire crews were able to response so fast to the retirement community because they were returning from an unfounded downed wires call by Maple Point Middle School.

The Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company was assisted at the scene by the Middletown Township Department of Fire and Emergency Management, Parkland Fire Company, Penndel Fire Company, Newtown Fire and Emergency Services, and the William Penn Fire Company.

Other - Retail, Retail

Battle Creek, MI – Fire sprinkler system contained building fire at tile & carpet shop; No injuries reported

Around 1 p.m. today, the Battle Creek Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire at Michigan Tile & Carpet at 99 E. Columbia Avenue.

While the building was partially occupied on arrival, occupants were able to exit the building, resulting in no injuries of fatalities.

Upon arrival, one of the rescue cars extended a handline to extinguish the contained fire in the warehouse area. The fire suppression system worked by containing the fire for crews to finish extinguishing.

Loss was minimized due to the multitude of units who arrived on scene. It is estimated by BCPD that Michigan Tile & Carpet experienced a loss of around $45,000 in property and contents damage combined.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kent, WA – Apartment sprinkler system extinguishes third-floor fire; No injuries reported

Puget Sound Fire extinguished two separate apartment fires on June 24 in Kent.

At about 12:34 p.m., firefighters responded to the 400 block of Novak Lane for a fire at the Alderbrook Apartments, according to an email from Puget Sound Fire spokesman Capt. Joe Root. Firefighters saw smoke from the window of a third-floor apartment.

A sprinkler system put out the kitchen fire and the occupants evacuated with no injuries.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Bennington, VT – Fire at senior housing complex contained thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

An emergency response was launched by firefighters, police and rescue personnel Wednesday afternoon after a fire was reported at the 50-unit Brookside Apartments senior housing complex on South Street.

Bennington Fire Chief James Wright said a fire in one of the apartments was called in at 2:55 p.m. The fire was confined to a closet area, he said, and did not cause significant damage.

However, the “sprinkler system did was it is supposed to do,” he said, resulting in smoke and water damage in the apartment on the building’s second level and damage on the ground level when water seeped through the ceiling near the front entrance.

Many residents evacuated when smoke alarms sounded, he said, while others were advised to shelter in place while firefighters dealt with the fire.

Residents standing outside near the parking lot at about 3:30 p.m. said some tenants likely would have required help evacuating because of limited mobility.

Wright said no injuries were reported, but the tenant where the fire occurred was not expected to be able to move back in for a few days. He said the Red Cross was called in the event temporary housing was needed.

Other tenants on the first level were temporarily kept out of their apartments while the water was cleaned up by Bennington Housing Authority personnel, he said.

As to the cause, Wright said, “We are looking at a candle,” which he said the woman said she had lit.

Firefighters were at the scene until shortly after 4 p.m.

The brick complex at 323 South St. has 26 one bedroom apartments and 24 efficiencies on five floors, according to the housing authority’s website. It was constructed in 1975.

Uncategorized

Juneau, AK – Sprinkler system stops fire form causing serious damage to commercial building

Capital City Fire Rescue said a commercial structure would have sustained serious fire damage had it not been for a sprinkler system and fire alarm.

Firemen responded just before 6 pm to the 8000 block of Glacier Highway after the report of smoke in the building.

Crews said they spotted light smoke haze in a large portion of the structure as they arrived, minutes later.

The crews were able to isolate the sprinkler flow and clear the smoke and odor from the structure.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical appliance failure.

Firemen said without both systems, the fire would have been far worse.