Tag Archives: arson

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinklers keep arson fire at high school from spreading

Two boys were arrested Tuesday on accusations of setting a fire at Glen Oaks Senior High School, which came days after a similar incident, District Six Fire Chief Joel Hancock said. The boys, a 13-year-old and 11-year-old, were arrested around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in a fire at the flooded high school determined to have been deliberately set, according to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities responded to a similar incident Friday night, also determined arson, however fire investigators do not believe the juveniles in custody are also responsible for the first incident, said Baton Rouge Fire Department spokesman Curt Monte. BRFD investigators assisted District Six Fire Department Tuesday night. The two juveniles are accused of going into the shuttered school and setting about five damaged computers on fire, Hancock said Wednesday morning. Witnesses saw the boys running from the school after the fire had started, Hancock said.

The boys have been booked into juvenile detention on counts of simple arson, criminal trespassing and unauthorized entry, Monte said.  The flames caused little damage, Hancock said, but investigators determined arson was the cause. The Friday night fire at the school was also set to some old computers, Hancock said.  Adonica Duggan, a spokeswoman for the schools, said the fire on Friday triggered the school’s sprinkler system and there’s concern about water and smoke damage. She said she’s still gathering details about what additional damage might have resulted from Tuesday’s fire.

Representatives of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system and Aramark, the private company that maintains school buildings, were at Glen Oaks Senior High School at 6650 Cedar Drive Wednesday morning to assess the damage. They congregated in the school’s L building, the only building damaged by fire Tuesday night and where the fire started and was contained Friday.  The building, which has been gutted since the August flooding, had piles of electronics, computers and furniture gathered in the center hallway. Most of it looked wet and water pooled on the floor in spots. Fire damage was not readily visible.

Fifteen out of 17 buildings at the north Baton Rouge high school took in water in August. School officials are planning to reopen the school, which has been relocated across town for months, by fixing up a few of the least damaged buildings and installing several temporary buildings. A much more expensive permanent repair of the high school is slated to come after that.

The L building is one of the buildings slated to be repaired quickly. Duggan said school officials are examining the damage to see if the building can be fixed up in time for the beginning of the 2017-18 school year on Aug. 10.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Cleveland, OH – Sprinkler system assists medical center personnel in controlling early morning arson fire

Quick response by personnel at Tennova Healthcare-Cleveland is being credited with dousing a fire set in the emergency department there early Thursday morning.

Cleveland Fire Department Fire Marshal Ben Atchley said the incident occurred just after 3 a.m. Thursday, when a person at the emergency area of the hospital who was there for a psychological evaluation apparently used a lighter to set his stretcher and clothing atop the stretcher on fire. The 62-year-old male had hidden the lighter, and it was undetected when he was being evaluated, Atchley explained.

“When the fire occurred, the sprinkler system went off, the alarm at the hospital went off and the emergency area was evacuated,” the fire marshal explained. “The emergency area was inundated with water and they closed that area, but the emergency department remained in service.”

The fire department responded, and while personnel at the medical facility put the fire out with a portable fire extinguisher, there was still smoke in that area. Fans were set up by the CFD to remove the smoke. No injuries occurred in the fire, and the man remained in psychiatric care. “I have a warrant for him for aggravated arson once he is released from that care, but do not feel comfortable identifying him until that time,” Atchley said.

Atchley said the quick response by security and hospital personnel prevented the fire from becoming a bigger emergency. “They did a great job, and just clicked into another gear,” the fire marshal said. “We responded to the alarm, but found that they had put the fire out, though we were still there to help with removing the smoke from the area.”

He noted that the hospital had continuous training and drills to respond to such incidents. Stephanie Austin, assistant administrator and marketing at Tennova, said she is proud of the work done by staff at the hospital, and appreciates the response from the Cleveland Fire Department.

“No patients were injured,” she confirmed. “There is no fire damage to the area but water damage from the sprinkler system requires some rooms be closed for a short time to be repaired. “We are focused on ensuring the care of our patients is not interrupted, and thank the fire department and our staff for their fast response,” Austin stated.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Fort Worth, TX – No injuries as sprinkler system helps extinguish intentionally-set fire at Walmart distribution center

The Fort Worth Fire Department said a fire at the Walmart Distribution Center on Westport Parkway Friday morning appears to have been intentionally set and is under investigation.

The fire started around 11:10 a.m.The fire department said employees were evacuated as smoke was coming from the building and water was coming out of the sprinkler system.

Soon after firefighters arrived, they called for more units.The fire department said the fire started on a bottom shelf and spread to the second and third shelves.

The sprinklers put out most of the fire and there is now significant water damage to the merchandise.

The Walmart Distribution Center is an open floor plan 8,000 square foot facility.

There are four levels of shelves containing merchandise.

No one was hurt.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Endicott, NY – Sprinkler system puts out fire at Weis Market; Suspect arrested and charged with arson

A Johnson City man has been charged with arson after officials say he intentionally set a fire in the Weis Market in West Corners.

The West Corners Fire Department responded to the Weis, located at 412 Day Hollow Road in the Town of Union, around 3 p.m. on Thursday, February 16th for a report of a small fire inside the store.

Officials say the store was occupied by both employees and shoppers at the time, and that the fire was extinguished by the automatic fire sprinkler system.

They say the fire caused almost $10,000 in damages and lost income.An investigation by the Broome County Bureau of Fire Investigation found that the fire was intentionally set in a coat room at the rear of the store.

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As a result of the investigation, Zachary Constable, 22, of Johnson City, was arrested and charged with arson in the 2nd degree and criminal mischief in the 2nd degree, both felonies.

He was arraigned in the Town of Union Court and was taken to the Broome County Jail.

Retail

Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activates to help suppress arson fire at retail store

The Montreal police arson squad is investigating a fire at a downtown clothing store that may have been intentionally set. Firefighters were alerted to the situation around 6 a.m., when the alarm system went off at Giorgio Gruppo Roma, a men’s clothing store on Peel Street.

Once they arrived, they found a broken window and an incendiary device, which had been thrown inside. Police Const. Daniel Lacoursière said the sprinkler system activated soon after the fire started.Damage to the store was mainly caused by the water.  Lacoursière said there are no witnesses nor suspects, and no arrests have been made so far.

Manager Tony Elian told CBC News he doesn’t know who might have targeted his business or why. He said he knew now-deceased crime boss Vito Rizzuto and Ducharme Joseph, reputed gang leader, but he said they were both clients. He attended Rizzuto’s funeral.  Elian refutes claims he is linked to the mob.

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.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Hanover, NJ – Suspicious fire at Marriott Hotel extinguished with help from sprinkler system

An investigation is underway in an effort to determine who started a fire in a hotel by wrapping a cigar inside a towel and placing it in a linen cart, police said. On March 4, Sgt. John Schauder along with Patrolman Dominic Kaiser responded to the Hanover Marriott for a fire alarm activation. The ensuing investigation revealed that someone had placed a lit cigar in a rolled up towel which was then put in a linen cart that was located on the eighth floor by the service elevator, police said.

The cigar eventually lit the contents of the linen cart on fire resulting in the fire sprinklers being activated which extinguished the fire along with the help of employees from the hotel, police said. There was fire damage to the linen and the walls in close proximity of the linen cart. There was also water damage to the area due to the sprinkler system being activated, police said.

The Cedar Knolls Fire Department as well as a police detective responded to assist with the investigation. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Unit was notified as well. An investigation is ongoing, police said. No injuries were reported.

Government Office, Government/Military

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Arson fire at Children and Youth Services Center extinguished by sprinkler system

The Luzerne County human services building on Pennsylvania Avenue was closed Monday after someone threw a “fire bomb” into an office, according to an email to county council members. In the email, council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck told fellow members she was informed Children and Youth Executive Director Joanne Van Saun’s office was the one targeted.  A fire at the building at approximately 5:37 a.m. Monday was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system, District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said.

She added the incident is under investigation, and there are several potential leads for persons of interest. She declined to offer further details. “Based on the circumstances, this is an active criminal investigation,” Salavantis said.  County Manager C. David Pedri said the building would be reopened today with crisis counselors on site to provide counseling for those who needed it.

Salavantis said it was not known how long the investigation would take, and she declined to provide specifics on how the fire started. The building contains the offices for the county’s Human Services Division, including Children and Youth, drug and alcohol programs, and Mental Health and Developmental Services. The Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne and Wyoming counties is also located there.  Pedri said there was never a lapse in coverage during the day.  “All emergency calls for the Children and Youth division were diverted to on-call workers,” he said in a news release.  State Police and Wilkes-Barre police and firefighters were at the scene along with numerous agents from the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Office.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Elkridge, MD – Arson fire at motel snuffed out by sprinkler system

An Ellicott City man is facing charges in connection with a fire at the Hillside Motel in Elkridge on Wednesday. Dennis Charles Turnbaugh, 26, of the 8300 block of Sunrise Court in Ellicott City, was identified as the suspect in the blaze that broke out around 6:21 p.m., according to police.  Authorities said they were called to the 6300 block of Washington Boulevard for a fire that was snuffed out by the sprinkler system. According to police, the damage was minimal, contained to one room.

When officials investigated the blaze, they determined it had been intentionally set. Turnbaugh was found soon after and charged with first-degree arson, five counts of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property, officials reported. He was being held Thursday without bail at the Howard County Detention Center.  Arrests do not indicate convictions.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Reidsville, NC – Arson fire at Food Lion grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system

Two fires ignited in Reidsville businesses on Saturday, Feb. 18, but officials say there is no connection … Less than 22 hours later, at 11:24 p.m., Reidsville Police, Reidsville Fire and the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to Food Lion in reference to a fire.  Inside, officials found a man actively damaging property.   The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Annie Penn Hospital, according to a news release.

Harris said a suspect broke a window, entered the store, caused damage and used a lighter to ignite paper products on aisle eight, including toilet paper and paper towels. This set off two overhead sprinklers which suppressed the fire.  There was limited fire damage to the building.  The officials arrived at 11:28 p.m. and the situation was under control by 11:37 p.m.