Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail Mount Vernon, VA – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at Mega Mart before fire crews arrived February 26, 2019 viking210 The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a person of interest in a fire that occurred on Wednesday, Jan. 30. At 1:13 p.m., Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded for reports of a fire in a bathroom at the Mega Mart located at 8228 Richmond Highway. The fire was extinguished by a fire sprinkler system prior to fire and rescue department arrival. The fire is under investigation. The person of interest is described as African American and was last seen wearing a blue knit hat, light blue jacket, dark pants, and black backpack. Fire investigators would like to speak with this individual regarding their investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Lieutenant S. Khan at 703- 246-4738 or salman.khan@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Other - Retail, Retail Sparks, NV – Fire at CVS Pharmacy extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported February 25, 2019 viking210 The Sparks Fire Department has extinguished a fire at the CVS Pharmacy at Oddie and El Rancho. Firefighters were called shortly before 1PM February 21, 2019 and found the fire in and around the HVAC system; it had been partially extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system. Fire crews finished putting the fire out with their hose. No one was hurt. The cause has not been determined. Sparks Fire says the store is closed pending repairs to the sprinkler system and roof. With 24 firefighters on scene, Sparks Fire got help from Truckee Meadows Fire and Reno Fire to cover the city until crews were released from the incident.
Retail, Shopping Mall Concord, NC – Mall fire confined to small area by sprinkler system February 25, 2019 viking210 A fire near Off Broadway Shoes caused an evacuation of Concord Mills Wednesday afternoon. Around 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Concord Fire was dispatched to the mall. When crews arrived, they did find an active fire within a small corridor located near Off Broadway Shoes. As crews arrived on the scene of the Concord Mills Alarm, an effective evacuation of occupants was taking place, and fire department crews located a fire within a corridor. Both the Concord Fire Department and Concord Police Department worked diligently to assist in a complete evacuation. And fire department personnel were able to extinguish the fire within 8-10 minutes of arrival on the scene. Due to the alarm and sprinkler systems activating, the fire was kept to a small confined area. However, it was for safety purposes that the mall remained evacuated for several hours. Cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Concord Fire Marshal’s office.
Government/Military, Prison / Jail Lancaster, SC – Fire in dust collection system in prison wood shop is put out by sprinkler system February 24, 2019 viking210 A fire broke out in the Kershaw Correctional Institution woodworking shop Tuesday afternoon. Lancaster County Fire Marshal Russell Rogers said the fire started in the dust-collection system in the woodworking shop, located in the back part of the prison complex. The fire started shortly after 1 p.m. and was extinguished by the built-in sprinkler system. The cause of the fire is still unknown, Rogers said Tuesday. There were inmates and officers in the building at the time of the fire and one of the inmates sustained a minor burn injury, Rogers said.
Apartment Building, Residential Ithaca, NY – Laundry fire at off-campus apartments contained by sprinkler system February 22, 2019 viking210 A blaze filled a Summerhill apartment laundry room Saturday afternoon after flames were sparked by a buildup of lint, according to an Ithaca Fire Department press release. The fire torched a stacked washer-dryer unit, charring parts of the top and side of the machine. Smoke tripped the building’s alarm system, notifying the apartment residents of the fire. The first-floor apartment emitted smoke, but the Ithaca Fire Department credited the sprinkler system for containing the flames within the laundry room. After all occupants were confirmed to be out of the building, firefighters worked for around 10 minutes to extinguish the fire and ventilate the smoke. The crews then worked to shut off the sprinkler, remove the water and investigate the cause of the fire. Officials attributed the source of the fire to lint that had accumulated in a machine’s lint trap, and cautioned residents to diligently clean their lint traps and surrounding areas to avoid similar outcomes. The fire department lauded the working sprinkler and alarm systems for containing the situation. Ithaca codes requires dwellings to have working fire alarms near bedrooms and operational sprinkler systems.
Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business Palm Beach, FL – Sprinkler system helps limit spread of fire at country club February 22, 2019 viking210 Fire crews responded to a small electrical fire this afternoon at the Palm Beach Country Club. The fire occurred in a concrete storage area just behind a section of the golf course that fronts North Lake Way in Palm Beach. There were no reported injuries and only minimal property damage after a lighting ballast caught fire, spread to the rafters and then fell onto a cart, igniting it. The sprinkler system engaged, and there was no reported water damage. “Had this fire been at night, it would have been a whole different ball game,” said Sean Baker, division chief of the Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department, who was on the scene. Baker said the fire narrowly missed a fertilizer spray cart. “Thankfully, the quick response time and time of day stopped it from spreading,” he said.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Buckingham, PA – Fire at elementary school confined to one classroom by sprinkler system February 20, 2019 viking210 A fire at Cold Spring Elementary School in Buckingham started in an unoccupied classroom on the second floor, township police said Thursday. Fire Marshal Jim Kettler is investigating the cause, they added. All Central Bucks schools are closed for students Thursday and Friday for staff development days, and for everyone on Monday for the President’s Day holiday. There was no immediate word from school district officials on whether Cold Spring students would return to school Tuesday. Buckingham police said the school’s sprinkler system activated and the fire was confined to the one classroom. Fire companies from Midway, New Hope, Lingohocken, Plumstead, Doylestown, Point Pleasant and Warwick responded to the scene. All students and staff were evacuated to the neighboring Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and were on their way home by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the school district website said. An announcement will be made on the website around noon Friday about arrangements for parents and students to pick up personal belongings left at the school because of having to evacuate.
Government/Military, Military Facility Natick, MA – Electrical fire at research center contained by sprinkler system February 20, 2019 viking210 A two-alarm electrical fire broke out last Tuesday evening at Natick Labs, a U.S. Army research center, resulting in heavy smoke but no serious injuries, said Natick Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Mathews. Firefighters responded to General Greene Avenue around 5 p.m. to find the building’s sprinkler system had put out most of the fire and contained it to one room, but still had to contend with smoke spreading through the large facility, Mathews said. “Because of the size of the building and the amount of smoke, it took a lot of manpower,” he said. Mathews said the fire was started by electrical components in the building, although the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. Many of the people who work in the building headed home before 5 p.m. because of the snow, Mathews said, so the labs were mostly empty and no one was seriously injured. Security personnel were evaluated for smoke inhalation as a precaution.
Apartment Building, Residential Bend, OR – Apartment grease fire “could have been much worse” if not for activated sprinkler February 19, 2019 viking210 Bend Fire says a residential sprinkler system saved an apartment from major damage, Monday. A unit responded to an alarm at the Outlook at Pilot Butte apartments, just before 2:30 p.m. They discovered a resident tried to put out a grease fire by putting a pan in the sink and turning on the faucet; that resulted in a ball of fire, which activated the sprinkler. The fire was out before the investigator arrived and no fire engines were called to the scene. While the blaze caused about $2,700 in damage, Bend Fire says no one was hurt and it could’ve been much worse had the sprinklers not activated. They also remind you to never put water on a grease fire. Use a lid to cut off the supply of air to the flames.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Carson City, NV – Sprinkler extinguishes fire at historic hotel February 19, 2019 viking210 A fire sprinkler was able to extinguish a fire at the historic St. Charles Hotel on Carson Street on Tuesday. A dog was also rescued during the incident. At about 12:15 p.m., Carson City Fire units were dispatched to the structure at 310 S. Carson St. The first arriving firefighters observed smoke coming from the second floor of the St. Charles Residential Hotel. Crews quickly made entry into the smoke filled apartment and located an unconscious small dog. Firefighters also confirmed the fire had been extinguished by a working fire sprinkler. Officials stated if the building didn’t have fire sprinklers the fire would have been much worse. The dog was resuscitated and taken to a local veterinary hospital by firefighters. The damage to the hotel is estimated to be $10,000. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. A total of 17 firefighters responded to the incident.
