Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Farmington, ME – Malfunctioning ceiling fan fire put out by sprinkler system at rehabilitation & living center

A fire at Edgewood Rehabilitation & Living Center displaced more than three dozen residents and employees Sunday afternoon, according to the Farmington Fire Department.

Fire Chief Terry Bell said the fire, reported at about noon, was likely caused by a malfunctioning ceiling fan in one of the living center’s bathrooms.

Bell said more than 40 people were evacuated from the building at 228 Fairbanks Road. They were taken to Mt. Blue High School, also in Farmington.

The Franklin County Regional Communications Center posted on its Facebook page that staff from Edgewood, Northstar Ambulance, Regional School Unit 9 and several fire departments had set up at Mt. Blue High School to provide care for the Edgewood residents.

The fire was knocked down at about 1 p.m., according to Bell.

“The sprinkler system did its job and put most of the fire out,” he said. “Unfortunately, there was a good amount of damage to the building, from the fire and the water used to put it out.”

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oxford, NJ – Mattress fire at Rehabilitation and Nursing Center extinguished by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A mattress fire Tuesday inside Warren Haven Rehabilitation and Nursing Center was extinguished by the facility’s sprinkler system, authorities said.

It was reported at 12:07 p.m. on the second floor at the 350 Oxford Road facility in Mansfield Township, according to township police Chief Michael Reilly.

It occurred in Room 243, which was unoccupied at the time and in an unoccupied wing, said Warren County Fire Marshal Joe Lake.

No one was injured, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation by township police, Lake and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. 

Upon activation of a fire alarm, staff initiated their evacuation protocol, police said. Residents there were allowed to remain inside, behind closed doors, according to Lake.

Firefighters vented smoke from the building, and residents were allowed to go about their day, police said. 

Responding to the incident along with township police, Lake and the prosecutor’s office were the Mansfield Township Fire Department, Tri-County Fire Department, Oxford Township Fire Department, Independence Township Fire Department, Oxford Rescue Squad, Washington Borough Rescue Squad, Hackettstown Rescue Squad and Warren County Hazmat.

Privately owned, Warren Haven says it offers respite, short-term sub-acute rehabilitation and long-term care stays, as well as a secured memory care unit.

The facility was fully operational immediately following the incident and is working with local officials and the New Jersey Department of Health to investigate what happened, Warren Haven CEO Amy Austin said in a statement.

“Warren Haven remains committed to providing a safe environment of care for all of its residents/patients, employees, families, and visitors, and will continue to follow the guidance of the New Jersey State Department of Health and local authorities as necessary and appropriate,” Austin stated.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lake Delton, WI – Automatic sprinkler system completely puts out fire at Kalahari condo; No injuries reported

Authorities say no one was hurt after a kitchen fire started inside a resort condo unit.

According to Delton Fire Department, firefighters found the Kalahari Resort condo full of smoke when they arrived around 6 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone had gotten out safely.

Fire officials say automatic sprinklers were able to put the fire out completely. Firefighters used fans to remove smoke and helped clean up the water.

A teenager left the room while cooking on the stove and forgot to turn the burner off, according to investigators.

Someone else inside the condo woke up to flames in the kitchen and saw the sprinklers turn on right away. Officials describe it as a volatile grease fire.

The condos had to be evacuated for about 45 minutes but the Kalahari is still open for business.

In a Facebook post Sunday night, fire officials say this incident is an example of the importance of functioning sprinkler systems.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Eureka, CA – Fire sprinkler prevents significant fire damage throughout hotel by confining fire to one room; No injuries reported

On 6/5/19 at 2:44 P.M. units from Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a reported structure fire at a hotel on the 2200 Block of Fourth Street. The first arriving engine found heavy smoke in one first floor room of the hotel. There was fire coming from a wall and window area. Bystanders had helped contain the main body of fire with multiple fire extinguishers. The automatic sprinkler system had also activated, assisting with keeping the fire confined to a single room. The room directly above it on the second floor had light smoke in it. The fire was controlled in approximately five minutes.

Fire personnel searched both the first and second floors for any remaining occupants, extinguished hotspots, and removed smoke from the other room. Personnel also secured the sprinkler system to minimize water damage. There were no injuries in the fire. One room and its contents were destroyed with damage estimates of about $15,000.

The cause of the fire appeared to be a malfunctioning heater unit. Although the sprinkler system caused water damage, because of its presence, it undoubtedly prevented much more significant fire damage throughout the hotel by confining the fire to one room.

Apartment Building, Residential

Augusta, ME – Third-floor apartment fire mitigated by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire Chief Roger Audette said the quick response from city firefighters — and an operational sprinkler and alarm system — subdued a potentially dangerous fire downtown on Monday.

The fire at 227 Water St. was reported by an alarm around 4:40 p.m. Monday. Firefighters closed down a portion of Water Street until about 5:45 p.m.

There was heavy smoke on the third floor, Audette said, but it was not visible from the street.

He said the fire started in a third-floor apartment’s closet after rags, coated with a combination of wood stain and polyurethane used to finish hardwood flooring, “spontaneously combusted” because they were not disposed of properly.

Audette said the fire was not suspicious.

“It was in a bad spot,” he said. “It could have gone up into the attic, (where it would have been more difficult to fight).”

Audette said a sprinkler head in the closet kept the fire down until crews could extinguish it completely. He said there was “quite a bit of damage” to the building, as well as water damage to some electrical systems.

No one was hurt in the fire.

The building, which contains Guerrette Properties and other businesses, is owned by Smithtown Four LLC, according to city tax records. Representatives from Guerrette Properties did not return a request for comment by presstime.

Crews from Gardiner, Chelsea and Hallowell offered station coverage while Augusta crews were on the scene.

Code Enforcement Officer Keegan Ballard said the city uses the National Fire Protection Agency Life Safety Code, as recommended by the state fire marshal’s office. He said the code does not require sprinklers in buildings explicitly. Ballard said fire protection standards for buildings are done on a case-by-case basis.

“New mixed-use occupancies are required to have a sprinkler or fire separation,” he said. “It really depends on the use (of the building) or if the floors above are utilized.”

Ballard said the city relies on separation between residential buildings to mitigate the risk of large fires engulfing multiple structures. In a downtown area where buildings are connected, he said, fire safety protocols are much more important.

“It’s absolutely very important,” Ballard said of using the standards. “In a downtown where there’s no separation, it’s crucial … to buying time for emergency services to get there.”

Office Building, Other Business

Elkhart, IN – Fire inside trash hopper controlled by sprinkler system

The Elkhart Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm that was set off at Altec Engineering in Elkhart Friday around 230 p.m.

Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke throughout the building.

Once EFD made entry, they found a fire inside a trash hopper and up the east wall and the ceiling.

The flames were quickly extinguished. The building took considerable time to clear the smoke due to the size of the building.

The trash hopper contained fiberglass resins that caused a chemical reaction and combustion, starting the contents on fire and burning the wall up to the ceiling.

The sprinkler system was activated and contained the fire until EFD arrived.

Apartment Building, Residential

Mount Prospect, IL – Fire sprinkler keeps fire at 70-unit apartment building in check

Mount Prospect Fire Department Chief Brian Lambel said an alarm inside the building at 701 Huntington Commons Road alerted the fire department to the situation just after 2:30 p.m.

A call then came into the department, reporting smoke in the building.

When firefighters arrived on the scene and discovered the fire was on the third floor, the call was upgraded to a code-4, or confirmed structure fire.

Fire departments from Elk Grove, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines and Elk Grove Township were then dispatched to support the Mount Prospect team.

Firefighters discovered the smoke was originating in a laundry room of the four-story, approximately 70-unit building. A single overhead sprinkler had kept the fire under control and firefighters were able to use an extinguisher to put out the remaining flames.

“The building was ventilated due to smoke on the third and fourth floors,” Lambel said, “Nobody was displaced.”

Arlington Heights Emergency Medical Service Division Chief Rick Manthy said an ambulance took a resident to a local hospital at 3:30 p.m. Citing HIPPA privacy restrictions Manthy was unable to provide further details.

According to Lambel, total apparatus on the scene included five engines, two trucks, five ambulances, five fire chiefs and seven other vehicles.

Lambel explained personnel from three of the ambulances were engaged in ventilation activities, one was on standby for firefighters and one was for evaluation of the patient.

Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Grand Forks, ND – Auto dealership fire set by employee stopped by fire sprinklers

Grand Forks police say an employee of an auto dealership was arrested after he deliberately lit some gas on fire which had been spilled on the floor of a shop area.

25-year old Jobe Lunski, of Ardoch, North Dakota, was arrested on a charge of endangerment by fire.

Police say the ignited gas created a significant flash fire that caused minor injuries to another employee and damage to a customer’s vehicle and the building’s structure

Firefighters who responded to Lithia Ford at 2273 32nd Avenue South Wednesday afternoon found the fire has already been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

Apartment Building, Residential

Tomball, TX – Single Sprinkler Head Saves 20 Unit Apartment Building

** User Submitted Post – No Media Coverage**  – On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at approximately 5:19pm, the Tomball Fire Department was notified of a structure fire at the Fountains of Tomball Apartment Homes, a 160 unit apartment complex in the 900 block of Village Square Drive in Tomball. The first arriving unit encountered a large volume of smoke and fire on the first floor porch of a 20 unit apartment building. Fire Marshal Joe Sykora said, “Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the porch fire. Entry was made into the apartment and firefighters discovered a fire sprinkler head had extinguished the fire that had entered the apartment from the porch.” All residents of building were evacuated from the structure, notified by the buildings fire alarm system. One injury was sustained to the occupant of the apartment and the occupant was evaluated by the Northwest Community Health Emergency Medical Services Division.

The Tomball Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire. Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a malfunctioning propane barbeque pit on the porch of the apartment. Only one residential unit was affected by this incident.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Lebanon, OR – Sprinkler system keeps fire at Walmart from growing; No injuries reported

LEBANON, Ore. — A hazmat team responded to the Walmart Supercenter on Santiam Highway in Lebanon Tuesday after a fire started in the pool chemical area.

Fire Chief Gordon Sletmoe of the Lebanon Fire District said the fire started at about 12:45 p.m. The building was evacuated, and the sprinkler system activated. Officials said the fire is out, but the building was full of smoke for a while after the incident.

Law enforcement shut down a 300 foot radius around the store and some nearby businesses were also evacuated. A couple of city streets were closed to protect citizens from the toxic smoke.

“There were no injuries,” Sletmoe said. “Walmart did a great job of evacuating people. If there is a fire in a commercial business and somebody tells you to leave, you should leave like the customers here did.”

Crews used a thermal imaging camera to locate the fire through the smoke, and the sprinkler system kept the fire from growing. Officials said multiple types of chemicals were stored in the aisle the fire started in. Using a hose line, crews put out the fire.

Sletmoe said the hazmat team was called in to determine which chemicals were involved in the fire. Officials said it took an hour to clear the smoke to start an investigation.

The Lebanon Fire District, Albany Fire Department and Sweet Home Fire Department brought eleven apparatus and about 40 personnel to the scene. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. If you have information, contact the Lebanon Fire District or the Lebanon Police Department.

No injuries were reported.