Tag Archives: Afternoon (12pm-6pm)

College/University (on campus), School / University

Piscataway, NJ – Arson fire at Rutgers University put out by sprinkler system

The investigation determined that a former student set fire to a 30-foot section of the hallway and the adjoining classroom on the second floor of the ARC Building at 1:03 p.m. on Dec. 20. 

The fire was extinguished by an overhead sprinkler, but damaged portions of the hallway and the classroom.  The flash fire also set off an alarm, forcing the evacuation of 210 students who were taking a final exam in a first-floor auditorium located beneath the burning hallway.  No one was injured.

 

Other - Retail, Retail

Richmond, VA – Christmas eve fire at clothing store extinguished by sprinkler system

Avenue, a women’s clothing store, was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after Henrico Fire crews responded to a fire inside the store located at 9077 Staples Mill Road.  Henrico Fire Battalion Chief Eugene Gerald said it appeared the fire started at about 1:04 p.m. in the “main part” of the store.  The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

“Inside the Avenue clothing store fire crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the stores sprinkler system,” Henrico Fire spokesman Danny Rosenbaum said.”  No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

“The fire is currently under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office,” Capt. Rosenbaum said.  Management at Avenue clothing store said they hoped to re-open the store on Friday.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Ferndale, MI – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at auction business

A fire at a large commercial building is being investigated by the Ferndale Fire Department and the county’s arson squad, but may have been started by a careless smoker.  The fire broke out early Monday afternoon at Assets Now Auction, 1450 Academy, south of Nine Mile Road near Wanda.

“It’s looking like a careless smoker may have started the fire,” said Ferndale Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan, “but we won’t know until we finish analyzing the surveillance video from the business.”  Fire broke out in the paper products area and firefighters were called to the building about 12:45 p.m.  Sullivan said the building has a sprinkler system that helped stop the fire from spreading into a large blaze.

Ferndale Fire Marshal Brian Batten said the building covers about 30,000 square feet. Fire officials estimate the fire caused about $20,000 in damage from smoke and water.  “There was no structural damage to the building,” Batten said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hastings, MN – Sprinklers make the difference in challenging fire at container manufacturer

All employees evacuated safely after a fire at Twin City Container in Hastings Thursday afternoon. The fire activated the building’s sprinkler system, which helped firefighters control the blaze. “The sprinkler system made a big difference in the result of this fire,” Schutt said.

The thick black smoke was caused by some of the products within the building.  “Any time you have anything petroleum or oil based you’re going to get that thick black smoke,” Schutt said.

Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, firefighters took a defensive strategy at first, fighting the fire from the outside. Firefighters were lifted to the structure’s roof, where they created a vent hole, while the fire was fought on the ground. Once the fire was under control, crews moved inside to finish the work.

Twin City Container takes 55-gallon drums and tanker trucks and cleans them for reuse. Hastings utility crews inspected the sanitary sewer system to make sure none of the hazardous materials on site made it into the sewer system. No hazards were found, Schutt said.

An area of origin has been identified, but Schutt said the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. He said the fire was located in the center of the largest part of the building and spread through the exhaust ductwork.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oakley, CA – Sprinklers keep fire from spreading at senior apartment complex

An automatic indoor sprinkler system kept a fire at an apartment complex for seniors from spreading, and fire personnel were able to evacuate residents before anybody was seriously injured, a fire chief said.

Fire Chief Hugh Henderson of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District said fire crews were called to the blaze at 4:18 p.m. and found light smoke coming from a hallway in the complex. Automatic sprinklers kept the fire contained to one room within a unit.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Murfreesboro, TN – Sprinkler system activates during fire at senior living center

Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department’s Districts 4, 6, and 8 and Engines 1 and 7 responded to a fire call at Adams Place Independent Living located at 1925 Memorial Boulevard around 12:00 Monday afternoon.

Dispatch reported that there had been a small fire in a bathroom in a unit on the second floor and that the sprinkler system was activated. When units arrived on scene, the fire was out and maintenance had turned off the sprinkler system. No one was injured during the incident.

 

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Greenville, MI – Fire at plastics compounding business quickly extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters from the Greenville Department of Public Safety responded at 5:20 p.m. Thursday to a structure fire at West Michigan Compounding, located at 1300 Moore St. in Greenville.

According to Greenville Department of Public Safety Sgt. Brian Blomstrom, during routine cleaning, a hot ember escaped into the ventilation system, starting a fire that was quickly extinguished due to a combination of the company’s sprinkler system and a quick response time from fire fighters. No one was injured.

Other Business

New York City, NY – Sprinkler system helps control fire at American Museum of Natural History

The blaze started when maintenance workers were using a blow torch to repair an AC unit on the outside of the building’s first floor around 3:30 p.m.  One of the unit’s filters caught fire, sending clouds of thick, black smoke circulating into the hall of Northwest Coast Indians, the FDNY said.

Several artifacts at the American Museum of Natural History suffered minor damage when a fire on the outside of the building sent smoke circulating inside, activating the emergency sprinkler system, officials said.

Schiralli said three or four thousand people self evacuated from the Museum while firefighters went to work extinguishing the blaze.

The extent of the damage to the artifacts was not immediately clear but museum staff insisted the they would be open for business as usual on Saturday.

 

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Minneapolis, MN – Sprinkler system activates to help contain high-rise apartment fire

A fire in a high-rise apartment building on the 300 block of Lowry Avenue North was reported just before 4 p.m. Monday.  The sprinkler system activated to help control the fire. Minneapolis Public Housing was called to the scene to help residents who will be displaced as a result of this fire and water from the sprinkler system.