Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Apartment Building, Residential

Medford, OR – Apartment fire knocked down by sprinkler system

At around 4:40 P.M. Wednesday, Medford Fire-Rescue responded to a fire alarm in the 2600 block of West Main in Medford.  Within a minute the fire was upgraded to a structure fire.  Multiple smoke alarms and a sprinkler system were activated inside one of the first floor apartments within the complex.  Neighbors were seeing smoke, but no active flames as they began self-evacuating due to the sounding alarms.  Within five minutes, the first arriving engine was able to quickly confirm that the fire was knocked down by the sprinkler system. Since all of the apartments are protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system, it also limited the damage and danger to the residents in the entire complex.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.  This incident serves as a reminder to check your smoke alarms and their batteries. Have a plan for your family, and what you’ll do if the alarm ever goes off.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Altamont, IL – Fire in dust collector at manufacturing plan controlled by sprinkler system

Fire damaged a machine at an Altamont manufacturer on Monday.
Altamont firefighters were called to Irwin Telescopic, just west of the Effingham County Fairgrounds, at 12:20pm. Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker said a dust collector in the south end of the building was the source of the fire. Apparently, a filter in the machine caught fire. A sprinkler system inside the machine activated, but the machine was still smoldering when firefighters arrived. Becker said there was smoke throughout the building, so personnel were evacuated until the building could be ventilated. Becker said the fire did an estimated $20,000 damage to the dust collector. He said there was no structural damage.  Altamont firefighters handled the call on their own, although Abbott EMS was there on standby and Altamont police checked in at the scene. Firefighters were on scene for about an hour.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Ocean City, MD – Restaurant fire extinguished by sprinkler system and fast acting employee

An Ocean City restaurant was saved from serious fire damage due to fire sprinklers and an employee using a fire extinguisher. The Ocean City Fire Department was called to respond to a reported building fire at Liquid Assets Restaurant on 94th Street just before 4:30 PM Tuesday.  When firefighters arrived, they found the building had been evacuated. As they entered the building, they found one single fire sprinkler that was actively flowing water near the propane oven, along with light smoke conditions and evidence of a fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system and an employee using a Class K fire extinguisher.

“The quick actions of the staff at Liquid Assets and the fire sprinkler system saved lives and property at Liquid Assets. This is one example why the Office of the Fire Marshal maintains our Fire Protection Quality Assurance Program, to ensure all fire protection systems work as intended during an emergency,” said Fire Marshal David W. Hartley.  An on-scene investigation by the O.C. Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the fire started as a result of a propane appliance malfunction. The fire has been ruled accidental.

Department Store, Retail

Duluth, MN – Sprinkler system triggered by fire at Dollar Tree Store; No injuries reported

Duluth firefighters were called to the Dollar Tree Store at 215 North Central Avenue on Sunday afternoon.

When they arrived, smoke was seen coming from the roof of the building and the store was being evacuated.

Fire was found in the storeroom area of the store and was extinguished, there were no injuries.

The fire triggered the sprinkler system in the store.

Smoke and standing water was removed from the store but it will be closed until further notice.

Damage estimates were set at 15 thousand dollars for the structure and 80 thousand for the contents.

The business next door, Greystar Electronics had a small amount of water damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Milton, WA – Boiler room fire at middle school suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes and all school-related activities are canceled at Surprise Lake Middle School in Milton on Tuesday after a fire in the boiler-room area damaged one of the school’s buildings.  The school’s sprinkler system quickly kicked in and put the fire out just as parent Raj Sanghera came to pick up her son from soccer practice.

“We heard the fire trucks come in. First there was just one. And then a couple more came. And then we actually started smelling the smoke,” she told KOMO News. “So, a lot of us parents walked over here and we saw the smoke shooting up from the roof.”  A small number of students and staff members had to be evacuated. They were forced to leave their belongings behind.  None of the classrooms here were touched, administrators said. However, there is a smell of smoke in the air. The fire marshal plans to rule the fire as accidental, he said.

“I’m happy that it was after school — that there were very few students inside the school. And nobody got hurt. Everyone’s safe,” Sanghera. said.  “There were no injuries from the fire. And the good thing is the fire suppression system actually worked and put the fire out before it spread too far,” Alfano said. District staff members will meet Tuesday morning to talk about next steps and a plan to let students get any belongings that were left behind. The district’s other schools will be on their regular schedules Tuesday. Ironically, the building where the fire happened at Surprise Lake Middle School was already set to be demolished next June, Alfano said. Voters passed a $176 million bond last February to build new schools and upgrade others, which includes replacing Surprise Lake Middle School. It was built in the early 1970s. Construction on the new building is set to begin in July, Alfano said.

Office Building, Other Business

Simi Valley, CA – Sprinkler system activates to assist firefighters in commercial business fire

Firefighters responded to a commercial structure on fire in Simi Valley on Saturday evening.  The fire was reported at 5:49 p.m. at 67 W. Easy St. The building is part of an office park called Simi Business Park West.  Firefighters arrived on the scene to find smoke coming out of the two-story building and the sprinkler system activated.  The fire was knocked down at 6:18 p.m., authorities said

Apartment Building, Residential

Fargo, ND – Fire in fourth floor apartment extinguished by sprinkler system; No firefighter or civilian injuries reported

Fargo firefighters responded to a report of an activated fire alarm in an apartment building at 2:55 p.m. at 123 Roberts Street North. The building contains 62 apartments. On arrival, they found a fire in an apartment on the fourth floor.  The fire was contained to a couch in an apartment by the building’s fire sprinkler system. The fire created heavy smoke on the fourth floor; moderate smoke on the third and fifth floors; and, light smoke on the second floor. Because of the couch’s placement in the apartment, the fire caused two sprinkler heads to activate. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler heads as the crew arrived at the apartment. There was water that needed to be cleaned up on the fourth, third, and second floors.  The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage is estimated to be approximately $1500.00. There was minor fire damage in one unit, which was limited to the immediate area around a couch. There were no firefighter or civilian injuries. The one tenant in the apartment will not be able to stay in the apartment until it is cleaned.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Kitchen fire in first-floor apartment extinguished by sprinkler system

The Chilliwack Fire Department are reminding residents to “stand by your pan” after a kitchen fire on Saturday. It was that day at approximately 5:30 p.m. when firefighters were dispatched to a reported apartment structure fire in the 45000 block of Wellington Avenue.  Firefighters discovered a stovetop fire in the kitchen of a first floor apartment unit. The fire had been extinguished by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system prior to the arrival of fire crews  Without a working sprinkler system in place, this fire had the potential of causing extensive fire damage to the home and adjacent units in the apartment building, according to the department.  “The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Please make sure to stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food and always turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen for any reason.”

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Easton, MD – Sprinkler system controls fire at senior citizen apartment complex; No injuries reported

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office is crediting smoke alarms and a sprinkler system for saving 18 senior citizens during an apartment complex fire.

According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office, around 12:15 p.m. on Friday, a wall mounted HVAC unit in the Asbury Senior Apartment Complex failed and caused a fire. The fire escalated to a two alarm fire, causing $15,000 in damage to the structure and $5,000 in damages to the building contests, authorities say.

The fire marshal reports that 18 senior citizens were evacuated from the building during the fire, assisted by the Easton Police Department. The fire marshal says the smoke alarms helped alert the seniors and the sprinklers controlled the fire before 70 firefighters responded to the complex.

While all the seniors escaped, authorities say they have been displaced from the East Dover Street complex due to the damage. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office says the American Red Cross is assisting the displaced senior citizens. 

Office Building, Other Business

Healdsburg, CA – Sprinkler system limits damage in commercial building fire

Firefighters responded to a three-story commercial building fire near the Healdsburg downtown plaza Thursday afternoon, shutting down a portion of the city’s main thoroughfare for two hours. The Thanksgiving Day fire started just before 4:30 p.m. in the Brandt Insurance building in the 200 block of Healdsburg Avenue. A malfunctioning heater in the third-floor ceiling caused the smoke and flames, which set off the building’s internal sprinkler system, Healdsburg Fire Marshal Linda Collister said. Crews with Cal Fire, Cloverdale, Dry Creek Rancheria, Geyserville, Rincon Valley, Santa Rosa and Windsor assisted the Healdsburg Fire Department in extinguishing the blaze within 40 minutes. The southbound lanes of Healdsburg Avenue were reopened just after 6 p.m. Thursday. The building, which houses the insurance company, as well as retail stores on the first and second floors, was saved by its sprinkler system and had no structural, Collister said. She estimated the damage at $20,000-$30,000.