Tag Archives: California

Other Business, Residential

Oakland, CA – Sprinkler activates to help control fire in mixed use building

Firefighters quickly extinguished a small structure fire Tuesday afternoon in Oakland near the Fruitvale BART station, according to authorities.   Crews were dispatched to a building in the 1200 block of 37th Avenue at 4:04 p.m. on report of a fire.  A single room was burning on the second floor of a three-story structure with residential units above commercial space on the ground floor.

The fire was put out by the first arriving crews and a lone sprinkler head that activated, according to firefighters. Further details were not immediately available.

Residential, Single Family Home

Mountain View, CA – House fire held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Mountain View firefighters on Sunday extinguished a house fire in the 200 block of Mariposa Avenue. The blaze started in the kitchen when all of the residents were out.  The fire was first reported at 11:10 a.m. on Sunday when people passing by began to notice smoke billowing out of the two-story house. By this time, the house’s fire sprinkler system had triggered and began suppressing the blaze.

Fire crews arrived on the scene within minutes and had the fire fully extinguished by 11:22 a.m. Exactly what sparked the fire remains unclear, and fire officials said Monday that they are still investigating the incident. Damage from the fire was limited to the kitchen area.

“This did demonstrate that a sprinkler system will hold a fire in check,” said fire spokesman Lynn Brown. “It was a happy ending. Shortly afterward the family arrived home, and searched for their cat. The missing feline was eventually found, Brown said.

Other - Retail, Retail

Sonoma, CA – Sprinkler system halts electrical fire at nail salon

An electrical malfunction in a storage room is suspected of causing a fire at a nail salon in Sonoma on Tuesday evening, a fire battalion chief said.

A sprinkler system extinguished most of the fire at the Nails Pro salon at 201 W. Napa St., Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority Battalion Chief Bob Norrbom said.

The fire department received a water flow alarm and a call from someone in the nearby CVS pharmacy around 7 p.m., Norrbom said.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Hickman, CA – Sprinklers activate to help stop fire originating in almond roaster

Employees at the Rolling Hills Nut Co. plant south of Hickman were able to extinguish a fire that began on an almond roaster early Wednesday.

At about 2:15 a.m., crews from the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District and Ceres and Modesto fire departments responded to a report of a structure fire at the plant on the 3000 block of Montpelier Road. The report was of almonds on fire in a warehouse.

First crews on the scene saw light smoke from a warehouse. An almond roaster had been on fire but was extinguished by employees. The sprinkler system also had activated as it should, said Stanislaus Consolidated Battalion Chief Eric DeHart.

Firefighters checked and confirmed that the fire was out, and remained on the scene to help clear smoke, he said.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Camarillo, CA – Sprinkler activates to help control overnight fire at senior living center

The Ventura County Fire Department responded late Tuesday to investigate a fire alarm at a senior living center in Camarillo. The alarm was reported at 11:48 p.m. at Alma Via of Camarillo in the 2500 block on North Ponderosa Drive. Crews at the scene said there was a light smell of smoke in a maintenance room and that a fire-suppression sprinkler had activated. At 12:20 a.m., crews on the scene said the small fire was out.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant, Retail

Hermosa Beach, CA – Sprinkler system helps control pizza shop fire; Neighboring businesses spared

The Hermosa Beach Fire Department responded to a fire inside Pedone’s Pizza and Italian Food, near 14th Street, about 6 a.m., said HBFD Capt. Mike Garofano. Authorities were alerted to the fire by an alarm linked to the restaurant’s automatic sprinkler system, Garofano said. Four engines, one truck and a battalion chief from HBFD responded to the blaze, and the sprinkler system was keeping the fire in check when they arrived.

Because the business was closed, firefighters had to break down the business’ front door to fight the fire, Garofano said. Units from fire departments in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance arrived shortly thereafter, and the group knocked down the fire after about 15 minutes. As of 9 a.m. Monday morning, Pedone’s was sealed off with red caution tape. There were no visible marks to the exterior, but the smell of burnt wood lingered in the air.

Pedone’s Pizza is one of several businesses located in the structure at 1332 Hermosa Ave., including a Pilates studio across a common hallway, but damage from the fire was confined to the restaurant, Garofano said. No one was injured in the blaze.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, Garofano said. Standard procedure requires bringing in an arson investigator to examine heat signatures and determine the blaze’s point of origin. Initial examination suggests an electrical fire, but this has not been confirmed

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Porterville, CA – Patio fire at senior apartment complex held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire sprinklers on the patio of an apartment at Santa Fe Plaza, a housing complex on North Third Street in Porterville, prevented a fire from spreading Friday afternoon. “This is one of the places we’re always concerned about because of the number of residents,” said City Fire Battalion Chief Glen Hall.

The fire began on the patio of a first-floor apartment, but was contained by the overhead sprinklers. “The fire was held in check by the sprinkler system,” said Hall, adding that it appeared to be contained to a box on the patio and the structure was not burned at all.  Also, the sprinkler only activated on the patio, so there was no water damage to the apartment or any other part of the complex.

However, smoke filled the first floor of the north wing of the complex and the alarm sent more than a dozen residents outside. “I saw smoke billowing … and I grabbed my cat and split,” said resident Sharon Ritchie, who stood outside with several other residents as firefighters inspected the building and worked to clear the smoke.

“I heard the alarm go off and the hallway was full of smoke,” added Norma Fox who lives jus a few doors down from where the fire stated. The fire was reported at about 1:50 p.m. and the city had a full response with five engines, including a ladder truck, and one engine from the county. More than a dozen firefighters were joined by two Porterville police officers who assisted residents out of the smoke-filled complex. One lady in a motorized chair waited outside until a firefighter brought her dog to her. Seeing her dog brought a big smile to her face.

Medical personnel were called to the scene to check out the residents, but no one was injured or sickened by the smoke. One lady said she was winded after walking down three flights of stairs. Hall said the fire was still smoldering when firefighters arrived and they extinguished it at that time. He said there are 105 apartments in the complex, but only the north wing was affected by the fire.

The residents, including the one who lived in the apartment where the fire occurred, were allowed to return to their apartments after about 45 minutes outside. The cause of the fire is under investigation

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

San Leandro, CA – Room fire at mental health hospital controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries

The Villa Fairmont Mental Health Rehabilitation Center remained fully functional after a room caught fire Tuesday night. Fire crews responded to a report of a fire at 7:01 p.m. at the center located in the 15000 block of Foothill Boulevard in unincorporated San Leandro, according to the Alameda County Fire Department. The blaze was confined to a room near a fire sprinkler and firefighters quickly extinguished it. There were no reports of injuries. The cause of fire was still under investigation as of Tuesday night. One room suffered moderate smoke and water damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Encinitas, CA – Sprinkler system contains early morning apartment fire to room of origin; No injuries reported

The spread of a fire that broke out Thursday morning in an Encinitas apartment building was stopped by a fire sprinkler system, a city fire official said. A fire alarm was triggered just after 5 a.m. as the apartment’s sprinkler system was activated, alerting the Encinitas Fire Department to respond to the building in the 3000 block of Manchester Avenue in Cardiff, according to Senior Deputy Fire Marshal Kerri Berberet.

“The resident smelled smoke and attempted to extinguish a fire caused by a candle,” Berberet said. “During the process, a single fire sprinkler activated due to the heat produced by the fire.” Two engine crews were dispatched to the scene.  “The fire was out upon arrival of the initial fire crew; a second unit was requested for assistance,” Berberet said.

No injuries were reported, and other residents and apartments were unscathed. “With the activation of the fire sprinkler system and quick response by firefighters, the fire was contained to the room of origin,” she said.

Berberet pointed out that according to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are asleep. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half, while an automatic fire sprinkler system cuts the risk of dying by about 80 percent, according to the association.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Palm Springs, CA – Sprinkler system successfully activates in hotel fire; No injuries

A hotel fire in Palm Springs caused the sprinklers to go off and evacuated guests about 9:30 p.m. Monday night. It happened at the Extended Stay Hotel on Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Firefighters believe the fire was started by one of the guests but aren’t saying how it started. There are no reports of injuries.  Sixteen guest rooms were affected by water damage.  Fire crews continued to mop-up the mess Monday night.  The hotel is working on finding new places for guests to stay.