Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Department Store, Retail

Idaho Falls, ID – Arson fire at retail center extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection to a fire that occurred behind Brady’s at 1445 E. Lincoln Road around 3:45 p.m. on Monday in Idaho Falls.  Jason Schlegel was arrested Monday evening in the 400 block of Lomax Street. The Idaho Falls Police Department had earlier sought the public’s assistance in locating Schlegel.

The Idaho Falls Police Department and the Idaho Falls Fire Department believe the fire that destroyed two trucks near Brady’s was due to arson.  The interior of Brady’s on Lincoln Road did not sustain any damage during the large fire near the building, according to Idaho Falls Fire Department Chief Dave Hanneman.

Two trucks were reported on fire around 3:45 p.m. and firefighters cut into the roof of an exterior carport adjacent to the building. The fire appeared to be under control around 4:20 p.m.  The sprinkler system in the carport helped extinguish the blaze, authorities said. Damage was estimated at $120,000.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Derry, NH – Fire in storage closet at elementary school suppressed by sprinkler system

A malfunctioning heat pump caused a small fire in a storage closet at the Derry Village Elementary School Friday afternoon. The Derry Fire Department first responded to an activated fire alarm at 2:59 p.m. and found that there was smoke in the third-grade wing of the school.  The building was unoccupied at the time except for janitorial staff.  The school’s sprinkler system had contained the fire to the storage closet and it did not extend to the ceiling.  The contents of the storage closet were significantly damaged with an estimated loss worth $3,000.  The fire was brought under control at 3:25 p.m.  The properly functioning alarm and sprinkler limited damage to the building and quickly alerted first responders to the threat, fire officials said.  The heat pump had ignited combustible materials that were just below it, leading to the fire, officials added.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Athens, OH – Fire at popular microbrewery controlled by sprinkler system; Fire started in attached carport

Jackie O’s Production Brewery and Taproom remains standing after a fire broke out adjacent to the main building Wednesday afternoon. The fire, which was contained within a carport attached to the taproom, was started by a truck, said Deputy Service Safety Director Ron Lucas, who added that the facility’s sprinkler system had the fire “pretty much under control” by the time crews arrived on scene.  Due to the potential magnitude of the fire, the Athens Fire Department called in every firefighter on its 22-member roster. Although nobody was hurt, the possibility of the blaze spreading called for an increased firefighter presence.

“Being inside the structure, we worry that it could spread to the whole structure,” AFD Chief Rob Rymer said. “So we put out an all-call, we bring everybody in off duty to make sure it’s under control.”

As crews began to exit the scene at 25 Campbell St., Rymer was unclear as to how the truck, which is used to transport grain to local farmers, had caught fire. “It’s always difficult for vehicles to determine how it started,” Rymer said. “Sometimes you’re driving and you hear a backfire, it could be electrical.”  A group of about five patrons remained on the Jackie O’s patio as fire trucks began clearing the scene.  “We didn’t really see anything,” Kayce Carrick, one of the people on the patio, said. “We were inside, and we just smelled smoke and that was it. So we just left.” The group planned to enjoy the warm weather and finish their beers on the patio.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Yakima, WA – Car fire in parking garage prevented from spreading by overhead sprinkler

A car fire in a garage above the former downtown Yakima mall was prevented from spreading by an overhead sprinkler that activated before firefighters arrived Tuesday afternoon.

Yakima firefighters responded to the fire around 2:30 p.m. on the second level of the garage. The sprinkler confined the fire to a single car before firefighters moved in with hoses, the fire department said.

Shift commander Mitch Cole said the fire was accidental. The car’s driver said she heard a pop while leaving the garage and saw smoke coming from the engine compartment, Cole said in news release.

The car and its contents were destroyed. The fire department estimates the loss to be $1,800.

The fire department said there was no damage to the parking garage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Arlington, TX – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment kitchen fire; No injuries reported

Residents of the Centennial Court apartments complex were evacuated when a small cooking fire occurred at about 1 p.m. Tuesday at 717 W. Mitchell Circle on the second floor.

The sprinkler system extinguished the kitchen fire prior to Arlington Fire Department’s arrival, Fire Lt. David Tyler said.

Tyler said there was one person in the apartment at the time, and she escaped without injury.

The apartments experienced minimal fire damage, but also sustained water damage from the sprinkler system that extends to the first floor, Tyler said.

Residents were let back into their apartments at about 1:40 p.m. after the firefighters finished their inspection. Cost of repair for damages is currently unknown.

Centennial Court apartments staff didn’t get back to The Shorthorn before publish time.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Fargo, ND – Kitchen fire at senior living center extinguished by sprinkler system

 A kitchen fire in a senior living center unit caused an estimated $18,000 of damage Saturday, Feb. 25.  Fire crews responded just after 5 p.m. to a possible fire at the Touchmark by Harwood Groves complex, 1200 Harwood Drive S. They found smoke in the hallways, but an in-unit sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire.

No one was in the unit at the time of the fire, and most tenants in the three story building had already evacuated before firefighters got there, according to the Fargo Fire Department. A small dog was in the unit and uninjured. A Saturday news release said the fire was accidental and started from combustible materials that were left on the stove. There was minor fire damage.

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, OR – 6th floor apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

A man was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation Wednesday after a fire broke out in a Northwest Portland apartment.  The man, who wasn’t publicly identified, was the only person injured in the blaze that closed Northwest Everett Street between 20th and 21st avenues, said Lt. Rich Chatman, a Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman.  Chatman said a couch in a sixth-floor unit caught fire and that the building’s sprinkler system extinguished the flames.  The building was evacuated as a precaution, Chatman said. Firefighters efforts were hampered briefly by one resident who did not want to leave the building, Chatman said. The man had a weapon but the confrontation ended peacefully, he said.  Firefighters responded to the fire around 3:50 p.m. Some began leaving the area within an hour.

Department Store, Retail

Wilmington, DE – Fire at Macy’s Department Store suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire at Macy’s in Concord Mall caused an estimated $150,000 in damages Thursday afternoon, according to fire officials. The blaze was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at the mall on Concord Pike in Brandywine Hundred, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael G. Chionchio in a press release.  Most of the fire damage occurred in a clothing storage area off the main sales floor, but smoke filled the department store, Chionchio said. The fire was suppressed by the building’s sprinkler system, he said.  The Talleyville Fire Company and several neighboring fire companies responded to the fire.  No injuries were reported, Chionchio said. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the origin and cause of the fire.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Tyler, TX – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling fire at UT-Tyler dining hall

A small fire broke out in the kitchen area of the MET dining hall at the University of Texas at Tyler’s University Center Monday afternoon. A UT Tyler official said the fire triggered the sprinkler system only in the kitchen area.   Tyler fire units responded, but the fire was quickly brought under the control and most units were turned back.  The extent of the damage is unknown at this time, and the MET dining hall kitchen will be closed until the damage is cleaned and the health department has inspected the area.  No injuries were reported.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Park Ridge, IL – Fire in trash chute at parking garage extinguished by sprinkler system

(No Media Coverage – Fire Department Reported) On February 12, 2017 at 5:09 p.m. the Park Ridge Fire Department was dispatched to 50 N. Northwest Highway for an activated fire alarm. Crews arrived on the scene within four (4) minutes and determined there was a possible fire in the trash room located in the parking garage.  Upon entering the trash room, there was water flowing from 4 sprinkler heads inside the trash chute.  These heads activated due to a fire of undetermined cause in the dumpster itself.  The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system saving what could have been a large fire loss.  Crews checked for fire extension and damage.  There was minimal damage to the building from water and smoke.  No injuries were reported and all building fire protection systems were placed back in service that night.