Tag Archives: California

Other - Retail, Retail

San Bernardino, CA – Attic sprinkler holds fire at bay at downtown shoe business

A fire forced customers and employees to evacuate a downtown San Bernardino shoe business Wednesday evening.

“The facade burned with smoke extension into the building,” San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Eric Sherwin said. “The sprinkler in the attic kept the fire at bay, but still had active fire in a 60-foot section of the facade on the store front side.”

The fire was first reported shortly after 5:30 p.m. with several reports of smoke coming from the attic of Shoe City at 808 S E St.

“Shortly after the fire erupted, the sprinklers activated and the store was evacuated,” Sherwin said. “An attic fire was located and knocked down in 25 minutes.”

Fire investigators were on scene and no injuries were reported. Fire officials haven’t released the cause of the fire.

It’s unclear when the business will reopen or how much damage was caused by the blaze.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

San Jose, CA – Fire at BBQ restaurant contained with help from sprinkler system

A two-alarm fire erupted Wednesday night at a Mi Pueblo Supermarket in East San Jose.  Firefighters responding to a report of a fire on the 1700 block of Story Road arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the store’s outdoor restaurant and roof, said San Jose fire Capt. Kevin Stidham.  A second alarm was immediately called because of the potential for the fire to spread to other businesses in the strip mall.  A build up of grease in the exhaust system of a BBQ pit was pinpointed as the cause of the fire, which spread to the roof, Stidham said. A sprinkler system helped contain the fire.  No injuries were reported.  Stidham said the store reopened after the county health department determined none of the food was damaged.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Santa Barbara, CA – Sprinkler system keeps restaurant fire from spreading

A working sprinkler system prevented a fire from spreading at a Santa Barbara restaurant early Monday morning. Santa Barbara City Fire officials said three fire engines were sent to the first block of East Anapamu Street at 5:39 a.m. for a report of smoke inside the building. Smoke was seen from outside the restaurant. Once firefighters forced their way into the building, they found the source of the fire to be in the kitchen.  Food accidentally left on the stove is believed to be the cause of the fire.  The sprinkler system activated and left two inches of water on the floor. Firefighters worked to get the water out of the restaurant.   Officials said the smoke and water damage is estimated at $10,000.  No injuries were reported. 

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

South Lake Tahoe, CA – Fire in attic mechanical room at Target store contained by sprinkler system

A fire broke out in a furnace room at the South Lake Tahoe TJ Maxx store just before 7:00 p.m. Monday night, resulting in the store filling up with smoke and water.  South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue personnel responded, and found the store’s sprinkler system was able to keep the fire from spreading and it was contained to the one room.  The furnace was located above the store’s dressing rooms. With all of the water used to put out the fire, the ceiling collapsed and created quite a mess in that portion of the store.  “Much of the floor is very wet,” said SLTFR Battalion Chief Tim Spencer. “There was light smoke inside so there may be some smokey clothing.”

With the freezing temperatures in South Lake Tahoe, Spencer said they had concern about frozen water. As of 8:45 p.m., they are in clean-up mode and making sure the scene is safe. “We are ready to turn the store back to manager,” said Spencer. “It’s now up to the insurance and restoration companies.”  Firefighters from Lake Valley Fire also responded to the store which is located at the Y.

Apartment Building, Residential

Vacaville, CA – Apartment fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

A one-alarm fire Saturday in Vacaville resulted in the activation of an indoor sprinkler system. The fire, which occurred at an apartment in the 100 block of Burton Drive, was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m.  The fire warranted a full response from the Vacaville Fire Department.   However, units were canceled after the small fire was quickly extinguished.  According to Vacaville Fire Battalion Chief Matt Lage, the fire was started by a household appliance in the apartment’s master bedroom.   No one was injured in the incident.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Oakland, CA – Warehouse fire at leather company stopped by sprinkler system

A fire at a leather company warehouse in East Oakland Friday morning was almost extinguished when firefighters arrived on the scene, thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, authorities said. Some wooden pallets and debris were the only items burned in the blaze, the cause of which is under investigation.  Battalion Fire Chief Demond Simmons credited the sprinkler system for preventing further damage.  “It pretty much stopped the fire and made sure it did not spread,” he said.

The fire was reported about 7:52 a.m. Friday at a warehouse in the 800 block of 81st Avenue that is a storage and distribution center for California Leather Creations, officials said. The building is on a large piece of property that used to be the site of Mothers Cookies.  When firefighters arrived they had to force entry through a large metal door.  The items that had caught fire were mainly smoldering thanks to the building sprinkler system that had activated.  Firefighters made sure there were no flareups and called the fire under control at 8:14 a.m.  There were no injuries.  Simmons said a damage figure has not been determined.

Other - Retail, Retail

Hanford, CA – Arson fire at furniture store contained by sprinklers; Damage limited to few pieces of furniture

Police and fire officials are investigating after a Hanford furniture store was vandalized and set on fire early Thursday morning. The damage forced the Oak and Sofa Liquidators store at 295 N. Redington Street to close its doors for repairs.  Store owner Brandon Mason the total damage was not immediately clear, but he hopes to reopen the Hanford store as soon as possible. Mason said Oak and Sofa Liquidators has been notifying customers who have purchased furniture to pick up their orders at the store’s Visalia location.

“People want their stuff before Christmas, so we’ve got to get it to them,” Mason said. Around 2:55 a.m. Thursday, the Hanford Fire Department was called to a structure fire at the store, located in the 200 block of North Redington Street. The Hanford Police Department responded to a burglar alarm at the store at 2:52 a.m.  One of the windows at the northeast end of the building had a large hole through the holiday-themed paint job.  Battalion Chief Erik Brotemarkle said it appears that someone threw something flammable through the window. Brotemarkle said it appears the flammable substance started a fire inside, about 15 feet inside from the broken window.

Due to thick smoke, firefighters had to use a thermal imaging device to locate the fire. Brotemarkle said the building’s sprinkler system confined the fire to a few pieces of furniture. Other merchandise sustained water damage from the sprinklers. Brotemarkle said the fire was mostly extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. Firefighters used a ventilation fan to clear out the heavy smoke.  “The sprinkler system for this building did its job,” Brotemarkle said.

Mason said the sprinkler system was only activated in the area around the fire. A commercial cleaning and restoration company began cleaning other areas of the store Thursday morning. Fire investigator Capt. Frank Etulain said the fire appears to be the result of arson. Etulain said he could not disclose the exact cause due to the ongoing investigation, but evidence suggests something was likely thrown through the window from the outside. There were no signs that anyone had entered the store.  Etulain said firefighters were able to control the burning by moving items around under the sprinkler.  A total of 14 personnel responded to the fire. The Hanford Police Department, Kings County Sheriff’s Office and Kings County Fire Department assisted with the incident.  Hanford police Capt. Karl Anderson said police are aware of about a half-dozen incidents involving broken windows in the downtown area over the past few weeks. Those have included the Hanford Antique Emporium, Kings Christian Thrift Store and vacant storefronts in the 100 block of East Seventh Street and the 100 block of North Douty Street.  On Dec. 12, police responded to a burglary report at the International Church of God in the 500 block of East Seventh Street. Police said someone smashed a window and stole a computer and printer.

Residential, Single Family Home

El Granada, CA – Home sprinkler system assists firefighters in suppressing deck fire at home

A small fire damaged a deck and portion of an El Granada house Friday afternoon. Maresha Leeds, who lives in the home at Isabella Avenue and Columbus Street with her husband, was in her kitchen when the fire struck around 1 p.m. “I don’t know how it happened,” she said. “It seemed so spontaneous.”

Leeds said she was feeling uneasy around the time the fire started and didn’t know why. When her two golden retrievers started barking she thought something must be up. Then a ring of the doorbell clarified things. “My gardener and my UPS man told me my house was on fire,” Leeds said. The pair called 911 and Leeds worked on getting her dogs and her pet bird out of the house.

Coastside Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Ari Delay said at the scene that the cause of the fire was still under investigation, but appeared to originate from the second-level deck. He said flames were shooting up 10 to 20 feet when firefighters arrived and smoke from the blaze could be seen all the way from Half Moon Bay. Leeds said dog beds and dog houses were the only items on that second-level deck. She noted that her gardener reported smelling something like gasoline coming from the flames, but that she doesn’t store any gasoline in her home.

Delay said roughly 25 firefighters responded to the fire. A home sprinkler system assisted the firefighters with the dousing of the flames. Structural damage affected the deck and the neighboring room inside the home. A larger portion of the home suffered smoke and water damage, Delay said. Leeds indicated that she was fortunate the fire didn’t escalate into anything worse. “I’m so glad I was home,” she said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Temecula, CA – Hotel room fire contained by sprinkler system; Further damage prevented

Two rooms were damaged and one victim suffered minor injuries after a mattress caught fire at a hotel Friday, Nov. 25. The fire happened at the Quality Inn located in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue, north of Winchester Road in Temecula.

The victim, who has not been identified, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and declined further treatment. It was not immediately known if the victim was an employee or guest of the hotel.  17 Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters from four engine companies and one truck company were dispatched to the hotel at 11:54 a.m., according to Cal Fire Spokeswoman April Newman.

“Firefighters responded to reports of smoke coming from a room,” Newman explained after the fire was contained at 12:03 p.m. “The fire was contained to a mattress by the structure’s sprinkler system.”

The damage to the two hotel rooms was estimated at about $25,000. The hotel’s fire sprinkler system saved the rest of the hotel from further damage, estimated at $6.8 million dollars.

At 12:30 p.m., Newman updated that fire resources were expected to remain at the scene for about one hour for water salvage and mop up operations.  There were no evacuations related to the fire.

Department Store, Retail

San Diego, CA – Sprinklers activate to help firefighters stop blaze at Home Depot

A fire that started in a big rig full of Christmas decorations spread into a  Home Depot Wednesday night, forcing employees and shoppers to evacuate.

Employees at the Home Depot at 355 Marketplace Ave. in the Mountainview neighborhood called 911 at about 10:20 p.m. to report the fire. When firefighters arrived, the trailer was in flames in a loading dock and the fire had spread both inside and outside the warehouse, San Diego Fire Department Deputy Chief Steve Ricci said. Several propane tanks that were stored outside the warehouse exploded.

The first fire units called for additional help. They knocked down most of the flames in about 10 minutes. The fire caused the warehouse sprinkler system to go off and firefighters sprayed down the flames inside the warehouse, so there was both fire and water damage, Ricci said.

The Metro Arson Strike Team was trying to determine what started the trailer fire, Ricci said.