Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

Apartment Building, Residential

Sechelt, BC, Canada – Fire sprinkler averts major downtown blaze

The Sechelt fire department is praising the use of fire sprinklers, which averted a major fire in downtown Sechelt last Thursday afternoon. Fire Chief Bill Higgs said the fire occurred just after lunch on Feb. 19 at a residential apartment building when a pot of grease was left on a stove unattended.

 “Upon arrival it was observed that a fire had occurred in the kitchen of a second-floor suite,” Higgs said. “The heat from the blaze had activated just one sprinkler head, which extinguished the fire. The fire department was automatically called by the monitored sprinkler/fire alarm system and the residents were alerted to the fire by the alarm bells. We were on scene within five minutes and quickly learned that we were only needed to ventilate the building and begin cleanup.”

Higgs said the fire had the potential for catastrophic life and property losses. “Thankfully, this fire occurred in a building protected by fire sprinklers and therefore had been completely extinguished by the automatic system that had been installed throughout the building,” he said.

In less than an hour, the 17 volunteer firefighters and four fire trucks had returned to the fire hall. No civilian or firefighter injuries occurred. “Only one tenant was displaced from the building for a couple of days, and everyone else reoccupied their suites that day,” Higgs said. “The total dollar loss to the $3-million structure was less than $5,000. Had this fire occurred in a similar unsprinklered building, at least three other fire departments from the Sunshine Coast would have been called to assist with the suppression effort, lasting at least half a day, with the follow-up investigation, demolition and rebuilding lasting months.”

The Sechelt fire department recommends the installation of fire sprinklers to all building owners ranging from single-family homes right up to multi-family or commercial buildings, new and old. “At less than $1.50 a square foot in new construction, why not?” Higgs asked. “Come and see us to learn what we have witnessed about the community cost saving benefits of automatic fire sprinklers in our town of just 12,000 people. We encourage others to learn from our experiences and to support our efforts in the promotion and continued use of commercial and residential fire sprinkler systems.”

Office Building, Other Business

Yuma, AZ – Arson fire at office building mostly extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire at a building Thursday afternoon that had been mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system was determined to have been intentionally set. According to Yuma Fire Department spokesman Mike Erfert, shortly after 1:00 p.m., smoke was reported coming from an office in the Mission Valley Plaza, located at 3970 West 24th Street. Once on scene, firefighters found light smoke coming from a vacant office space inside the building.

 Erfert said the building’s fire sprinkler system, which had been exposed to the heat, had activated, containing and mostly extinguishing the fire by the time firefighters had arrived. Erfert said firefighters ensured the fire was out and had not spread to adjoining areas of the building.

Sgt. Leanne Worthen, of the Yuma Police Department, said because the fire appeared to have been in intentionally set, detectives were called to scene, and are investigating the fire as an arson. Given this was the fourth fire in as many days, Erfert wanted to stress the importance of fire sprinkler systems, saying they can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them.

Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Elk Grove Village, IL – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) Fire in paper baler contained by sprinkler system

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported ***
REPORT OF A FIRE IN A PAPER BALER — CONTAINED BY A SPRINKLER HEAD, BUT CAN’T EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.  ABOUT 300 FEET OF HO– USE REQUIRED TO DO– USE THE FIRE IN THE PAPER BALER.   FIRE OUT IN SMOLDERING BALES AT ABOUT 1:00 PM.

THU FEB 26 2015 ~12:39 PM
ELK GROVE VILLAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT
PAPER BALER CONTENTS FIRE
2255 PRATT BLVD ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Brick, NJ – Sprinklers save restaurant after fire breaks out in bathroom

A fire broke out in one of the restrooms at a new Brick Township restaurant. The Flaming Grille, a buffet-style restaurant in the Kennedy Mall shopping center, nearly lived up to its name Tuesday afternoon when a fire broke out about 4 p.m., officials said.

The Breton Woods and Pioneer Hose fire companies responded to the scene and found the fire had already been put out by the restaurant’s sprinkler system, said Kevin Batzel, director of the Brick Township Bureau of Fire Prevention.

Batzel said investigators determined the fire was started when smoking materials had been disposed of in the bathroom trash can. The activation of the sprinkler system helped avert a much larger fire, Batzel said. One sprinkler head activated during the incident.

“It’s an old building,” Batzel explained. “[The fire] would have traveled up pretty fast into that building.” There were a small number of patrons in the restaurant at the time, Batzel said. All were evacuated. The bureau is following up today at the restaurant, which is back in operation. “If it was not for the sprinkler system, that restaurant would be shut down,” said Batzel.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Sarasota, FL – Sprinkler system douses fire in Ritz-Carlton parking garage

Sarasota Fire Department personnel responded to a fire at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Sarasota Tuesday afternoon. According to Capt. Jerry Jensen of the Sarasota Fire Department, the fire began in a vehicle parked in the hotel’s parking garage. The building’s anti-fire measures soon kicked into action, with the sprinkler system activating and dousing the conflagration. Firefighters cleared the parking garage of people and made sure the fire was fully out before issuing the all-clear. Capt. Jensen reports that the situation has now returned to normal at the Ritz.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lansing, MI – Fire extinguished by sprinkler system at new apartment building

A tenant moving in to a new apartment building near downtown Lansing accidentally started a small fire that left 11 units uninhabitable due to water damage, Lansing firefighters said.

The fire at Marketplace, on Cedar Street near the Lansing City Market, started in a fifth-floor unit between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Friday, said Steve Mazurek, a public information officer for the city’s fire department.

The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire, which started on a stovetop that was turned on by accident and sparked a box or other material that had been placed there, Mazurek said. The fire was contained to a single unit, whose tenant had moved in the same day, he said.

Firefighters were called because water from the sprinkler system caused damage to surrounding and lower units, Mazurek said. No one was injured. Eleven of 79 units can’t be occupied until they’re repaired.

The $8.5 million Marketplace building opened last fall. It is owned by Lansing developer Pat Gillespie. Gillespie could not immediately be reached by phone.

His company, Gillespie Group, posted a message on its Facebook page this morning, saying a restoration company will be on site throughout the weekend to repair damaged units. Office staff are available to answer residents’ questions, the company said.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Bel Air, MD – Fire at medical center limited to utility closet thanks to sprinkler system

Nobody was injured in a small utility room fire at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air Sunday afternoon, according to theOffice of the State Fire Marshal.  At 1:07 p.m., a fire alarm activated at the medical complex in the 500 block of Upper Chesapeake Drive, the fire marshal reported. 

Staff told emergency dispatchers there was a fire in the cardiac catheterization lab, located on the first floor of the four-story building, the report said. A cardiac catheterization lab is where medical practitioners user special equipment to diagnose heart conditions. 

Approximately 20 firefighters responded—from Bel Air, Abingdon and Fallston—and found that a sprinkler had put out a small fire in lab’s utility room before crews arrived, the fire marshal reported.  While there was no structural damage at the facility and no procedures were taking place in the lab at the time of the incident

Apartment Building, Residential

Fort Myers, FL – Sprinklers help contain apartment fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters were dispatched to the area of Bay and Dean Streets around 1 p.m. for a report of a fire on the third floor of the Dean building.  Firefighters rescued a small dog but the fire itself was contained to the apartment’s kitchen.

Sprinklers activated to help control the fire.  “It’s not fun. But the biggest thing out of the fire is that nobody was hurt,” said Perry Hauser the City Tavern General Manager. Everybody knows, it’s out of everybody’s hands.”

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Rehoboth Beach, DE – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at country club; No injuries reported

Firefighters were called last Friday afternoon to fight a fire at the Kings Creek Country Club near Rehoboth Beach.   Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Company spokesman Warren Jones says the fire was discovered in the bar area of the clubhouse and that it spread in the attic area until a sprinkler system activated and extinguished most of the flames. Jones says there were no injuries.

Residential, Single Family Home

Derry, NH – Sprinkler system helps 14-year-old girl escape intense garage fire

Fire officials say a residential sprinkler system helped knock down an intense garage fire at 3 Alder Court on Monday, and also helped save a 14-year-old girl who was home at the time.The girl was in the basement and unaware of the fire in the attached garage until she noticed water running from the sprinkler system and saw smoke filling the house. After seeing the garage was on fire, she was able to escape, said Derry fire Lt. Jack Webb.The forward progress of the fire in the garage was stopped until firefighters could arrive and extinguish the blaze. “That sprinkler system stopped the fire,” Webb said, adding “it allowed the little girl to get out of the house.”Firefighters were able rescue a small dog that was uninjured, he said. The first call came into the dispatch center at 3:36 p.m. and crews were on the scene at 3:44 p.m., Webb said.When they arrived, the garage was fully involved, with fire above the roof line.Firefighters from four stations responded to the blaze that went to two alarms, Webb said. Crews had to contend with bitter cold and icy conditions. There were also five other calls that occurred in town during the fire, including a major sprinkler system burst at Shaw’s Supermarket.The crews poured a lot of water onto the garage of the two-story Colonial-style house and the fire was declared under control at about 5 p.m., Webb saidCrews remained on the scene until 7:23 p.m. for overhaul and to assist the family members recover their belongings. There was some extension of the fire into the attic and roof of farmer’s porch. The living area of the house received smoke and water damage; it will be uninhabitable until professionally cleaned, Webb said. The family was renting and will stay with relatives temporarily, he said. The garage and its contents are considered a complete loss. Fire loss, including contents of the garage, is estimated at $150,000. A corvette was lost in the blaze, Webb added.The cause of the fire isn’t suspicious and appears to be accidental, Webb said. –