Tag Archives: California

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler system activated for dumpster fire outside business; No injuries reported

The Oceanside Fire Department was able to quickly put out a dumpster fire Saturday morning that was threatening businesses on Oceanside Blvd.

Fire crews responded to a dumpster that was on fire in an alcove of a commercial building in the 4000 block of Oceanside Blvd., near the intersection with College Blvd, at 6:41 a.m. Saturday.

The Oceanside Fire Department reports a sprinkler inside the alcove was activated and helped douse the fire. Once on the scene, fire crews were able to knock down the fire within seven minutes.

The fire department said all nearby businesses were cleared of smoke within 20 minutes, and reminded businesses to make sure to have updated access keys in emergency key boxes to help emergency personnel safely and quickly enter a structure when needed.

No injuries or damages were reported.

The Vista Fire Department and SDG&E assisted at the scene. The cause and origin of the dumpster fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Chipotle restaurant

Firefighters were on the scene of a fire at the Chipotle restaurant on Blackstone and Nees avenues Monday morning.

The Fresno Fire Department says it started just before 6 a.m. Firefighters say a manager started a deep fryer in the morning. About 30 minutes later it caught fire.

All employees were outside of the building when firefighters arrived.

The sprinkler system was activated and kept the fire from spreading, but there was lot of water in the building, according to officials.

The Department of Public Health will assess the damage and determine when the Chipotle can reopen.

Other - Residential, Residential

Auburn, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at low-income community; No injuries reported

Firefighters extinguished a fire at the Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek complex on Sunday night.

CAL FIRE/Placer County firefighters responded to the multifamily structure on First Street before 9 p.m. According to CAL FIRE, first arriving personnel reported smoke showing from the third floor of the three-story complex.

Placer County Sheriff’s deputies evacuated 10 adjacent apartments on both sides of the fire. CAL FIRE reported the affected unit was fully charged with smoke, with a fire in the back corner and an active fire sprinkler.

“The modern building construction and sprinkler systems held the fire in check for the short time prior to firefighters extinguishing the fire,” CAL FIRE reported on its Facebook on Monday afternoon.

CAL FIRE confirmed the fire was extinguished 10 minutes after dispatch and three apartments sustained major fire and water damage. CAL FIRE also replaced the sprinkler and recharged the system.

There were no injuries due to the fire. The cause remains under investigation.

Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek is a community of 79 homes for low-income and special-needs families. Located on 3 acres of county-owned property on First Street at the Placer County Government Center, Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek includes 32 two-bedroom apartments, 25 three-bedroom apartments and 22 one-bedroom apartments.

Residents began moving in Jan. 24, 2022, and a ceremony was held in mid May 2022, which included a ribbon cutting and speeches with several area officials attending.

Doug Shoemaker, president of Mercy Housing California, said that day all 79 homes were occupied by working people and about 20 others who were homeless at one time. They were to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. A few residents stood outside their new homes watching the ceremony.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Moorpark, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at abandoned restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire broke out midday Thursday in an abandoned restaurant in Moorpark once operated by a former “Top Chef” star.

The blaze was reported shortly before noon at the empty Cafe Firenze at 563 Los Angeles Ave., said Capt. Brian McGrath of the Ventura County Fire Department. The site is in a strip mall east of Shasta Avenue.

The fire impacted some contents in the building, McGrath said. A sprinkler system put the main fire out. There was no extension to the attic or structure.

Some businesses in the strip mall were evacuated as a precaution, officials said. No injuries were reported.

Cafe Firenze was co-founded in 2007 by Fabio Viviani, a celebrity chef who was a fan favorite on the fifth season of “Top Chef.” When the 10,000-square-foot restaurant closed in early 2020, Viviani described it as his first restaurant and first love.

The county fire agency is investigating the fire’s cause along with sheriff’s officials, McGrath said.

Historic Building, Other Business

Fremont, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at historic carriage house building; No injuries reported

A small fire damaged the front porch area and front door of the historic Chadbourne Carriage House in Fremont on Tuesday, the Fremont Fire Department said. The noontime fire was extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system.

The fire department reports that some smoke got into the building.

There were no reports of injuries.

According to the City of Fremont, the Carriage House was once a part of the old Chadbourne Ranch. It dates back to the 19th century horse and buggy days. This house and the surrounding Williams Historical Park were donated to the City by Burdette Williams in 1960.

The park grounds are open to the public daily throughout the year.

Other - Residential, Residential

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at two-story residential facility

Several dozen people had to be evacuated from a two-story residential facility due to a fire in southwest Fresno Wednesday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews say they responded to M.L.K. Jr. Blvd and Annadale Avenue for a small fire on the first floor, which was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The facility had extensive water damage and many of the occupants were temporarily displaced.

Fire officials say one person was transported to a local hospital with smoke inhalation. Fire investigators say an oxygen generator may have been the cause of the fire.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Fremont, CA – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at electronic recycling storage area; No injuries reported

A building’s sprinkler system activated in response to a fire in Fremont on Tuesday, keeping the fire in check until Fremont Fire Department crews arrived. Firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire within 25 minutes of arriving at the scene.

The fire was reported at 5 p.m. at the Fremont Recycling & Transfer Station at 41149 Boyce Road. The fire was in the electronics recycling storage area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters or employees.

The fire was contained to the area of origin and operations were able to resume in the remainder of the facility.

Other - Residential, Residential

Berkeley, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at supportive housing facility

A fire broke out at the Hope Center in downtown Berkeley when a lithium-ion battery overheated Monday night, authorities report.

Battalion Chief Brian Harryman of the Berkeley Fire Department credited the Hope Center’s fire sprinkler system with putting out the blaze before it spread.

“It probably saved the whole building,” he said.

The Hope Center, which opened in 2022 on the site of a former city parking lot, has 53 supportive housing units while Berkeley Way Apartments, part of the same complex, has 89 affordable units and services for low-income families.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Hope Center, at 2012 Berkeley Way, just before 8:30 p.m. Monday for a report of smoke on the third floor.

“We’re getting reports of somebody blowing up their room, unknown what that means,” a dispatcher told the Berkeley Fire Department as the call came in.

Thanks to proximity, Berkeley firefighters arrived at the Hope Center in under a minute, Harryman said: BFD’s Station 2 is just across the street about 100 feet away.

Inside the apartment, firefighters found scooters and lithium-ion batteries that had been charging unattended.

The fire was out quickly thanks to the sprinkler system, but the water caused “considerable damage” to the apartment where the batteries were charging.

Several adjacent units saw minimal damage due to water that got in beneath the doors.

Firefighters had to manually turn off the sprinklers to control the flow.

“There’s a considerable amount of water damage,” a firefighter said over the radio just before 8:40 p.m., adding: “We’re going to need squeegees and manpower.”

All of the residents were able to return to their rooms aside from the unit where the fire happened.

Fortunately, Harryman said, a friend in the building offered that resident a place to stay.

“We checked around and all the shelters were full. All the hotels were full,” he said. “We really didn’t have a place to send him.”

Harryman noted that some of the scooter rental companies pay people to charge lithium-ion batteries for them. But he said he did not know if that had been the case on Berkeley Way.

BFD strongly discourages anyone from charging lithium-ion batteries inside their homes, he added. Even outside, they should not be left unattended.

“Don’t plug them in and leave for the day or leave them for the weekend,” he said. “These things are overcharging, heating up and causing fires. If you are going to charge it, remain home with it and don’t charge it inside.”

Last year, the city of Berkeley announced in June that six recent fires had been caused by unattended lithium battery charging.

“These local battery fires — involving e-skateboards, e-scooters, and at least one e-bike — have also been seen around the region and nation,” the city wrote.

The city also noted that fires could “occur spontaneously while charging” and advised anyone noticing signs of fire, such as smoke, gas and sparks, to evacuate the area and immediately call 911.

Lithium battery safety tips from the city of Berkeley:

  • Only use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries and replacements
  • Charge only until the battery is full, then disconnect
  • Keep the battery away from heat, cold and flammable items while charging and storing
  • Discard distressed batteries (those that are swollen, dented or otherwise damaged) at a drop-off site — not in your garbage can

Learn more from the city of Berkeley about fire risks related to lithium-ion batteries.

Other - Retail, Retail

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at thrift store

A fire damaged a central Fresno thrift store Monday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews responded to the Amvets thrift store around 7:30 a.m. near Cedar and Shields avenues.

Investigators say when fire crews arrived they found a fire inside the garage area. The fire sprinkler system helped to put out the fire.

It’s unknown when the store will open but management say the fire caused minimal damage to the store itself. Officials add that the store should be able to reopen when repairs are complete.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Office Building, Other Business

Mountain View, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium ion battery fire at Google office building

A malfunctioning battery lit a chair on fire in a Google office building Monday morning, causing some damage but no reported injuries, according to the Mountain View Fire Department.

Mountain View dispatchers received a 911 call at 11:37 a.m. on Jan. 22, reporting a fire alarm going off in a commercial building at 2011 Stierlin Court. When fire crews arrived, 25 Google employees had already exited the building, according to the statement.

Firefighters entered the one-story building saw smoke coming from a computer lab, and found that a sprinkler head in the affected area had been activated, according to fire officials. Firefighters turned off the flowing water and removed a burnt office chair from the building. They also used thermal imaging cameras to make sure that the fire was fully extinguished and had not spread to other parts of the building, according to the statement.

The fire was started by a lithium-ion battery that had been left in a cardboard box on an office chair. The estimated damage to the building and its contents was $50,000, the fire department said.