Tag Archives: California

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Modesto, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes suspicious overnight fire at Planned Parenthood

The Modesto fire and police departments are investigating a suspicious, but apparently small, fire at the Planned Parenthood Modesto Health Center on McHenry Avenue early Wednesday.

Signs on the doors of the center said it would be closed Wednesday, and a spokeswoman said staff members are assessing fire damage and working to reopen as soon as possible.

At about 3:25 a.m., one fire engine was dispatched to a water-flow alarm sounding at the 1431 McHenry Ave. center, said Battalion Chief Jesse Nicasio of Modesto Fire. When additional reports came in from passers-by of flames and smoke coming from the building, the call was upgraded to a commercial working structure fire and additional resources were sent, Nicasio said.

“Engine 5 found a broken glass door, the fire alarm sounding and fire sprinkler activation,” he said. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire, but crews ensured it was out, Nicasio said.

Information was not immediately available as to where in the two-story building the fire started or what damage was done.

Residential, Single Family Home

Orcutt, CA – House fire contained by residential sprinkler system; No injuries

Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a fire in a two story house fire at 896 Calle De La Rosa Sunday afternoon.

At 2:45 p.m. firefighters responded and found smoke coming from the home’s conjoined laundry room and office.

Officials say, it appears as though a computer in the office caught on fire.

The house, part of a new development in the area, had a sprinkler system installed in the room.

The sprinkler in the room was triggered by the heat and smoke, doused the fire with water, and was able to keep the flames contained to that room.

Residents were in the home at the time, but they all got out safely.

Fire investigators are currently looking into how the computer ignited.

Apartment Building, Residential

San Rafael, CA – Sprinkler system limits spread of apartment fire

Three apartments sustained water damage in a one-alarm fire Sunday in San Rafael, a San Rafael battalion chief said.  The fire was first reported at 9:24 p.m. at 960 Lincoln Ave.

When firefighters arrived, they found a sprinkler had extinguished the fire in one apartment and firefighters went to work to limit water damage, Battalion Chief Kyle Hamilton said.

The apartment where the fire started is probably uninhabitable, which would displace one person, Hamilton said. The other two units are probably habitable, he said.

Residential, Single Family Home

Ventura, CA – Fire in single family home contained by residential sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Crews responded to a fire at a home Friday afternoon in Ventura, officials said.  The incident was reported fire just after 3:50 p.m. in the 100 block of South Dunning Street, according to the city of Ventura Fire Department.

Upon arrival, crews found a fire in the kitchen on the second floor of a home and had it extinguished within 10 minutes, officials said. A sprinkler system was activated as a result of the fire and contained it, but caused water damage on both floors of the residence. Three adults were displaced as a result of the fire, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  There are two homes on the property where the incident was reported, authorities said. The fire was in a house behind the main house, authorities said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Apple Valley, CA – Fire at cement plant held in check by sprinkler system

A blaze that erupted at a local cement plant injured two firefighters before it was extinguished early Tuesday morning. Apple Valley Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Jason Nailon told the Daily Press the flames took about an hour to extinguish. The fire was believed to have been caused by possible static or dust explosions at the plant, but remains under investigation.

Reports of a blaze at a building in the Cemex plant in the 25200 block of Black Mountain Quarry Road were received around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Nailon said the blaze involved the plant’s alternate fuels that power their kilns, which are made up of wood chips, pistachio shells and tire chippings.

It is believed a minor explosion started the blaze, but the building’s sprinkler system kept the fire in check until firefighters arrived. “When we got there, the fire was almost out because of the sprinklers,” Nailon said, “but the rafters appeared to be burning. It turned out to be an accumulation of dust up on the rafters that was still burning.”

About 17 to 20 firefighters responded, including four engines from AVFPD and two from the San Bernardino County Fire Department. It took about an hour to bring the fire under control, Nailon said.

One firefighter reported an ankle injury while another suffered from heat exhaustion while combating the blaze. Nailon said some Cemex employees were at the site as well, but they reported no injuries. Estimated damages to the building are not yet known, but Nailon said the concrete construction and sprinkler system protected the building from further damage.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Irvine, CA – Fire at uniform rental business contained by sprinkler system

A fire damaged Irvine business Prudential Overall Supply Saturday night, Orange County Fire Authority Captain Carlos Huerta said. Firefighters responded to the blaze on Aston Avenue at 7:09 p.m.

“Fortunately, the building had a sprinkler system that kept the fire in check,” Huerta said. “The fire was under control within 30 minutes.” Damage to the one-story building was minimal, Huerta said. “It was a contents fire that was contained to the rear of the structure,” he said.

Prudential Overall Supply provides uniform rentals to employers, according to its website. Huerta said there were no injuries, but he did not know if the building was vacant at the time the fire started.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

City of Industry, CA – Arson fire at paper goods warehouse held in check by sprinkler system

An arson fire scorched an Industry warehouse packed with paper goods Wednesday, authorities said. The fire was first reported about 2:45 a.m. at a 55,000-square-foot warehouse in the 700 block of South 5th Avenue, Los Angeles County fire and sheriff’s officials said.

Though largely “kept in check” by the building’s sprinkler system, firefighters battled the stubborn blaze for nearly two hours until it was declared extinguished, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Randall Wright said. No injuries were reported.

But firefighters determined the scene of the fire appeared suspicious and called in investigators from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail, Wright said. “The cause is arson,” sheriff’s Detective Cynthia Valencia said. It appeared the arsonist spread gasoline around in the rear portion of the warehouse before lighting it on fire.

The intent of the arsonists appeared to be to destroy the building, but they were thwarted by the businesses’ fire-suppression system, she added. “(The) sprinkler system did a great job,” Valencia said.

Preliminary estimates of the damage caused to the warehouse, as well as the paper plates, paper cups and other similar items stored inside ranged between $300,000 and $500,000, the detective said.

A subleased portion of the warehouse, which is used as a packaging business, was unscathed, she said. Investigators continued seeking clues Thursday, and trying to determine who would want to torch the warehouse, Valencia said.

The arsonists were described only as two men, driving a sedan. “The owner is very cooperative,” Valencia said.  Firefighters remained at the scene until about noon, Wright said.

Any witnesses, or anyone who saw anything suspicious early Wednesday morning is asked to contact Detective Valencia at the sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail at 323-881-7500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Riverside, CA – Sprinkler system controls fire in paint booth

Sprinklers successfully doused a commercial paint booth fire, but paint and lacquer contaminated the water, which flowed into a storm drain and created a hazardous materials incident, say Riverside Fire Department officials.

(Blog Editor Note: Sprinkler systems use a small fraction of water compared to fire department hoses.  By controlling the fire as early as possible, sprinkler systems limit the amount of run-off and toxins released into the air)

The blaze was reported at 8:50 am. Monday, April 25, along the 11600 block of Sterling Avenue, just south of Hwy. 91 and across the street from two sets of railroad tracks and a flood control channel.

The trouble started when the tenant used a power saw to cut wood in the paint booth, Battalion Chief Tony Perna said in a written statement. The saw blade hit a screw, sparking the fire.

The heat-activated sprinkler system snuffed the flames. But about 500 gallons of contaminated water ran down a storm drain.

Firefighters diked the storm drain entrance to halt further contamination. And they alerted environmental agencies, sewer and storm drain workers, county flood control authorities, and even federal and state fish and wildlife officers.

The tenant and a worker suffered minor smoke inhalation and were treated at the scene.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Berkeley, CA – Fire in on-campus housing unit extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

At approximately 6:50 p.m. Berkeley Fire Department responded to a small fire at the Berk, a residential housing unit for students on the south side of the UC Berkeley campus. The fire originated in a room on the third floor, activating a sprinkler response system that put out the fire, according to BFD Captain Kevin White, who said the cause of the fire had not been determined and that there were no reported injuries.

As of 7:15 p.m. firefighters attempted to redirect water from the sprinklers into the stairwell to avoid water damage to rooms on the third floor. Within minutes of the alarm, four fire trucks and two police cars surrounded the building, sectioning off the first block of College Avenue.

Fire alarms leading to sudden evacuations are a frequent occurrence at the Berk, according to residents.  “It’s happened seven times this semester,” said Henry Guan, a UC Berkeley freshman who lives in the Berk. “This happens all the time, but this time, it was for real.”

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Redding, CA – Fire at silk-screening business put out by single sprinkler

An automatic sprinkler system extinguished a fire in a silk-screening business Saturday morning in the 17800 block of Construction Way.  Redding firefighters responded to a water-flow alarm at 10:10 a.m. When crews arrived, they found a single fire sprinkler head already had put out the flames.

The owner left the business at 9:45 p.m. Friday night and forgot to turn off a high-wattage heating lamp that’s used to dry silk-screening products, firefighters said. The lamp started a fire in material on a plastic, roll-away cart. Damage was estimated at less than $5,000.

The sprinkler saved thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, inventory and the building, firefighters said.