Tag Archives: British Columbia

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Lake Country, BC, Canada – Overnight fire at high school contained by sprinkler system

Fire broke out at a Lake Country high school overnight.  Lake Country Fire Chief Steve Windsor says firefighters were called to George Elliot Secondary just after 10 p.m. Friday.  A fire caused considerable water and smoke damage to a classroom.  The fire started in a waste paper basket and was contained by the school’s sprinkler system.  The school district had a restoration company en route as of late Friday, to mitigate the damage.

Hotel / Motel

Fort St. John, BC, Canada – Laundry fire at Super 8 Hotel put out by sprinkler system

Firefighters in Fort St. John were called out to a small laundry room fire at the Super 8 Hotel.  Fire Chief Fred Burrows said that crews were called out to the hotel in the 9500 block of Alaska Road North at approximately 6:30 in the morning. Burrows said that a small fire had broken out in the hotel’s laundry room and that the small fire was extinguished by the hotel’s sprinkler system by the time firefighters arrived.  Burrows said the hotel’s occupants were evacuated to the hotel’s lobby when the fire alarm sounded and were given the all-clear to return to their rooms once crews ensured that the fire was put out. The hotel’s General Manager Lourdes Samodio said that the incident lasted only roughly five minutes and that no one was hurt in the incident. She declined to comment further on the matter.  Burrows said that the laundry itself sustained minor damage and that apart from the appliances and cleaning supplies stored in the room, the rest of the hotel was unscathed. According to Burrows, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but that the fire at this point is not deemed suspicious.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Quesnel, BC, Canada – Early morning fire at sawmill controlled by plant’s sprinkler system

A fire at Tolko Mills on Two Mile Flat had Quesnel Volunteer Firefighters out in force at 2:30 a.m. today (Jan. 17).  A total of 18 fire department personnel attended, along with three engines and one ladder truck, says director of emergency services Sylvain Gauthier.  The fire was in the main sawmill, and was contained to this area by the mill’s sprinkler system. There was some damage to the mill’s structure and to electrical wiring.  Gauthier told the Observer that the fire was caused by a spark from a welder.  The Quesnel Fire Department was on the scene for just over three hours. Representatives at Tolko have said they are doing their best to get the mill back up and running as quickly as possible. This could happen as early as this afternoon or tomorrow (Jan. 18).

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

View Royal, BC, Canada – Condominium fire suppressed by home fire sprinkler system

Fire crews from both View Royal and Colwood responded to alarm bells ringing at the Four Pillars condo complex on Watkiss Way at 9:40 a.m. Friday.  The fire started in a bedroom and was caused by unattended candles and incense.

“If this hadn’t been a sprinkled building, this would have been a significantly different event,” said View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst. “Thankfully the sprinklers kicked in and controlled the fire. It’s a good outcome today.”

Under provincial building code regulations this structure would not have been required to have fire sprinklers but thanks to the Town of View Royal’s proactive fire sprinkler bylaw, the damage was contained. This bylaw requires all new construction of duplexes or larger in the town to have fire sprinklers.

Officials say the fire was contained quickly, but there was some water damage and crews remained on scene to help salvage items, tarp other units and vacuum up the water. A neighbouring suite also experienced some water damage.

Three people in the suite were able to escape with no injuries and the displaced residents will be helped by Emergency Social Services with finding accommodations until their insurance can assess the damage.

Hurst noted the suite is not livable and temporary accommodations have been made for the family.

B.C. Ambulance Service, West Shore RCMP and BC Hydro were also on scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Apartment balcony fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Deputy Fire Chief Chris Forster says it is suspected the fire started when a cigarette butt was disposed of in a planter on the balcony by a resident at about 2:30 a.m. The peat in the planter ignited shortly before 5 a.m.  “But the good part of it is — and we are very big advocates of, not all buildings have them — is sprinklers on balconies,” he said. “The sprinkler activated and extinguished the fire as the guys got on scene. We didn’t actually spray any of our water on it.”  The fire caused significant damage to the balcony and vinyl siding, but was contained to that area.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Townhouse cooking fire put out by home fire sprinkler system

Chilliwack fire officials are reminding residents of the value of home fire suppression units after a townhouse fire was quickly doused by sprinklers.  The fire broke out on a stove top Thursday afternoon in the 5600 block of Sappers Way in Garrison Crossing.  By the time firefighters arrived, the unit’s home sprinkler system had already extinguished the blaze.

“Early control and suppression of the fire by the sprinkler system significantly limited damage to a small area around the stove and kitchen cabinets,” said Assistant Fire Chief Chris Wilson.

“Without a working sprinkler system in place, this fire had the potential to cause extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the home and adjacent units in the townhouse complex.”

Wilson said the Chilliwack Fire Department strongly promotes the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in homes. “The presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system in conjunction with a working smoke alarm greatly reduces the risk of being injured or dying in a fire.”

No one was injured in the fire, and the cause was accidental.

“The Chilliwack Fire Department reminds residents to ensure they are aware of the cooking hazards and not be distracted or leave the kitchen when they are cooking.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Nanaimo, BC, Canada – Arson fire at apartment building knocked down by sprinkler system

A suspicious fire in a Nanaimo apartment building forced about 50 tenants to evacuate on Tuesday (Aug. 8). Firefighters responded to the alarm at Parkside Manor apartments at 645 Townsite Rd. at about 3:30 p.m. Emergency personnel at the scene said the fire started in a storage room on the first floor of the building and was knocked down by the structure’s automatic sprinkler system. Firefighters ensured the fire was fully extinguished and used a large fan to force fresh air through the building.

Alan Millbank, Nanaimo Fire Rescue fire prevention officer, confirmed Wednesday the fire was suspicious and the investigation had been turned over to Nanaimo RCMP. “Somebody deliberately set it alight,” Millbank said.

Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said police were called in shortly after firefighters arrived on scene. “[Firefighters] found a wad of paper balled up in one of the storage lockers and it had been set on fire,” O’Brien said. “The fire extended up some wooden pallets to the ceiling at which point the sprinklers activated and put the fire out.”

No one was injured, but residents had to remain evacuated from the building for more than an hour while smoke fully cleared from the structure. Nanaimo RCMP are continuing to investigate the fire.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Kamloops, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system knocks down arson fire at hotel

An evacuee from Williams Lake has been charged with arson and mischief after an incident at a Kamloops hotel.

In a news release, RCMP Corporal Jodi Shelkie says police were called to a disturbance at a hotel on Columbia Street July 28th.

Police said a man was found throwing things around inside a room in the hotel.

The man had broken a window, overturned a fridge and set some items on fire.The sprinkler system put out the flames, but the water caused significant damage inside the room and the adjacent hallway.

Shane Dalton Dennis has been charged with one count of arson and two counts of mischief.

Dennis was previously known to police and was staying at the hotel as an evacuee from Williams Lake.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system controls hotel fire until crews arrive; No injuries reported

Six people have been displaced after a fire at the Rainier Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The single-room occupancy (SRO) unit on Carrall Street was evacuated around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, after some materials caught fire in a room on the third floor.  The occupant of the room managed to escape without injury before fire crews arrived on scene.  “There’s a fair bit of fire damage to that one room,” said Battalion Chief Terry Nikolai, with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

Some other rooms also sustained water damage from the sprinkler system and firefighting efforts. “Thankfully the sprinkler activated and contained the fire, until our crews managed to get in there with a line and extinguish it,” said Nikolai.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Victoria, BC, Canada – Fire at cardboard recycling plant contained by sprinkler system

Victoria Fire Department crews kept a fire at a plant filled with cardboard to be recycled from spreading Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters responded to a structure fire call at Cascades Recovery in the 2800 block of Bridge St., next to the City of Victoria public works yard, just before 1 p.m. and found the fire in a conveyor belt system. The building’s sprinkler system had deployed and was keeping the blaze from spreading, said Mark Robertson, VFD Battalion Chief. Crews made their way in, found the seat of the fire and extinguished it quickly with two-inch hoses, he added.  All occupants of the building were out and safe when fire crews arrived, Robertson said.  With the cause of the fire still under investigation, Robertson was reluctant to say whether it appeared to be mechanical failure or something else.

“You never know what you’re dealing with when you’re at a recycling plant, you don’t know what is coming and going in those cardboard boxes,” he said. In all, 18 crew on three engine trucks, a rescue truck, a ladder truck and a battalion vehicle responded to the call. Oak Bay and Saanich were on standby in case the fire grew larger. No damage estimate was immediately available.