Tag Archives: arson

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Montreal, QC, Canada – Arson fire at restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system

The Queue de Cheval steakhouse was the scene of an arson attack Wednesday morning.  Shortly after 4:00 a.m. someone tossed what is believed to be a Molotov cocktail into the entryway, smashing through a front door window.

Firefighters said the sprinkler system quickly took care of the fire. Most of the damage was caused by water.  The Montreal police arson squad has taken over the investigation. The street remained open to traffic throughout the morning.

The Queue de Cheval is located at 1181 de la Montagne St. near René-Lévesque Blvd.

Hospital/Care Facility, Other - Hospital/Medical

Valdosta, GA – Laundry fire at health care facility suppressed by sprinkler system

Laundry which overheated in a commercial dryer caused a fire at Pruitt Health at Crestwood at 415 Pendleton Place on Sunday about 6:30. VFD Captain James Clinkscales said that fire personnel responded to a structure fire with sprinkler activation, and the small laundry room fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system. Fire crews assisted with the evacuation and water removal.

Fourteen firefighters responded to the scene and were able to control the incident quickly, and no one in the facility was displaced by this incident, and no injuries were reported. 

Residential, Sorority / Fraternity

Salt Lake City, UT – Suspected arson fire at University of Utah fraternity is contained by sprinkler system

Fires at two fraternity houses at University of Utah are being investigated as arson, Salt Lake City Fire officials said Friday morning.  At about 4:13 a.m., fire crews arrived on scene at the Pi Kappa Alpha house, 1431 E. 100 South, to find a fire on the third floor.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and kept it contained to one area of the house, which caused damage in the game room, according to a press release from SLC Fire.  Just 18 minutes later, SLC Fire crews responded to the Beta Theta Pi house, 70 S. Wolcott St., on a report of a fire in the basement laundry room.

When firefighters arrived, they found the sprinkler system had kept the small fire under control, the release indicated. Crews then quickly extinguished the remaining flames. Officials say the fires are likely connected. Both fires are currently under investigation. No injuries were reported at either incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charlottesville, VA – Arson fire at apartment building doused by sprinkler system

Four people were displaced by a fire in a Charlottesville apartment Thursday. The fire occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. on the 800 block of Mallside Forest Court. According to the Albemarle County Fire Marshal’s Office, this is an arson case. The Albemarle County Police Department has arrested 31-year-old Cleve Kush on a charge of burning or destroying a dwelling.

A sprinkler system in the apartment limited the size of the fire and the damage it caused. The Fire Marshal’s Office reports the damage estimate is about $1,200. The investigation into the arson is underway. One person was taken to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation. The Red Cross is helping the apartment residents.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Shelton, CT – Sprinklers contain arson fire at packaging manufacturer

A criminal investigation is under way into a late-night fire at a Shelton company that specializes in corrugated cardboard packaging. An initial investigation “determined [the fire] was incendiary in nature, which means arson,” said Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora.

The arson determination was made with the help of Shelton police detectives, the city Fire Marshal’s Office, the State Police, and the state Fire Marshal’s Office, including the use of a state-provided K-9 dog with specialized training.

Shelton Police Det. Christopher Nugent confirmed the fire was being looked into but declined to offer any details about the police investigation or case at this time. “The fire is currently under investigation,” Nugent said.

The fire occurred in an office at Honey Cell manufacturing facility at Bridgeport Avenue and Long Hill Cross Road. The plant’s address is 600 Bridgeport Ave., but it is actually accessed from Long Hill Cross Road.

Tortora said the fire call came in at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire in an office at the factory, “but the sprinkler system had it under control and kept it contained to the office,” he said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the remaining fire soon after their arrival, Tortora said. “First arriving units reported light smoke showing from the building,” according to an Echo Hose Fire posting. “A fire was found in one of the offices with the sprinkler system in operation.

Based on the company website, Honey Cell is a part of Valley Container. Different divisions of the parent company specialize in different kinds of packaging. Valley Container has a factory and its headquarters in Bridgeport, as well as facilities in Massachusetts and Ohio.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Murfreesboro, TN – Sprinklers activate and control suspected arson fire at church

Two small fires damaged a Murfreesboro church and a beer brewery late Monday night.  According to the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department spokeswoman Ashley McDonald, crews responded to a fire alarm call in the 500 block of Old Salem Road around 11:45 p.m.

While on their way to the scene personnel learned the burglar alarm was also going off.  The front doors of the building were not secure and the sprinkler system had been activated in the front corridor, which is shared by Experience Community Church and Mayday Brewery, according to McDonald.

Fire crews found two small fires that had been reportedly set in what appeared to be donation bins in that corridor, and a gas can was nearby. McDonald said an abandoned pick-up truck was found in the parking lot. The doors were unlocked and there were slashes in the back tires.

The sprinkler system kept the fire damage to a minimum, however the church did receive water and smoke damage while the brewery appeared to have very minimal water damage, according to the acting shift commander.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is now investigating the case. It wasn’t clear if it would be ruled an arson.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Tempe, AZ – Sprinklers extinguish arson fire in high school bathroom

A juvenile was arrested after an arson investigation at Marcos de Niza High School revealed that he started a fire in the men’s restroom of the 400 building, police reported. The building houses the school’s driver education department and residence of an on-site officer, police reported.

Tempe Police and the fire department responded to the fire alarm that went off at the school and when they arrived the saw that the fire sprinklers and suppression system in the bathroom extinguished the fire, police reported.

The video surveillance of that area was reviewed and a camera outside the bathroom recorded the boy walking out of the restroom prior to smoke being seen, police reported. When he was read his Miranda rights and question he admitted to starting the fire with a lighter he found, saying he didn’t believe it would cause much damage and it would burn itself out, police reported.

Because of the fire classrooms were evacuated and the school was reportedly disrupted, according to the report. Additionally, the security officer was in his residence when the fire started, causing him to be endangered as well, police reported. He was transported to Tempe City Jail, where he was booked and held to see a judge, according to the report.

Other - Retail, Retail

Ventura, CA – Sprinklers help contain arson fire at commercial retail complex

Two structure fires were knocked down in Ventura Tuesday morning, officials said. The first fire, which was determined to be arson, was reported at 2:28 a.m. in the 9200 block of Telephone Road.

The facade of a commercial retail complex on Telephone Road was purposely set on fire in the first incident, officials said. Responding crews discovered an exterior commercial sign in flames that had lapped onto the adjacent exterior wall of the building, officials said. The blaze triggered a fire sprinkler that held the fire in check.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Toronto, ON, Canada – Arson fire at cabinet manufacturing business extinguished by sprinkler system

Police are investigating a case of arson in North York after officers say a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of a cabinet manufacturing business Saturday night.

Toronto Fire Services got a call to respond to Modern Custom Cabinets on Chesswood Dr., near Finch Ave. W. and Dufferin St., at about 10:15 p.m. when the sprinkler system was activated at the business.  According to Toronto Fire, a small fire in the front office had been extinguished by the sprinkler system when firefighters arrived on scene.

Firefighters also found evidence of a Molotov cocktail at the site, but reported minor damage to the building.  The store appears to have been closed at the time of the fire, as no one was reported to be inside the building and no one was injured, police confirmed.

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.