Tag Archives: Alberta

Apartment Building, Residential

Medicine Hat, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Update: The Medicine Hat Fire Service says residents residing at the Toronto Street Apartments have been taken to a local hotel, after their building sustained extensive water damage following a structure fire Saturday afternoon.

Crews were called to the area just after 4p.m. Saturday.

“On arrival there was smoke coming from a set of patio doors on the fourth floor. The first arriving crew, gained access quickly, and with the assistance of the sprinkler system in the building, the fire was extinguished quickly,” said Kevin Heinrich with the Medicine Hat Fire Service.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

Members of the Medicine Hat Fire Service were called out to the Toronto street apartments Saturday afternoon to battle a structure fire.

Photos submitted to CHAT News, and videos on social media appear to show smoke coming out of a top-floor apartment unit.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this point. A fire investigator remains on scene.

Portions of 3rd street were blocked off from traffic as fire crews worked to put out the blaze.

EMS and the Medicine Hat Police Service were also on scene.

CHAT News has reached out to the Medicine Hat Fire Service for more details.

As of 5p.m. the Medicine Hat Fire Service remains on scene.

More to come.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Airdrie, AB, Canada – Motel kitchen fire quickly extinguished by overhead sprinkler system; No Injuries reported

The Airdrie Fire Department responded to a structure fire on April 4 after a pot containing cooking oil overheated and ignited on a stovetop at the Motel 6 in Airdrie.

Airdrie Fire Department members responded to a structure fire on April 4, after a pot containing cooking oil overheated and ignited on a stovetop at the local Motel 6.

The fire was quickly extinguished by the building overhead sprinkler system, according to a news release from the City of Airdrie, but damages to the structure and contents have been estimated at $50,000.

The fire occurred in a main level guest room, the City’s release stated, where fire crews found light, grey smoke and water covering the main floor when they entered the building.

Once the fire had been fully extinguished by the sprinkler system, salvage and cleanup efforts were started by the thirteen firefighters on scene.

All motel staff and guests had safely evacuated to the parking area by the time that fire crews arrived on scene, and there were no injuries to report.  

In a public safety announcement after the fire, the City reminded residents to be cautious while cooking, as kitchens remain one of the leading sources of fires in the home.

“Never leave the stove or oven unattended when in use,” the PSA stated. “When cooking with oil it is advised that you use a proper appliance designed for deep frying. Ensure that you have residential fire extinguisher which is easily accessible in your kitchen.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Airdrie, Alberta, CA – Exterior residential fire sprinkler held deck fire in check at apartment complex

The Airdrie Fire Department (AFD) responded to reports of an activated fire alarm in a Mackenzie Way apartment complex the morning of June 26.

According to an AFD press release, the department was called around 9:15 a.m. to the scene of the fire at a multi-storey residential complex located in the 100 block of Mackenzie Way SW.

“Upon arrival, fire crews found a partial evacuation had taken place and those residents and their pets had safely gathered in the building’s parking lot,” the release stated.

Upon entering the apartment building, firefighters discovered a small fire was burning on an exterior deck of the apartment complex. The fire was being held in check by the residential fire sprinkler system.

Firefighters extinguished what remained of the fire and proceeded to check apartments above, below and adjacent to ensure they had not been damaged.

“Due to the timely activation of the exterior fire sprinkler system, damage was limited to the exterior deck of the apartment of origin,” the release stated.

The cause of the fire was determined to be the ignition of combustible materials that were stored close to a barbecue. Damages are estimated to be $2000.

“The AFD reminds the public to remain safe and attentive when using a barbecue,” the release stated. “Ensure that the barbecue is located in a well-ventilated area and a safe distance from combustible materials, windows and doors. Never leave a lit grill unattended. Barbecues should be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.”

Retail, Shopping Mall

Calgary, Alberta, CA – Fire at strip mall contained thanks to sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire has damaged a strip mall in the Airways industrial area in northeast Calgary.

Fire crews were called to the area on 30 Ave. NE around 4:20 Monday morning.

When they arrived, crews found broken glass from windows that were shattered along with water flowing from sprinklers.

A small fire was eventually found and confined to the rear of the strip mall.

Damage to nearby shops was minor and mainly resulting from water and smoke.

Right now, there are no reports of any injuries.

Calgary police say fire investigators are now trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Apartment Building, Residential

Calgary, AB, Canada – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Just under two dozen residents of an apartment building in Bridgeland were forced out of their homes last Saturday afternoon after a fire broke out. Crews were called to the complex, in the 400 block of 2 Avenue N.E. at about 1:25 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke on the second floor and soon traced it to a small fire inside one of the units but found it had already been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. Crews ordered 23 residents of the building out of their homes so they could be assessed by EMS. There is no information on any injuries as a result of the fire. A fire investigator has been called to determine the cause.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Residential

Calgary, AB, Canada – Mattress fire at homeless shelter controlled by sprinkler system

Two hundred people were cleared out of a downtown Calgary homeless shelter after a mattress caught fire on Tuesday. Crews responded to a triggered alarm system in the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope, located in the 400 block of 9 Avenue S.E., at around 3:30 p.m., according to the Calgary Fire Department (CFD). A mattress in a third-floor room caught fire and activated the sprinklers, the CFD said.

“The sprinkler successfully contained the fire to that unit until fire crews could get on scene and finish extinguishing it,” said Carol Henke, the CFD’s public information officer. After firefighters ventilated the building and ensured the air quality was safe, staff and residents were allowed back inside just before 6 p.m., the department said. Several residents were displaced due to fire and water damage and will be allowed back in their suites after they are cleaned, officials said. It is unknown if the resident of the unit was inside at the time the fire started. The fire’s origin and cause are under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Grande Prairie, AB, Canada – Fire in apartment building contained to one suite by sprinkler system

A fire prompted an evacuation of Willow Place on Saturday evening but was contained to one apartment suite.

The Grande Prairie Fire Department received the call at 6:26 p.m. Platoon chief Tony Lutzmann said that the sprinkler system managed to control the fire and firefighters went in to ensure the fire was extinguished.

“There was a considerable amount of smoke throughout the building so the building was evacuated,” Lutzmann said, adding that they had a transit bus on scene to provide temporary shelter for the evacuees.

Operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Willow Place is a 57-unit apartment building for people with mental health conditions.

Lutzmann noted that the cause of the fire appeared to be “cooking-related” but added that the investigation was ongoing. He also offered advice on kitchen fires.

“Don’t leave cooking unattended and ensure you have something to extinguish the fire in case there is a kitchen fire,” he said.

Victim Services and the Red Cross also attended the scene.

Government Office, Government/Military, Office Building

Edmonton, AB, Canada – No injuries reported in 11th floor office blaze; Sprinkler system activated to assist firefighters

A fire at a downtown Edmonton office building has displaced hundreds of Alberta government employees and crippled critical online industrial applications handled by government computer servers.  According to Environment and Parks spokesperson Matt Dykstra, 465 government employees across five ministries have been moved to different offices, or are working from home while damage is being repaired.

“There was smoke and water damage from the sprinkler systems that impacted a few different floors as well as the air conditioning system for the building,” said Dykstra.  “The hot weather that we have right now makes it unsafe for employees to be working in that building at this time.”  The July 30 fire, on the 11th floor of the Forestry Building, 9920 108th St., also affected the data centre in the mechanical room.  “It’s rendering the Alberta Environment and Parks server non-operational,” Dykstra said.

He said the public won’t notice any delays, but a notice posted on the Environment and Parks website says that due to the fire, telephone calls to the information centre will not be answered, and all inquiries must be made by email.  There will also be an impact on industry. The damaged computer servers are used by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER).

The service disruption means online applications that would normally take two or three days to process will be slower. In an online bulletin, the AER said applications done manually will now take up to two weeks to approve.

AER spokesperson Shawn Roth said in an email a workaround has been developed in meantime.  “The AER will be manually processing applications for Temporary Field Authorizations (TFAs), seismic exploration permits, and formal land disposition applications and issuing temporary approvals by email until the systems are restored.”

However, the AER bulletin also indicated some work has been put on hold, until the servers are back in operation. The AER said it is unable to accept new applications for formal land dispositions, or to process TFA applications that require documentation on First Nations consultation. The Alberta government leases the Forestry Building office space from Vancouver-based property management and investment firm, QuadReal Property Group.

Dykstra said he doesn’t know when employees will be back in the building or when the computer servers will be working again. The cause of the fire has not been determined, and there is no estimate of damage.

Other - Retail, Retail

Ohotoks, AB, Canada – Fire at mattress store extinguished by sprinkler system

A small mattress fire in the local Sleep Country store last night was contained thanks to an indoor sprinkler system.  Okotoks Fire Chief, Ken Thevenot, says they were called in a timely fashion thanks to a witness who saw the mattress ignite inside the store.  “There was a person on scene that witnessed the fire on a mattress in the Sleep Country business,” he said.  He says they were called out around 9 p.m., and when crews arrived on scene the indoor sprinkler system had mostly extinguished the small fire.

“When crews arrived, they did see the sprinkler system was activated and the fire was extinguished from those systems. We entered the building, cleared out the smoke and checked the hot spots, and it appeared to be a non-suspicious fire,” said Thevenot. The Okotoks Fire Department is investigating the cause as of today, as there is a possibility it was caused by a short in the store’s track lighting, however, the investigation to determine the cause is indefinite.  The Sleep Country store is closed until further notice, and we’ll update the story as it progresses.

Apartment Building, Residential

Red Deer, AB, Canada – Balcony fire controlled by sprinkler system

Emergency crews were called to a balcony fire in Vanier Woods last week after improperly stored cardboard caught fire during a barbeque.

Red Deer Emergency Services (RDES) responded to a fire call at 39 Van Slyke Way on June 8th at approximately 11 p.m.

The fire originated on the balcony where residents had stored cardboard materials behind their gas barbeque, which caught fire when the barbeque was used. The balcony’s overhead sprinkler system was activated and kept the fire under control.

Officials say without the sprinkler head on the balcony, the fire would likely have spread to the combustible siding, putting the building and tenants at further risk.

RDES Fire Prevention Bureau reminds residents that June is one of the peak months for barbeque fires. Please consider:

Residents are invited to contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 403-346-5511 or [email protected] with any questions or concerns.