Tag Archives: California

Other - Residential, Residential

Spring Valley, CA – Sprinkler system puts out house fire ignited by lamp; No injuries reported

Firefighters responding to a house fire in Spring Valley Friday morning came across two guinea pigs swimming for their lives as a sprinkler system doused the flames.

At around 2:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a resident’s report of a fire at home in the 9800 block of Avenida Ricardo.

Responding fire crews entered the structure as the home’s built-in sprinkler system was active and putting out much of the flames.

However, crews saw that the water from the system had soaked two guinea pigs and flooded their cage.

Crews rescued the two guinea pigs and helped safely remove two dogs from the home. The pets’ owners were not home at the time of the blaze.

Fire officials believe a lamp fell near the guinea pigs’ enclosure and ignited some hay next to it.

No animals or humans were injured in the fire, but the home suffered extensive water damage from the sprinkler system.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Simi Valley, CA – Chemical fire at warehouse contained by fire sprinkler system

A large chemical fire in an industrial building in Simi Valley that sent plumes of smoke into the sky early Tuesday has been contained, fire officials said.

Ventura County fire crews received a report of a hazardous material emergency at a warehouse in the 100 block of Cochran Street near Madera Road about 6:15 a.m. Inside the building, 75-gallon drums filled with nitric acid were burning, sending up thick, dark smoke, said Capt. Anthony Romero.

People in neighboring businesses and homes were told to stay indoors as dozens of firefighters attacked the blaze from the outside of the building to keep the fire from spreading. The fire activated the sprinkler system inside the warehouse, Romero said.

At 9:45 a.m., fire officials said that the blaze had been contained and that firefighters would remain at the scene to deal with hazardous materials. Evacuation orders were lifted two hours later, and local businesses were allowed to reopen, although officials said a slight irritant smell may linger for the rest of the day.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire at three-story commercial building; No injuries reported

Firefighters Sunday knocked down a fire in a room on the second floor of a three-story commercial building in South Los Angeles that was also held in check by the structure’s sprinkler system.

Five people were also escorted from the basement of the building at 901 E. 31st St., said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters dispatched at 5:10 a.m. to 901 E. 31st St. had the fire out within 26 minutes of their arrival, Stewart said.

No injuries were reported and a cause of the fire was under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Visalia, CA – Dryer fire at homeless shelter stopped by fire sprinkler activation; No injuries reported

Visalia’s largest homeless shelter had a close call after a industrial-sized dryer caught fire early Tuesday morning, according to Visalia Fire Department.

Thankfully the damage was minimal but Visalia Rescue Mission (VRM) will be in the market for a new dryer and possibly a fresh coat of paint. 

At 1:07 a.m., firefighters responded to a reported fire at the rescue mission, located at 322 Northeast First Avenue. The fire was reported in a laundry room toward the back of the men’s facility.

VRM offers meals and laundry services to many Visalia families and residents. 

When the first crew arrived, they didn’t see smoke coming from the building. Eventually, fire crews found the fire coming from a dryer in the laundry room, according to Battalion Chief Darrin Hughes.

The fire was contained to the laundry room. The fire caused a sprinkler to activate which stop the spread of flames, Hughes said. 

Mission staff and Visalia police helped evacuate those who were in the building. It’s unknown how many people were inside the building when the fire was reported.

No injuries were reported, firefighters said. 

Utilities to the facility were left on so the mission could operate normally, Hughes said.

The cause was “undetermined,” Hughes added. The fire caused more than $5,000 in damage to the dryer. Water damage was minimal. 

The property is worth approximately $350,000.

Finance Director Shon Baldwin encouraged anyone looking to support the mission in light of Tuesday morning’s fire to donate through the nonprofit’s website. 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Eureka, CA – Fire sprinkler prevents significant fire damage throughout hotel by confining fire to one room; No injuries reported

On 6/5/19 at 2:44 P.M. units from Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a reported structure fire at a hotel on the 2200 Block of Fourth Street. The first arriving engine found heavy smoke in one first floor room of the hotel. There was fire coming from a wall and window area. Bystanders had helped contain the main body of fire with multiple fire extinguishers. The automatic sprinkler system had also activated, assisting with keeping the fire confined to a single room. The room directly above it on the second floor had light smoke in it. The fire was controlled in approximately five minutes.

Fire personnel searched both the first and second floors for any remaining occupants, extinguished hotspots, and removed smoke from the other room. Personnel also secured the sprinkler system to minimize water damage. There were no injuries in the fire. One room and its contents were destroyed with damage estimates of about $15,000.

The cause of the fire appeared to be a malfunctioning heater unit. Although the sprinkler system caused water damage, because of its presence, it undoubtedly prevented much more significant fire damage throughout the hotel by confining the fire to one room.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Clovis, CA – Fire at senior living facility extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A senior living facility was evacuated for the second time this month as a fire broke out in a residential unit Sunday night.

The fire was put out by the sprinkler system at Solstice Senior Living at Fowler and Shaw avenues around 11 p.m.

The second alarm was called because Clovis Fire officials needed additional resources to evacuate residents who may not be able to get out on their own.

There were no injuries reported.

Fire crews are checking units for any water damage from the sprinkler system.

The first fire that officials responded to on May 10 was for a fire that sparked from a blanket set on a heater. No one was injured in that fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Santa Rosa, CA – Garbage fire minimized by fire sprinkler activation; No injuries reported

Working sprinklers inside a garbage enclosure at a Santa Rosa apartment complex may have helped prevent a much more serious blaze than the one Sunday morning that did about $5,000 in damage, Santa Rosa firefighters said. 

Fifteen firefighters and four trucks responded at about 9:45 a.m. Sunday to the apartment complex in the 1100 block of Fourth Street. Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from an enclosed garbage room on the first floor of a three-story apartment building, firefighters said. 

The flames were contained to two dumpsters inside the garbage enclosure, where most of the damage was. Several apartments suffered minor smoke damage. 

Occupants of the building were evacuated for a short time while the fire was brought under control and the smoke removed from the apartments. No firefighters or apartment occupants were injured. 

It took firefighters about 15 minutes to put out the fire. 

A working fire sprinkler in the trash chute likely prevented flames to spread to the floor above the garbage room, firefighters said. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Riverside, CA – Fighter jet crashes into warehouse causing fire, fire sprinklers control fire

An F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday into a warehouse just outside March Air Reserve Base in California, sending a dozen people to hospitals for evaluation after they were exposed to debris, authorities said.

The pilot ejected and parachuted to safety, said Maj. Perry Covington, the base’s director of public affairs. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Interstate 215, which runs between the base and the warehouse, was closed in both directions, backing up rush-hour traffic for miles.

Television news showed a large hole in the roof and sprinklers on inside the building about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

Cellphone photos and video from inside showed what appeared to be the tail of the plane buried in twisted metal and piles of cardboard boxes.

Daniel Gallegos, a warehouse worker, said he’s used to hearing the sound of planes coming and going, but the noise just before the crash was deafening.

“Next thing I know I just hear this explosion and turn around to the back of the building, and I just seen a burst of flames and just the ceiling started falling through every part of the building,” he told KABC-TV . “I turned around, and my co-worker just told me to get out, so I just made a run for it.”

A dozen people were hosed down and taken to hospitals, and there were no major injuries, state fire Capt. Fernando Herrera said.

The crash also caused a small fire doused by the warehouse sprinkler system, Herrera said.

The crash happened as the pilot was landing following a routine training mission, March Air Reserve Base Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Holliday said.

“The pilot was having hydraulic problems,” Holliday said. “He started losing control of the aircraft.”

The jet’s cockpit canopy was on a runway, and a parachute had settled in a nearby field.

Damage to the warehouse was relatively minor, and there was no major fire, which Holliday called “a miracle.”

The pilot, the only person on board, was taken to a hospital for examination, officials said.

The F-16, assigned to the Air National Guard, was carrying standard armaments, Holliday said. It will be recovered once authorities make sure the weapons don’t pose a risk, he said.

The base is home to the Air Force Reserve Command’s Fourth Air Force Headquarters and various units of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, California Air National Guard and California Army National Guard.

The pilot is from the 144th Fighter Wing, an Air National Guard unit based in Fresno, and the F-16 belongs to the South Dakota Air National Guard in Sioux Falls.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Tracy, CA – Automatic sprinkler system contains fire originating in storage area for collapsed cardboard boxes

Two police officers caught a fire that was just beginning behind a Tracy Boulevard grocery store in time for firefighters to arrive and keep the flames from spreading inside.

The officers with the Tracy Police Department were looking for a group of young men who were reportedly trying to break into cars at a nearby business when they spotted smoke behind La Plaza Market at 3225 N. Tracy Blvd. They drove behind the shopping center, spotted flames coming from a storage area at the back of the store and called in the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority.

According to Battalion Chief Scott Arganbright, four Tracy fire engines and a ladder truck were employed to control and extinguish the fire. He said an automatic sprinkler system on the loading dock of the grocery store activated and helped contain the flames.

The fire began in an area where collapsed cardboard boxes were stored. Arganbright said firefighters in the store and on the roof confirmed that no flames made it inside. The store did have light smoke damage and fire crews had the power to the complex shut off while they were working to prevent water from creating a short or electrocuting someone.

Investigators are looking into whether the fire was intentionally set.

Apartment Building, Residential

Santa Rosa, CA – Electrical fire in sixth floor apartment doused by sprinkler system

Fire broke out early Wednesday in a top‑floor apartment of downtown Santa Rosa’s historic Rosenberg Building, trapping a female resident who was rescued by firefighters, displacing five and forcing the evacuation of the large building, according to Santa Rosa fire officials.

The woman, believed to be 35 years, was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for smoke inhalation treatment.

The fire’s origin was traced to an electrical issue from a power strip extension cord — including one plug used for a pet lizard’s heat lamp, said Battalion Chief Matt Dahl.

Several people reported the fire just before 12:50 a.m., warning firefighters that one person appeared trapped. A Santa Rosa fire engine already was out on a call and the crew arrived within one minute, finding several residents spilling out into the street and sidewalk, some with wheelchairs and walkers.

The large Mendocino Avenue building, built in 1921 just off Old Courthouse Square, now is home to 77 subsidized low-rent apartments. There was no sign of fire from outside but firefighters found smoke on the sixth floor and a fire in an apartment there. The flames mostly had been doused by the apartment’s sprinkler system but the residence was smoky, hindering the woman’s ability to get out, Dahl said. Firefighters helped her down to an ambulance and evacuated others on the fifth and sixth floors.

The flames hadn’t spread to other apartments but there was water damage from sprinklers to four apartments and Dahl estimated the overall loss at $100,000.

The Red Cross and building property manager arranged temporary accommodations for residents of the five damaged apartments, Dahl said.

Three dozen Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Fire firefighters responded with seven engines and two ladder trucks — a show of force due to the size of the building and the need for evacuations. The effort wrapped up about 3 a.m.

The Rosenberg Building originally was the tallest structure north of San Francisco and has been a downtown Santa Rosa landmark for almost 100 years. About 30 years ago it was converted to apartments and sprinklers were added.

Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Ian Hardage said the sprinklers likely saved the building from a much larger fire and may have saved lives. It saved at least one, Hardage said — the lizard.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707‑521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.