Tag Archives: California

Department Store, Retail

Buena Park, CA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Target; No injuries reported

Buena Park police have arrested a woman for allegedly setting a fire at a Target store as cover for her attempt to steal baby formula.

The fire on Sept. 5 led to the evacuation of the Orange County store as flames quickly reached to the ceiling and spread through the children’s clothing section.

A store employee with a fire extinguisher and the building’s sprinkler system were able to put out the blaze.

No injuries were reported but merchandise and the store itself were damaged by flames, smoke and water.

The damage is estimated at $1 million in retail goods and $500,000 to the interior of the building itself.

Buena Park police say they “determined the fire was intentionally set during an attempt to steal baby formula.”

They identified and arrested a suspect, Cynthia Torres, 40. Her city of residence was not disclosed in the police statement.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Santa Rosa, CA – Sprinkler system activated for structure fire in restaurant; No injuries reported

Firefighters are investigating a commercial structure fire early Wednesday in downtown Santa Rosa. 

The Santa Rosa Fire Department said the blaze, which was first reported shortly before 12:45 a.m., occurred in the 500 block of Fourth Street.

Upon arrival, firefighters found water coming from both floors of a two-story brick building that houses various businesses, the department said.

The blaze was raised to a two-alarm assignment after firefighters noticed a fire alarm was sounding inside the building and that windows of a second-floor establishment were stained with smoke, indicating there was fire inside.

Firefighters had to force their way into a stairway leading to the second floor, according to the fire department. Crews then found the fire inside the Thai House restaurant, just being checked by a sprinkler head that activated.

After firefighters extinguished the fire and cleared the area, they forced their way into Belly Left Coast Kitchen and Tap Room on the first floor, directly below where the blaze had started in the Thai House restaurant.

There was no smoke or fire from the first-floor establishment, but significant amounts of water were pouring down from the floor above it, the fire department said.

No injuries were reported by firefighters.

Only the Thai House restaurant and Belly Left Coast Kitchen and Tap Room were the building’s establishments damaged by the fire, according to the department, which added that the damage was estimated to be $150,000. Both businesses will be closed for an indefinite period.

The fire department noted the working fire sprinkler system prevented the flames from spreading throughout the building.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, even though it looks accidental, according to firefighters.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Palm Desert, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in commercial building; No injuries reported

A fire in a one-story commercial building in Palm Desert Tuesday evening was extinguished with no reports of injuries.

Firefighters responded to the 77700 block of Flora Road, near Las Montanas Road, around 8:10 p.m. to a report regarding light smoke coming from a one-story commercial building, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Firefighters discovered two golf carts fully engulfed in flames as they approached the inside of the building.

The building’s sprinkler system assisted in holding back the fire.

The fire was contained around 8:54 p.m. Firefighters remained on the scene for clean-up and to ensure all hot spots were extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Santa Cruz, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire in six-story residential building

A sprinkler system helped contained a restaurant fire in a six-story residential building to the kitchen where it started Monday evening, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.

Initially reported as an individual in need of rescue, Santa Cruz firefighters responded to the 1010 Pacific Ave. scene shortly after 4 p.m. Arriving firefighters entering the building encountered heavy smoke coming from inside the kitchen, but found no trapped building occupants, Battalion Chief Josh Coleman wrote in a media release. Two adults reporting smoke inhalation were treated at the scene, the department said.

Occupants of the building’s 113 apartments were evacuated during the fire. The fire was extinguished within about 10 minutes and firefighters spent two hours searching for hidden fire extension elsewhere in the building and assisting residents in returning to their homes. The department estimated the fire resulted in about $10,000 worth of damages.

Fire investigators determined the cause to be accidental, with no foul play noted. The two-alarm fire drew mutual aid assistance from Central and Scotts Valley fire protection districts.

Government Office, Government/Military

Los Angeles, CA – Suspicious fire at city hall contained by sprinkler system

Arson investigators are looking into what caused a “suspicious” fire to break out at Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday night. 

According to the LAFD, firefighters responded to City Hall – located at 200 N. Main Street in downtown L.A. – around 8 p.m.

Preliminary reports indicated that an object was apparently thrown into the building, causing the fire to start.

Fire crews arrived on scene and responded to an activated alarm on the second floor of the building. A sprinkler helped contain most of the fire, LAFD said.

“LAFD firefighters found evidence that the fire was started suspiciously,” a spokesperson for the LAFD confirmed to KTLA.

A fire department spokesperson told the LA Times that the fire started in the office of Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso.

Tso later confirmed that there was a fire in her office, but also said that she could not comment further on the matter.

Arson investigators with the Los Angeles Fire Department are handling the ongoing investigation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire inside grocery store; No injuries reported

Shoppers and staff were evacuated after a fire started inside the Foods Co. at First and Shields Ave.

Fresno Fire responded at about 8 a.m. Sunday.

Battalion Chief Kirk Wanless said the initial call for service was someone setting something on fire inside the store.

By the time firefighters arrived, smoke had filled much of the store and fire was found in an aisle.

The store’s sprinkler system activated as firefighters were about to go in.

Firefighters were able to search the entire store and get everyone out. No one was injured.

Officials say they suspect the fire was arson and are following up on all leads.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health was called to inspect the food damaged from the fire and smoke to see what, if anything, is salvageable.

A staff member at Foods Co. said they cannot comment on when the store will reopen.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Santa Rosa, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in 14-story apartment building

An elderly woman and a small dog were rescued from a fire that broke out in a Santa Rosa high-rise apartment complex on Sunday morning, announced the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

The fire department first received reports of a fire via a water flow alarm in a 14-story apartment building on 801 Tupper St shortly after 4 a.m.

Firefighters responded to apartment 303 in the building and found that a sprinkler system activated and extinguished a fire from the kitchen. Firefighters found a woman on the ground of the living room floor and brought her to the first floor lobby. A small dog was also found in the apartment.

The woman was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Fire officials deemed the apartment uninhabitable because of severe water and fire damage. Water damage also affected seven other apartments in the building, said firefighters.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at eight-story building

A water sprinkler doused a fire Friday afternoon at an eight-story building in downtown Fresno.

The Fresno Fire Department responded to the fire at 4:45 p.m. at Fulton and Amador streets with reports of a fire that started on the balcony, spokesman Jonathan Lopez said.

The sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire when crews arrived.

No one was displaced.

Lopez credited the Silvercrest Retirement Residence management for helping fire crews get to where the fire started and stressed the importance of having a working sprinkling system.

”This incident really highlights the importance of not having working smoke detectors, but especially in buildings like this working fire suppression,” he said. ”Sprinklers and self-closing doors really minimize the potential disaster that could happen in a high-rise building without these fire protection features.”

Five engines and two ladder trucks responded to the commercial fire.

Other - Residential, Residential

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at tiny home community; No injuries reported

One resident was displaced by a fire Friday at Petaluma People’s Village, a community of 25 tiny homes for the unsheltered.

Firefighters were dispatched at 4:09 p.m. Friday to a report of a structure fire at the tiny home community located behind the Mary Isaak Center, 900 Hopper St., according to the Petaluma Fire Department.

Firefighters found smoke coming from one of the units, along with the fire bell sounding and the fire sprinkler system activated in one unit, Petaluma Fire Marshal Jessica Power said in a news release.

A smoldering fire was found inside the unit but was mostly extinguished due to the sprinkler system activation, Power said.

Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire and searched for victims.

A single resident escaped the fire in the unit without injury.

There were no injuries to firefighters.

The Petaluma Building Department and PG&E responded to evaluate the next steps for making the unit inhabitable again.

“During the planning and construction of People’s Village many important safety features, including an automatic fire sprinkler system and alarms were included,” Power said. “As intended and designed, in this incident the sprinkler system and corresponding alarm bell notified the residents and gave them time to evacuate safely, kept damage to that unit at a minimum, and prevented fire damage to other units, saving vital housing for some of those most vulnerable.”

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday.

Other - Residential, Residential

Pacifica, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-family residence; No injuries reported

Two people in Pacifica have been displaced following a fire in their residence on Monday evening, the North County Fire Authority said.

Six fire companies responded to the blaze in the 900 block of Linda Mar Boulevard at approximately 7:19 p.m.

Firefighters arrived and found smoke coming from a multi-family residence. They made an aggressive attack and began search and rescue operations but no one was inside at the time, the Fire Authority said.

The fire was extinguished and no other buildings were affected. The North County Fire Authority noted that the building’s sprinkler system activated, which confined the fire to its origin area.

Two residents are now displaced and are being aided by the Red Cross.

There were no injuries.

This fire is currently under investigation.