Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Apartment Building, Residential

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system activates to assist firefighters in apartment blaze

The St. George Fire Protection District was called to the Addison Apartments on Tuesday afternoon to battle a kitchen fire.  According to Chad Roberson of St. George Fire, a fire alarm was reported around 2 p.m at the Addison Apartments.  Firefighters arrived at the building located at 10231 The Grove Blvd and found a fire in the kitchen area of apartment 210.  Roberson said, the sprinkler system activated and controlled the fire.

There were no injuries reported and the fire was under control 20 minutes after firefighters received the call.  Both the first and second floor of the building sustained water damage.  East Baton Rouge EMS and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office assisted St. George Fire at the scene. The fire is still under investigation and further information will be provided when it becomes available.

Auto Dealership, Other Business

Bismarck, ND – Fire at auto body shop extinguished by sprinkler system; Business resumes operations quickly

A fire, caused by welding sparks which ignited the filters of a spray booth ventilation system at an auto body shop, was largely contained by the business’ sprinklers on Tuesday. The Bismarck Fire Department was dispatched at about 4:23 p.m. to the 1800 block of Commerce Drive, where heavy smoke was showing from the shop area of the single-story building.

Fire had spread to the roof top HVAC system, but flames inside the shop had been extinguished by the activation of two heads on the fire sprinkler system, according to Owen Fitzsimmons, a fire marshal with the Bismarck Fire Department, who deemed the incident was accidental. Fire crews removed a roof top ventilation fan and a portion of the roof to access and extinguish the blaze. Afterward, a thermal imaging camera was used to scan for any fire spread, and firefighters left the scene at about 7:24 p.m.

Bismarck Police Department assisted with scene control. Metro Area Ambulance was on scene to provide assistance. There were no injuries to building occupants or firefighters. The sprinkler system has been reactivated, the business remains in operation.

Apartment Building, Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Tucson, AZ – Fire at college student apartment put out by sprinkler system

Thanks to a sprinkler system both lives and property was saved from a fire on Tuesday, March 13 according to a news release from the Tucson Fire Department.  An alarm sounded around 5 p.m. Tuesday, notifying the 911 center of a possible fire on the 6th floor of an apartment complex in the 300 block of East Congress. TFD sent a truck to investigate the alarm and when firefighters arrived they found the sprinkler system was on and working.

Fire crews shut down the sprinklers and put stops in the two sprinklers that activated, according to the release. They also treated a resident at the scene, who was initially hurt by the fire.

According to the release, the resident, a college student, had been cooking dinner when he stepped in for a quick shower while his dinner simmered. However a short time later the student heard the alarm going off and ran to the kitchen. He attempted to put the fire out, but the fire had spread to the point where he wasn’t able to stop it, at that point the sprinkler system kicked in.

Both the student in the apartment where the fire was and the unit below it will be displaced until the water and fire damage can be repaired. Crews shut down the sprinkler system once the fire was out. This means the sprinkler system is out of service, leaving the building vulnerable. A Tucson Fire inspector was called to the scene to ensure the property would be protected until the sprinkler system could be reactivated and placed back in service.

Apartment Building, Residential

McKinney, TX – Sprinkler activation stops apartment kitchen fire

The McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to a water flow alarm at 3300 N. McDonald St. this afternoon. A cooking fire went out of control, but before it could spread, the fire sprinkler system kicked in. It took one sprinkler head to stop the fire.

FEMA reports more than half of all residential fires are due to cooking. No other risk factor comes close.

Ways to prevent a kitchen fire:

– Never leave cooking food unattended.

– Use a timer so you’ll remember the stove or oven is on.

– Always check the kitchen before leaving the home or going to bed.

– Enforce a ‘kid-free zone” at least three feet from the stove.

– Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen and near sleeping areas.

“Keep your cooking areas clean of grease and clear of flammable clutter like pot holders or food packaging,” said Mike Smith, McKinney Fire Marshal. “A few steps can save you a serious injuries or damage.”

Other - Residential, Residential

Colorado Springs, CO – Residential garage fire prevented from spreading by sprinkler system

Colorado Springs firefighters responded to a reported structure fire at a home as a result of improper disposal of cigarettes. According to CSFD, fire crews responded to 2561 Raywood View at 3:26 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Crews arrived to the two-story, multi-family home within five minutes of the call. Firefighters said no smoke was showing from the exterior of the home but found a small extinguished fire in the garage. The garage sprinkler had turned on when a small fire in a plastic trash can was detected, which prevented it from spreading and possibly causing serious damage.

CSFD fire investigators said after conducting an investigation the cause was determined to be from “careless disposal of cigarettes.” CSFD and the National Fire Protection Association want to remind all citizens that it’s extremely important in disposing of cigarettes properly.

Here are some helpful reminders from the NFPA:
•If you smoke, smoke outside. Most deaths result from fires that started in living rooms, family rooms, and dens or bedrooms.
•Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials up high out of the reach of children, in a locked cabinet
•Use a deep, sturdy ashtray. Place it away from anything that can burn
•Do not discard cigarettes in vegetation such as mulch, potted plants or landscaping, peat moss, dried grasses, leaves or other things that could ignite easily
•Before you throw away butts and ashes, make sure they are out, and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that
•Follow this link from the NFPA https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/SmokingSafety.pdf for more information

Apartment Building, Residential

Clarence, NY – Apartment kitchen fire doused by sprinkler system

A Clarence apartment building sustained about $40,000 in damage from a fire on Sunday afternoon, according to Amherst Fire Control. A fire alarm monitoring company at 2:12 p.m. reported sprinkler activation in the building at 4155 Capstone Circle, located behind The Dome golfing facility on Wehrle Drive. The fire in a kitchen area was contained by the sprinkler system and extinguished by firefighters, according to fire officials. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other - Retail, Retail

Piqua, OH – Sprinkler system quickly contains mechanical fire at welding product company

A Thursday afternoon fire at Hobart Brothers was quickly contained thanks to a sprinkler system and quick work by firefighters.

A “rec room fire” was reported at the Hobart Brothers business on Industry Park Drive around 2 p.m. Piqua Fire Department responded along with mutual aide from Covington Fire Department and Troy Fire Department.

All employees were evacuated from the building.

Assistant Piqua Fire Chief Jon Stevens said that the fire was in an industrial compressor unit in a mechanical room. Stevens said the sprinkler system kicked in and helped to confine the fire to the immediate area around the compressor unit but a cover over the unit kept the sprinklers from being able to fully extinguish the blaze.

Piqua and Covington firefighters entered the building and were able to get to the flames and finish the job of putting out the flames.

Damage was contained to the mechanical room area, according to Stevens, who estimated the damage at around $70,000.

There were no injuries reported and employees were able to immediately return to work as firefighters cleared the scene approximately 90 minutes after arriving.

Fletcher Fire Department responded as mutual aide and manned the Piqua Fire Station until Piqua units cleared the fire scene.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Fayetteville, AR – Balcony fire at senior apartment complex put out by sprinkler system

A balcony fire ignited at a Fayetteville apartment complex for seniors Tuesday, but it was quickly extinguished.  The fire at Wedington Place Senior Apartments, 3130 Telluride Drive, started just after 1 p.m., however, the building’s sprinkler system activated and put out the flames, according to Dale Riggins, administrative assistant for the Fayetteville Police Department.

No one at the complex was injured or had to be transported to a hospital. However, Central EMS arrived on scene to help bring people down from the second floor with wheelchairs, Riggins said. The top floor sustained smoke and water damage, and as of 2:30 p.m. fire marshals were still at the scene investigating the cause of the fire, Riggins said.

Manufacturing

Yorkville, NY – Fire at large printing company contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters Friday afternoon responded to a compressor unit fire at Vicks Lithograph and Printing on Commercial Drive.  Though there was some water damage to the interior of the building due to the sprinkler system, no injuries were reported by the New York Mills Fire Department.  “It was under control within 20 minutes,” said Mike Edwards, second assistant chief.

Firefighters at 2:45 p.m. were called to 5166 Commercial Drive. Arriving firefighters reported smoke visible. The depth of the snow deterred firefighters initially, but Edwards said everything was plowed out as it should have been. There was visible smoke in the building that would eventually dissipate, he said. However, the situation could have been worse.

“It was a good job by everybody involved,” Edwards said. “Other than the damage, it was a large manufacturing facility that could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the actions of the staff and the sprinkler system.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Yorkville Fire Department assisted on scene.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Ann Arbor, MI – Fire in mechanical room at University of Michigan contained by sprinkler system

A University of Michigan building was evacuated Friday afternoon when a fire in the mechanical room set off alarms and a sprinkler system inside.  The Ann Arbor Fire Department responded to the report of a fire in a mechanical room at Tisch Hall, 435 S. State St. at 12:20 p.m. Friday, March 1. The fire was out within 10 minutes, said Battalion Chief Derek Wiseley.  Tisch Hall is located on UM’s main campus and is connected to Angell and Haven Halls, according to its website. It is near the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

A fire in the cabinet of the mechanical room triggered the automatic sprinkler system, which contained the flames to the area until fire crews were able to respond, officials said. Wisely said fire crews helped ventilate the building and ensure the fire was out before clearing the scene at 1:07 p.m.