Tag Archives: arson

Adult Care/Rehab Center

Kearney, FL – No injuries after sprinkler system puts out arson fire at women’s shelter

A fire started in the Kearney Center’s women’s wing on Sunday night was quickly put out by its overhead sprinkler system. The Center is now finding alternate sleeping arrangements for its female clients. The fire was started in a laundry bin in the Kearney Center’s women’s wing just after 8 Sunday night, forcing the center to evacuate all its residents. Patricia Johnson, 28, is accused of starting the fire and faces a charge of first degree arson. Now, Kearney Center director Jacob Reiter says about 90 clients of the Kearney Center will have to sleep elsewhere after the wing was flooded by its overhead sprinkler system.

“We had about 87 women sleeping with us last night. We typically have between 80 and sometimes 120, and so we’re prepared to sleep them here on site,” Reiter said. “We kind of will use a different space than the women’s wing, for example like the dining room. And so, we have overflow sleeping accommodations like cots and things like that.” Reiter says the Red Cross has helped out with extra cots, and ServPro has been at the center removing water and dehumidifying the women’s wing. There are no damage estimates yet. At this time of year, the Kearney Center houses about 375 people per night.

Apartment Building, Residential

Louisville, KY – Occupied apartment’s sprinkler system extinguishes intentionally-set fire

A Louisville man was arrested Saturday after he intentionally set fire to an occupied apartment.

The Louisville Metro Police Department arrested Anthony Green, 30, on charges of first-degree arson and criminal mischief.

Officials said Green poured gasoline throughout an apartment in the 400 block of East Saint Catherine Street and then set a couch on fire inside the residence.

Investigators said Green made threats to kill the victim before setting the fire.

The fire was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system but caused over $1,000 in damages.

Green is being held in Metro Corrections on a $10,000 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court Monday.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Thief River Falls, MN – Arson fire at college put out by sprinkler system

Two Northland College students are accused of setting fires in restrooms at the college on the same day. According to a news release from the Ashland Fire Department, both fires happened on March 19. A morning fire in a Wheeler Hall restroom was put out by a sprinkler system and an evening fire in a Fenenga Hall restroom extinguished itself. No one was injured in either fire. Damage estimates are not available. The fire department said two suspects, a 30-year-old woman from Ashland and an 18-year-old woman from the Twin Cities area, have been arrested to face possible charges of arson and recklessly endangering the safety of others. Investigators believe the suspects and fires are not connected.

Place of Worship

Lithia Springs, GA – Arsonists ignite donated food at church; Sprinkler system contains fire

A Georgia church is asking for food donations after an unknown number of people broke into its gym, started a fire and ruined donated food. The incident was reported last Saturday at the Lithia Springs Church of God, according to the Douglas County School System. The church’s Gift of Love ministry had collected food intended to feed thousands of students in need over spring break. Instead, a group of vandals tagged the gym with gang graffiti and mixed chemicals in a trash can to start the fire, a district official said on Facebook. They also made themselves a meal before dousing all the tables with food on them with the chemical mixture, school authorities said.

The church’s sprinkler system contained the fire, but not before it destroyed enough food for 459 students to eat for nine days in 21 Douglas County schools. Also lost was a special donation of boxed meals for 2,000 students at four additional county schools that have a high number of students on free and reduced lunch, the school district reported. Anyone who wants to help restore the donations is asked to bring them to the church at 3900 Veterans Memorial Highway by Thursday, when the items need to be delivered. Needed donations include canned meats, pasta, soups, instant oatmeal and grits, cereal packs, Ramen noodles and packaged snacks For more information, call Brenda Kirk at the Gift of Love at (770) 672-4707.

Hospital/Care Facility

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Sprinklers limit fire damage in supportive housing complex

A sprinkler system is being credited with limiting the fire damage in a supportive housing complex in Chilliwack Monday morning.

Firefighters responded to an alarm just before 3 a.m. from a building located in the 8900 block of School Street.

When they arrived, they determined the alarm had been triggered by a fire on the top floor of the four-storey structure. A sprinkler head had been activated due to a number of fires that had been intentionally set in one of the suites, said the Chilliwack Fire Department.

A single sprinkler had controlled and extinguished the fires.

Firefighters confirmed the fires were out and shut off the sprinkler system.

Majority of the damage in the unit was related to multiple fires apparently set by the lone tenant, the department said. There was minor water damage to the units below.

Crews from Chilliwack Firehalls 1 and 4 responded to call.

There were no firefighter injuries, and fire officials and RCMP fire investigators are continuing their investigation.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Houston, MS – Sprinkler system keeps arson fire at high school from spreading

One person is in custody after a break in and arson at Houston High School Friday morning. According to Houston Fire Captain Jonathan Blankenship, the call came in at 2:22 a.m. Houston Police Chief Billy Voyles confirmed there was a fire and water damage to the school, as well as extensive vandalism damage to parts of the school. Patrick Nichols, 20, has been arrested and faces felony charges. He’s a recent graduate of the school and was still inside the school when police arrived on the scene.

Some of the vandalism includes damage to the school’s technology, which school officials estimate to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. “There was water damage. The sprinklers went off. There was a fire set in the old home economics room, and lots of glass broken, lots of technology destroyed,” Houston School District Superintendent Tony Cook said.

Cook says the busted technology will not only cost the district a lot of money but could hurt school testing, which is coming up soon. “The fire was started in one of the back rooms. They had a stove in the room. The subject piled some books on top of the stove and apparently turned the stove on to start the fire,” said Blakenship. However, the school’s sprinkler system kept the fire from getting out of hand.

Voyles says Nichols met an officer at the front door of the school and was detained. “He opened the door for the officers, and the officer didn’t know if he was an employee or whatever it was,” Voyles said. The motive for the incident is still under investigation.

Child Care Facility, Hospital/Care Facility

Cornelius, OR – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire set by resident at youth group home

A youth group home operated by the Albertina Kerr Centers was damaged Monday evening, March 5, after a resident allegedly set a fire in his room.

The Cornelius Fire Department received the alarm at the house near the intersection of North 10th Avenue and Holladay Street at 6:01 p.m. Monday, according to spokesman Matt Johnston. He said the fire was extinguished quickly, and there were no injuries.

“The fire was actually put out by fire sprinklers,” said Johnston, adding, “It pretty much just burned a curtain. That was all that was burned. The sprinklers put it out and stopped it.”

Jeff Carr, chief executive officer of the Albertina Kerr Centers, said the sprinklers “went off very quickly” and extinguished the fire before first responders even arrived.

Albertina Kerr operates more than a dozen youth group homes and other mental health and treatment facilities across the Portland area.

Hotel / Motel

Astoria, OR – Arson fire at Comfort Suites hotel extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A homeless man has been indicted in connection with a gas leak and fire at the Comfort Suites in Astoria last September. Matthew Jay Burke, 26, allegedly removed a plug from a gas meter near the hotel. Natural gas eventually leaked into and outside of the building on Lief Erikson Drive, causing a spark outside. Flames from the fire extended into the laundry room. The fire was extinguished after a water pipe burst and a ceiling sprinkler activated, causing several inches of water to flood the ground floor. The incident caused the hotel to temporarily close.

Dozens of guests from 75 rooms were evacuated and transferred to other hotels in Astoria and Warrenton. No injuries were reported. Burke was indicted in late January but has been held in a California jail for a separate probation violation. It is unclear whether Burke intended to cause a fire at the hotel or simply damage property. He has been charged with eight counts of recklessly endangering another person and two counts of first-degree criminal mischief.

“Frankly, the motel was full,” Clatsop County Deputy District Attorney Ron Brown said. “The risk to the public could’ve been pretty substantial.” Burke has yet to be transferred to the Clatsop County Jail, and an arraignment has not been scheduled.

Primary / Secondary School

Orlando, FL – Arson fire in high school bathroom suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries

A 14-year-old was charged with arson, Saturday, after an explosion that caused a fire inside a bathroom at Timber Creek High School, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Orange County Fire Rescue officials say the fire activated the sprinkler system inside the bathroom, putting the fire out. Officials say a secondary sweep of the campus showed another restroom was also set on fire. Firefighters say no one was hurt. Deputies say the teen is a student at Timber Creek High School.

Apartment Building, Residential

Greenwood Village, CO – Sprinkler system helps control arson fire at apartment building

A man was arrested and taken to the hospital Saturday afternoon after police said he was linked to multiple fires in their jurisdiction. Joe Bradley, Patrol Commander for Greenwood Village Police, said officers and firefighters responded to a fire in an apartment at Timber Creek. When firefighters and police arrived on scene, they located an active fire. South Metro Fire spokesman Eric Hurst told CBS4’s Dillon Thomas the sprinkler system in the unit had engaged the fire.

As firefighters cleared the building, police were warned of an unaccounted for person in the apartment. Shortly after, a different 911 call reported a separate fire along Yosemite. When police arrived to investigate the fire at Stoney Brook Apartments, they located an adult male allegedly attempting to set a bush on fire. Police said they attempted to contact the adult male who fled on foot. Police would later tackle the suspect and arrest him. Police then identified the suspect as the same person who was listed as missing in the apartment fire. Police said there was no threat to the community following the arrest.