Tag Archives: California

Retail, Shopping Mall

Palm Springs, CA – Hallway fire at outdoor shopping plaza limited by automatic sprinkler system

Palm Springs firefighters put out an early Sunday morning blaze in downtown Palm Springs. Crews got the call of the fire at around 6 a.m. and found smoke in a building at the Mercado Plaza on Palm Canyon Drive. Firefighters say the blaze was contained in a exterior hallway by the sprinkler system. This blaze comes after a dumpster fire in the same area about a month ago.  An owner of Maracas Cantina says it’s frustrating this has happened more than once. “You don’t want to have these things coming up and as a business owner, it’s really disruptive,” Todd Flood, an owner of Maracas Cantina, said. “We’re going to open a couple hours late today and we miss some business.”  The fire did not cause any restaurants to close, just delays for some businesses opening, according to Flood. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oakland, CA – Fire on 10th floor of senior care home suppressed by sprinkler system

Firefighters were called at 2:27 a.m. to the Northgate Terrace senior homes, located at 550 24th St. between Northgate and Telegraph avenues and a block east of I-980. The blaze was contained to one residence on the 10th floor of the 12-story building, Paganelli said.  “It certainly had to be scary for the residents waking up in the middle of the night with the place filled with smoke,” Paganelli said.

As a precaution, the 10th floor was evacuated, and about two dozen people could be seen on the ground floor of the building. A sprinkler system inside the apartment unit primarily extinguished the blaze and kept the flames from spreading, officials said.  Firefighters used stairways to get to the floor because the elevators stopped working when fire alarms sounded. It was fully under control in about 20 minutes. The high-rise level response brought more than three dozen firefighters to the scene, including Chief Darin White.

One resident was injured early Saturday after a fire broke out on the 10th floor of a senior care home near Interstate 980, a fire official said.  The injured woman was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, according to Oakland Fire Department Acting Battalion Chief Tracy Paganelli.

Fire investigator Javon Smith said the cause was accidental. Units on the 10th floor and adjacent floors suffered water and smoke damage, and some of those residents received assistance from the Red Cross. The damage figure was not released.  The building is home to more than 200 residents, ranging in age from 62 to their 90s, according to on-site manager Alicia Zhao.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

McKinleyville, CA – Sprinkler system at Safeway store keeps fire from spreading, limits damage

Arcata Fire District firefighters were called to a reported structure fire at the McKinleyville Safeway located at 1503 City Center Road.  Battalion Chief Gomes arrived on scene first and discovered black smoke coming from a vent on the back of the building. Being Sprinkler familiar with the building layout, Gomes knew the fire was in the storeroom and directed the first due engine from the McKinleyville Station to make entry at the rear of the store, and initiate fire attack.  Store employees confirmed the fires location and had initiated a building evacuation.  The crews located the fire in the loft machinery room, above the rear storeroom and the building’s sprinkler system had been triggered.  The fire attack team used the buildings ladder way to gain access to the loft and deploy a hose line to the fire to complete extinguishment.  The second arriving engine from Mad River Station supported the fire attack operation by securing a water supply. The third engine from Arcata Station, and subsequent arriving CalFire and Fieldbrook engines, assisted with water removal to the sales floor and storeroom and applied salvage techniques to save computer equipment and merchandise.   

The fire loss was minimal, with an estimate of $2000 in damages.  Battalion Chief Gomes reports “The fire was held by the sprinkler systems that had activated properly, which assisted the firefighters in quickly extinguishing the burning material.  The combination of the two, saved this multi-million dollar building and its contents. Safeway was open for business the next day.”

The cause of fire was determined to be ordinary combustibles stored too close to hot mechanical equipment.

Additional engines from Humboldt Bay Fire and Blue Lake Fire covered District stations while the incident was occurring.

Arcata Fire District would like to remind all businesses and residents to keep adequate clearance around mechanical and electrical service equipment and ensure that sprinkler systems and extinguishers are checked regularly and functioning properly.

Retail, Shopping Mall

San Jose, CA – Sprinkler system activates to limit spread of fire at retail strip mall

Firefighters knocked down a two-alarm fire this morning at a strip mall in San Jose, according to a San Jose Fire Department spokesman. At 3:18 a.m., fire crews responded to the blaze at a strip mall at 2455 Alvin Ave. At the scene firefighters found smoke coming from the roof, according to fire Capt. Brad Cloutier. At 3:31 a.m., the blaze was upgraded to two-alarms. Firefighters continued their attack on the fire, which was quickly knocked down. Coutier said no one was in the building when the fire broke out and there were no injuries to firefighters. The fire caused some damage to the building’s attic and the sprinkler system that was activated by the blaze, Cloutier said. Cloutier said that some businesses in the mall will probably have to be closed today due to the damage, and fire officials are working this morning to contact business owners. Crews will remain on the scene this morning to ensure hot spots are out, and traffic in the area might be affected, Cloutier said.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system helps suppress blaze at Salvation Army warehouse

A fire at a Salvation Army warehouse near downtown Fresno early Thursday morning burned some boxes of donated items but was largely extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system.

Heavy smoke, apparently from burning cardboard boxes, was reported inside the building in the fire reported around 5 a.m. at the warehouse east of Highway 41 and south of Ventura Avenue.  No other information was immediately available.

Restaurant

Buellton, CA – Restaurant fire contained with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire that began in the kitchen area at the AJ Spurs Restaurant in Buellton Tuesday afternoon was contained with the help of the building’s internal sprinkler system, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.  Four engine companies and a battalion chief were dispatched shortly after 4 p.m. to the popular bar and eatery at 350 E. Highway 246, said Mike Eliason, a Fire Department spokesman.  It took crews about 25 minutes to knock down the flames, which traveled up through a ventilation pipe to the roof, and also extended to a nearby attic area, Eliason said.

The building’s internal fire-sprinkler system helped contain the blaze.  An investigator was dispatched to the scene to look for the cause of the fire.  The restaurant was expected to remain closed for an unknown period of time, Eliason said.  No injuries were reported in the incident.

Other Business

San Carlos, CA – Fire at commercial building held in check by single automatic fire sprinkler

A two-alarm fire broke out in San Carlos early Wednesday morning, damaging a commercial building before crews got it under control, reports indicate.  Crews were called around 2:18 a.m. to the 1100 bock of Industrial Road, according to the Pulsepoint smartphone application.  San Mateo County Fire Department personnel were assisted by the Redwood City Fire Department, who indicated on Twitter that the fire was “held in check” by just one sprinkler. The agency said the first alarm companies put the blaze out.  Additional details on the fire were not immediately available.

Office Building

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler systems assists firefighters in suppressing office building fire

A sprinkler system and quick response by firefighters limited damage from a fire to an office building Saturday in San Diego, authorities said. At about 5:15 p.m. a passerby noticed flames coming from the side of a building at 9449 Balboa Avenue, fire officials said. It went to a second alarm at 5:31 p.m. and the flames were out within 20 minutes.  Fire damage was confined to the third floor exterior deck and water damaged a couple of law offices next to the deck, firefighters said. No injuries were reported, they said. The fire was caused by discarded smoking materials, officials said.

Other Business

Arcata, CA – Sprinkler system controls fire at mixed-use building; $27 million of property saved according to owner, no injuries

A little after 2 a.m. a fire broke out in a business in the 900 block of I Street in Arcata. According to Sean Campbell, Battalion Chief for Arcata Fire District, “Once the bars got out, someone set off a firework…The [illegal] mortar shot up through a gap in the building.” Multiple callers notified 911 operators that there was a fire in a multi-business structure. “Mutual aid was called for,” Campbell explained.

Campbell said the mortar caught items in a loft on fire. “Thankfully,…the sprinkler head got it in check and prevented a major loss of that building,” he explained. “It knocked the fire down.” However, the firefighters still had to deal with getting to the ignition point and completely extinguishing the flames. “They had to force through multiple doors,” Campbell said. Then, they had a further problem. “The challenging thing is it was up on a loft,” he explained. The firefighters were able to locate the problem and get a hose up to the problem area.

“The damage from the fire was $3400,” Campbell said. However, if the fire hadn’t been slowed by the sprinkler system and stopped by the fire crews a building and its contents worth approximately $27 million could have been destroyed, he pointed out. A press release with more information is expected shortly.

UPDATE 10:37 a.m.: Press release from Arcata Fire:

t 2:04 AM Arcata Fire District was dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 933 I Street, Arcata. The first engine to arrive was out of the Arcata Fire Station and reported moderate gray smoke in a large commercial mixed-use occupancy. The crew began forcing entry through multiple doors trying to access the fire.

The second engine from Mad River Fire Station arrived and supported the first engine with a fire attack. Once the fire attack team made entry, they reported smoke throughout the business and advised the incident commander that a sprinkler head had activated.

A third engine from McKinleyville Station arrived and began searching the business for occupants. This was a priority because the building is attached to a winery and there were occupants in the winery.

The fire was located in a loft area above Humboldt Juice Bar. The fire attack team had to use ladders to gain access to the loft. They were able to deploy a hose line to the fire and complete extinguishment.

Battalion Chief Sean Campbell reported, “This was our second commercial fire in less than 24 hours. We had the potential to burn down two complete city blocks during our shift but thankfully we were able to prevent that from happening. Our firefighters did an amazing job working with our mutual-aid partners to avoid another disastrous conflagration.”

The estimated loss to Humboldt Juice Bar and Humboldt Machine Works is $3,400 and the estimated save to the businesses is $2,760,973. The saved value for the immediate exposure business to the north (The Griffin) $710,482. These values do not account for lost sales revenue, lost sales tax, or lost employment.

Fire Chief Justin McDonald reported, “Once again, I am proud of my team. I have to attribute this success to the dedication of our firefighters. They work hard to be the best at what they do and it showed during these two incidents. This incident resulted in a 99% save ratio, which is an A+. Although some of this success is attributed to the sprinkler system, these fires still require firefighters to complete extinguishment and conduct salvage operations. The save ratio is based on Value Saved divided by Total Value (minus Loss). We attribute this to good work and a great relationship with our Mutual-Aid partners.”

This incident was caused by an illegal firework being set off in front of the business. Arcata Fire is working with Arcata Police to identify a suspect in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Arcata Fire or Arcata Police.

“There were hundreds of witnesses in the area when the fireworks were ignited. We hope someone will come forward and help us identify the suspect responsible for this fire.” Stated Chief Campbell.

A total of thirty-one firefighters and three volunteer support personnel managed this incident. Arcata Fire District would like to thank Westhaven, Cal Fire Trinidad, Blue Lake, Humboldt Bay, Samoa, and Fieldbrook Fire for their support and hard work.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Antioch, CA – Laundry fire at assisted living facility contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A commercial dryer at an Antioch assisted living facility caught fire Tuesday, displacing dozens of elderly residents and Alzheimer’s patients. Firefighters responded at 1:15 p.m. to the one-alarm fire at Country Place Assisted Living, 1715 Olive Lane, said Contra Costa County Fire District Capt. George Laing.

The flames activated a sprinkler directly above the dryer, containing the fire that crews extinguished by 1:41 p.m. after ensuring that flames had not traveled from the dryer’s vent to the ceiling, he said. “This is what we call a good fire sprinkler save,” Laing said.

Although the damage was minor and there were no reports of injuries, the incident required authorities to shut off the building’s water supply and electricity so ConFire’s emergency medical services division had to find alternative temporary housing for the 49 residents, Laing said. Working with the county’s Local Emergency Medical Services Authority, the department had relocated them all to another facility in Antioch by mid-afternoon, he said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.