Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Abingdon, VA – Arson fire at townhome extinguished by sprinkler system

An Abingdon woman was arrested Monday morning for allegedly setting her daughter’s house on fire in September, according to the state fire marshal’s office.Just after 4 p.m. Sept. 15, Anna M. Stewart, 50, called 911 after reportedly discovering a fire on the second floor of her daughter’s house in the 200 block of Ferring Court in Abingdon, according to a notice of investigation from the fire marshal’s office.

Stewart, who lives in the basement of the house owned by her daughter and her husband, Ashley and Rafael Roman, was the only one home at the time of the fire, Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said Monday.

Firefighters from Abingdon and Joppa-Magnolia volunteer fire companies and surrounding departments arrived at the two-story, middle of the group townhouse and discovered a fire within a bedroom closet that was nearly extinguished after the homes’ fire sprinkler system activated.

Deputy State Fire Marshals were requested to conduct an investigation and determined the fire was intentionally set.

Investigators later discovered a second, self-extinguished fire within another closet within the home, according to the notice.

Investigators estimated the home sustained about $20,000 in damages.

After consulting with the Harford County States Attorney’s Office, deputy state fire marshals issued an arrest warrant for Stewart, who turned herself in Monday to the Bel Air Barrack of the Maryland State Police.

Stewart is charged with first- and second-degree arson, first- and second-degree malicious burning and vandalism more than $1,000.

Stewart is being held at Harford County Detention Center on $50,000 bail.

Retail, Shopping Mall

St. Catharines, ON, Canada – Fire in loading dock area of retail store contained by sprinkler system

A partial evacuation of the Pen Centre was initiated late Thursday afternoon after a small fire started at the Dollarama store.  St. Catharines Fire and Emergency Services Platoon Chief Rob Denhollander said the fire that broke out in the loading area was contained by the store’s sprinkler system.  Firefighters were dispatched about 5:25 p.m.  “Fire damage is minimal, but smoke and water damage is to be assessed,” he said on scene.

He said it will be up to an insurance adjuster to determine what store items can be salvaged.  The store is located opposite Winners, separated from the main part of the mall above an escalator.  Many shoppers and moviegoers had to leave the mall, Denhollander said.  “I’m sure there’s quite a few people who missed an ending (to a film),” he said, noting alarm bells were ringing.  No injuries were reported, he added, while also noting stores remained open.

Apartment Building, Residential

Petersburg, VA – Laundry fire in loft apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system

A minor clothes dryer fire generated much smoke and caused the evacuation of an apartment building in Petersburg Thursday. Petersburg Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services responded to South Street Lofts building located at N. South and Hinton Streets at 12:38 p.m., for a call about a fire in a single occupant residence on the third floor, according to Interim Battalion Fire Chief Michael Ferguson.  The fire was under control at about 1 p.m. Mutual aid from Colonial Heights provided brief coverage at the Market Street Fire Station No. 2.

Nicole Nivens, a second-floor resident, stood in the parking lot holding her two-year-old daughter after evacuating the building.  “I just put her down for a nap and I heard the fire alarm,” said Nivens, who then grabbed her jacket, shoes and daughter to leave the building.

Ty Wheless, a resident of the third floor, also stood in the parking lot with her wife and small dog. “I thought it was a drill,” said Wheless. “We didn’t smell any smoke or anything.”

Ferguson said the building management company worked to relocate one occupant as a result of the fire.

Property management representatives at the scene declined to comment for this article. The property management website for the apartments describes the historic building as the former Federal Cigar Company building renovated into one- and two-bedroom loft-style apartments.

It was “extremely hard to ventilate” smoke from the building because the historic building designation allows for the windows to remain closed, said Ferguson. He said the ventilation process took longer than usual as a result. Firemen set up fans to blow smoke up through a roof hatch in the stairwell of the Hinton Street entryway.

Residents were seen re-entering the building at 1:47 p.m.

 

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Royal Oak, MI – Sprinkler system helps minimize fire damage at recycling center

Firefighters extinguished a blaze at Royal Oak Recycling after officials say a fire broke out there Wednesday afternoon and workers were evacuated.

Royal Oak firefighters were called to the recycling facility about 12:50 p.m.

“They had a fire inside one of the machines,” said Fire Chief Dave Cummins. “It doesn’t look as though there was any structural damage from the fire.”

Cummins said firefighters were screening workers at the facility at 414 E. Hudson to see whether any of them needed to be taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation they may have suffered while they were in the building.

Other than possible smoke inhalation there were no reported injuries.

The fire reportedly broke out on a conveyor machine at the recycling plant.

Though smoke spread and a sprinkler system about the machine was activated, Cummins said it was a relatively small fire.

“We’ve had similar fires at the building in the past,” he said.

Less than a year ago, about 20 people at Royal Oak Recycling were evacuated and the plant closed for the day after a machine caught fire in November 2016. No one was injured.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Jessup, MD – Shopping center blaze snuffed out by sprinkler system

A building fire broke out in Jessup on Sunday, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.  Firefighters responded to the shopping center where MOM’s Organic Market and Ollie’s are located; the blaze occurred in a commercial space in the 7300 block of Assateague Drive before 6 p.m., officials said.  A sprinkler system put out the fire, which consequently did not spread, according to authorities.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Boise, ID – Sprinkler system helps douse fire at BBQ restaurant; No injuries reported

The Meridian Fire Department is investigating after smoke engulfed a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant on Saturday afternoon.  

It happened just before 5 p.m. on the 2800 block of Overland Road. 
No one was injured and the sprinkler system was activated. The fire department says two units were training just blocks away and were able to get to the scene in a matter of minutes. 

Crew cut holes in the roof for ventilation in to make sure fire had not spread to the attic.
While a small fire was found inside the restaurant, crews are still investigating to find out what happened.

Other / Not Specified

Rolla, MO – Kitchen fire at domestic violence shelter extinguished by sprinkler system

Rolla Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the Russell House at 3:57 p.m., Sunday afternoon, October 1 to control what has been described as a small grease fire in the kitchen.  “The fire was contained to the kitchen area,” said Chief Ron Smith. He explained the pan with the grease fire was put in the sink, which put the fire under the overhanging cabinets. The building has a sprinkler system which was activated and extinguished the fire.

“The water damage is extensive,” he said. “This happened on the first floor, so water damage extended down into the basement area. It severely damaged the sheet rock and false ceiling, so there was a lot of water damage to the building.” “The cabinets were scorched and there was extensive smoke damage in the kitchen,” he explained. Rolla Fire and Rescue firefighters helped to get the smoke out of the building and helped residents gather some belongings since staying at the Russell House was not an option, until cleanup and repairs can begin.

“There is significant water damage in some parts of the house,” said Randi Turntine, development and volunteer coordinator for Russell House, which offers emergency shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. “We had 53 residents in the shelter (28 women and 25 children ) and worked with the Red Cross to get them placed temporarily. We’re unsure at this point when we’ll be able to get back in.”  Turntine said the crises lines are still being managed 24/7, seven days a week. “We’re still able to work in this [crises] capacity—we just aren’t able to shelter anyone at this time,” she noted.

She said in a media statement that “We will work closely with other domestic and sexual assault shelters throughout the state to meet the needs of victims in our service area. We are thankful for the quick response from Rolla City Fire, neighboring shelters, the Red Cross, board members, and our staff members. The backbone of Russell House has always been the community support we receive, and last night was a perfect example of that. While this is a small bump in the road, our shelter will recover from this and continue to be a safe haven for victims of domestic and sexual abuse. All outreach offices in Phelps, Crawford, Maries, and Dent counties will remain open.”

“Also, we’re having a large event this Saturday night, the masquerade ball, and we want the public to know that it will continue to go on.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

McKinney, TX – Sprinkler system prevents major damage to animal shelter; All animals safe

McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to an incident Sept. 28 at The Collin County Animal Shelter, 4750 Community Ave, just after 5:00 p.m. First responders upon arrival noted the fire alarm was sounding and strobes activated.

The investigation revealed the fire sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire within the shelter. A single sprinkler head is credited for the minimal fire damage and reinforced the value of fire sprinkler systems. Shelter staff reported no injuries to the 124 sheltered animals.

Approximately 26 MFD personnel and investigators from the Fire Marshal’s office responded to the fire. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“This successful sprinkler save continues to demonstrates the effectiveness of automatic fire sprinkler systems in a commercial environment. Had a fire sprinkler system not been present, the outcome may have been very different,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Andrew Barr.

For additional information on fire protection systems, code requirements or other fire prevention topics, visit www.mckinneyfire.org or call 972-547-2862.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential High Rise

New Brunswick, NJ – Sprinkler system successfully activates in Rutgers University residential high-rise fire; No injuries reported

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from The Yard @ College Ave this afternoon after a grease fire on the 12th floor set off the alarms and sprinkler systems — but according to students on the scene, there was a notable gap between the evacuations of the top and the bottom floors. “The sprinkler system activated, causing water to reach lower floors down to the lobby,” said University spokesperson Neal Buccino. “Residence Life representatives have been on (the) scene since the incident began.”

No injuries were reported, but according to Buccino, approximately 26 students were displaced as a result of flooding in their apartments. He said Residence Life has connected those students with temporary housing that will be available until they can return to their apartments. Laura Dengrove, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said that some individuals were asked to provide a record of the possessions in their apartments as a provision in case of flooding-related damage.

“We didn’t really see anything because we’re on the fourth floor. Apparently there were flashing lights near the elevators but we didn’t get any alarm at all, even though the people above us did,” Dengrove said. “There are some people who have been out here for an hour — we just got out five minutes ago. When you look at the whole picture that probably isn’t great.”

The Sojourner Truth Apartments opened earlier this year and aside from drills, this was the first time that an emergency has forced students to evacuate the building. There are a total of 442 students currently living in the complex. Michael Collins, a School of Engineering senior, lives just two floors below where the kitchen fire took place. Unlike residents on the fourth floor, he said he was alerted to the emergency by a series of alarms.

“The first thing that happened around 3 p.m. was we got an alarm that was automated, saying ‘an emergency has been reported’ and to the best of my knowledge it’s the same alarm that happens when there’s a fire drill,” Collins said. “I was cooking when it happened so I figured I’ll just be quiet and stay in my room — it’s a drill, it happens. Then about 15-20 minutes ago we got an actual alert from a person on an intercom saying ‘all residents evacuate’ it sounded legit so we all left.”

After talking to some of the other displaced students, Collins said he began to realize that everyone appeared to have been evacuated at different times, through different means. “I did hear my friend got an actual person on the intercom first and apparently that was a lot earlier than in my apartment. She’s on the seventh floor. To me it seems very disorganized and I’m very confused as to what would happen if a bigger emergency actually did happen,” Collins said.

Uncategorized

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system keeps dryer fire from spreading at adult memory care home

Nearly 60 residents of an adult care home in Petaluma were evacuated Sunday after a fire ignited in a laundry room.

Petaluma Fire responded to the call at 3:54 p.m. and found smoke pouring out of a roof vent at the Adobe House, a memory care facility at 750 N. McDowell Blvd.

The fire was sparked by a dryer in the facility, but the sprinkler system stopped it from spreading, Petaluma Fire said in a statement.

Fire crews gained control of the small blaze by 4:11 p.m. and assisted in smoke removal and water cleanup before residents were allowed back in the home, Petaluma Fire said.

There were no reported injuries. The fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage, excluding cleanup costs.