Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Residential, Residential High Rise

Elgin, IL – Residential high-rise fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire was reported in a northwest suburban high-rise building Monday afternoon in Elgin.  At 12:55 p.m. fire crews responded to reports of a kitchen fire with sprinkler activation on the fifth floor of a high-rise building at 104 S. State St., according to a statement from the Elgin Fire Department.  A resident who went down to the second floor told crews she had smoke in her apartment, fire said. Crews located a cooking fire on the stove that had spread to the cabinets and was extinguished by the sprinkler system.  Firefighters ensured the fire was put out, shut off the activated sprinkler, evacuated smoke from the building and checked on residents as needed, fire said. Water accumulation is being removed by the building maintenance crews. Total damages total $5,000, fire said.

Office Building, Other Business

Henderson, KY – Fire during AA meeting contained by building’s sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire broke out an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting place during a session Monday afternoon. No one was injured.  Henderson Fire Chief Scott Foreman said firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 401 Hoffman Drive around 12:40 p.m.  “It started in the suite where the AA meetings are held,” he said. “We understand there was a meeting in progress, but everyone got out safely.”

Foreman said the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.  “The fire was contained by the building’s sprinkler system and flames were contained to the AA suite,” he said. “There were some flames visible at one time.”  Foreman said there is smoke and water damage throughout several of the businesses contained in that building.

Apartment Building, Residential

Palo Alto, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at 88 unit affordable housing complex

Seven residents were displaced by a kitchen fire at the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto on Saturday evening that resulted in significant water damage, a fire official said.  Crews responded to the 88-unit affordable housing complex, located at 33 Encina Ave., around 5:30 p.m. where a fire was reported on a second-floor unit, Deputy Fire Chief Catherine Capriles said.  Sprinkler heads extinguished the fire by the time crews were at the scene and residents had already evacuated, she said.  The fire was caused by unattended cooking oil on a hot plate, according to Capriles.  Residents in the involved unit and others below were displaced by the blaze, which left a significant amount of water damage, she said. The American Red Cross was called to assist seven people.  The fire left an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 in damage, Capriles said. No injuries were reported.

Other Business

Schenectady, NY – Casino kitchen fire contained with help from sprinkler system; Operations resume quickly

Rivers Casino & Resort was evacuated for about an hour Sunday afternoon after a small kitchen fire.  Schenectady fire crews responded about 1:30 p.m. after a cooking fire at Mian restaurant set off the casino’s alarms and sprinkler systems, according to Deputy Fire Chief Don Mareno.  The casino was evacuated and patrons were able to return about 2:25 p.m. “Operations are normal at Rivers Casino today, following a minor kitchen fire that was quickly resolved,” a Rivers spokesman said in an email.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Greensboro, NC – Motel fire caused by cigarette doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Sprinklers doused a fire inside a motel room and kept it from spreading to others, firefighters said. Firefighters responded about noon Saturday to the In-Town Suites at 501 Americhase Drive for a reported fire. Chief Jim Boggs with the Greensboro Fire Department said some of the fire trucks that were en route were called off because the sprinklers took care of the fire. He said the fire was accidental and caused by a cigarette.

“It was controlled pretty quickly,” he said. The fire was contained to one room at the motel which had 133 guests at the time, including the one in the damaged room, according to a fire department news release. The occupant of the damaged room had to be relocated. Boggs said there was some fire and water damage to the room. No injuries were reported. To avoid such fires, the department urges people to use fire safe cigarettes, smoke outside and not smoke when sleepy or after having consumed medicine or alcohol. Firefighters also say people should check furniture before going to bed to make sure smoldering cigarette butts have not fallen out of sight.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Halifax, NS, Canada – Fire on 26th floor of high rise apartment building controlled by sprinkler system

Fire crews responded to reports of a fire at Fenwick Tower in Halifax on Wednesday. They were called at about 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday after a fire broke out on the 26th floor. Deputy Chief Roy Hollett says the building’s sprinkler system controlled the fire, and firefighters were able to put it out completely. Power was shut off to the building and there is water damage from the 26th floor and below. While the Canadian Red Cross was called in to prepare emergency shelter for residents, the city said late this afternoon that the decision had been made to allow tenants to remain in the building. Power is being restored one floor at a time, while building electricians make repairs.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Honolulu, HI – Fire in 37th floor high rise condo extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire at a new luxury tower condominium in Kakaako was extinguished today by an activated sprinkler, a Honolulu Fire Department spokesman said. Firefighters received a call at about 3:45 p.m. from a person on the 37th floor of Keauhou Place, 555 South St., about smoke coming from the floor above, said Honolulu Fire Capt. David Jenkins. Firefighters arrived to find a kitchen fire that was extinguished by an activated sprinkler. Jenkins said there was some water damage from the sprinkler, but it was “positively way better than structure fire damage.” A damage estimate and the cause of the fire were under investigation. The 43-story luxury tower with units priced from about $400,000 to $1.4 million opened to residents in late October.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kenosha, WI – Apartment dryer fire suppressed by automatic sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A dryer fire set off sprinklers at a Kenosha apartment complex which led to damage in several units Monday afternoon.  The Kenosha Fire Department was called to Kenosha Commons, 5502 60th St., around 1 p.m.  Battalion Chief Matthew Haerter said the fire was inside a dryer, eventually breaking out and spreading into the laundry room of a second-floor apartment.

“Once it did enter the room, it came into contact with a sprinkler head, which set off the apartment’s sprinkler system due to the heat. It suppressed the fire,” Haerter said.  The apartment was filled with smoke from the fire and the action of the sprinkler system extinguishing it.

Four occupants in the affected apartment evacuated with no injuries. The department did evacuate multiple tenants within the building, and also sheltered in place some tenants who had mobility issues to keep them safe.

The Red Cross worked to find shelter for less than a dozen displaced residents. The total affected was not immediately known as the Red Cross was working with building management directly, Haerter said. At least four apartments were affected by the fire itself or water damage below the apartment where the dryer was located.

“This is the second sprinkler-suppressed fire within a week for the department, with the last at Virginia Towers,” Haerter noted. “It shows that it obviously helps us to have working sprinkler systems which can be used in extinguishing a fire.”  No one was reported injured during the incident.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Port Washington, NY – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at assisted living facility

A blaring fire alarm on Nov. 13 caused the evacuation of a number of residents from The Amsterdam at Harborside, a retirement community which has approximately 280 residents. According to a statement from Harborside, the alarm, which sounded at the Continuing Care Retirement Community, was activated by smoke in a resident’s apartment.

Harborside said that in addition to the alarm, an internal sprinkler system was activated and the staff responded to the scene, temporarily evacuating residents on two floors of the facility. The statement went on to say that affected residents were taken to an area hospital for evaluation and were subsequently released.

“No one was injured and no one else was taken to the hospital during this incident. As of 7 p.m., Amsterdam at Harborside residents are at dinner and have resumed their normal activities,” the facility said in its statement. “The leadership, staff and residents of the Amsterdam at Harborside are grateful for the rapid and professional response of local first responders.”

But in Harborside’s statement that the Nassau County Fire Marshall is “investigating the cause of the smoke,” Port Washington Fire Department (PWFD) Chief Brain Vogeley feels the retirement community’s officials are not telling the whole truth.

“I understand that the only information that was given to you was from the Amsterdam,” said Vogeley in an emailed statement to the Port Washington News. “We do not understand why they refuse to give the actual truth, but I feel it would be unjust to not give the facts. If you refer to the Facebook page of the Port Washington [Fire Department] you will see the actual account. There was an actual fire on the sixth floor in an apartment. Eleven fire departments along with many other agencies responded to the fire to help the PWFD. The fire was extinguished by fire department personnel while evacuating the entire sixth floor and part of the fifth.

As chief of the PWFD, I feel I would not be doing my job if I did not provide the entire story as these volunteers put their lives on the line to protect this great community and deserve the recognition.”

Following is the Port Washington Fire Department’s full account from Facebook of what occurred at Harborside on Nov. 13:

A fire broke out in a sixth floor apartment at the Amsterdam building at 300 East Overlook.  The Port Washington Fire Department was notified for an automatic waterflow alarm at 4:19 p.m.

Assistant Chief Thomas Golden and Fire Prevention Officer Patrick Saccoccia were the first units on scene. They were met by building maintenance personnel who stated there was smoke condition and possible fire on the sixth floor. Units made their way to the sixth floor and found fire in one apartment. Residents were evacuated from the sixth floor of the complex. The fire was extinguished and one person was transported to a local hospital.

Multiple Port Washington units responded along with mutual aid units from Roslyn Highlands Volunteer Fire Co., Glenwood H and L, E and H, Co., Inc., Manhasset-Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department, Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company, Williston Park Fire Department, Sea Cliff F.D. Engine & Hose Company, Garden City Park Fire Department, Port Washington Police, Nassau County Police, Nassau County Emergency Ambulance Bureau and Nassau County OEM responded to the scene. Mutual aid from Plandome Fire Department, Albertson Fire Company, New Hyde Park Fire Department and East Norwich Fire Department covered the district during the fire and responded to two calls.

The fire is currently under the investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshals office. All operations were under the direction of Bryan Vogeley, chief of the Port Washington Fire Department.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hutchinson, KS – Sprinkler system activates to help contain apartment fire; No injuries reported

Dozens of residents at the Tierra Verde Apartments waited for an American Red Cross overnight shelter Wednesday after a third story apartment fire caused the building to be evacuated. Hutchinson Fire Department Deputy Chief Doug Hanen said calls came in at 5:23 p.m. and firefighters were able to contain the fire to the living room of the apartment within 20 minutes of arriving. He didn’t believe anyone was in the apartment when the fire started. Hanen said no one was one was injured, but water damage caused by the sprinkler system and the fire hose affected most apartments in the 28-apartment complex on Avenue A.

“There’s a lot of people going to be displaced tonight,” Hanen said. He did not have a count at the time. The cause of the fire was still under investigation. Hanen said the department responded with six fire engines, two trucks and a total of 28 personnel. “We had everybody,” he said. The Tierra Verde Apartments were built in 2008. The two-bedroom apartments are part of New Beginnings.