Tag Archives: Canada

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Winkler, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for late night fire at business; No injuries reported

Winkler Fire Department crews responded to a fire at ICON Technologies Limited late last night after alarms were reported just after 11 pm. 

According to Fire Chief Richard Paetzold, WFD was called to the business, where night shift workers confirmed there was an active fire upon crews’ arrival. The building’s sprinkler system had already been activated, helping to contain the fire and extinguish much of it before firefighters entered.

Fire crews then laid approximately 400 feet of hose to put out the remaining fire. Once the situation was under control, water flow from the sprinkler system was shut off.

Chief Paetzold praised the sprinkler system, saying it “Saved the day,” and that without it, “This would have been a very different story.”

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and a damage estimate has not yet been determined.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Rosetown, SK, Canada – Fire at high school contained by sprinkler system

A fire at Rosetown Central High School Monday evening has led to the cancellation of classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Mike Fedyk, coordinator of communications and marketing for Sun West School Division.

According to the division, a small fire broke out in a second‑floor classroom at approximately 5 p.m. Students and staff in the building at the time evacuated safely after the fire alarm was triggered, following standard school fire protocols.

“The school’s sprinkler system activated and contained the fire to the classroom where it started,” said Fedyk.  While fire damage was limited, adjacent areas experienced smoke damage, and water damage occurred in spaces beside and below the affected room.

Due to the damage, the school will remain closed on Tuesday to allow for cleanup and assessment. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and school officials said updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

“All students and staff are safe, and we are grateful for the quick response of our emergency personnel,” Principal Craig Vanthyune said in the release sent to parents.

Parents with questions were advised to contact the Sun West School Division office.

Other - Residential, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Fire extinguished by sprinkler system before fire crews arrived

The Kelowna Fire Department was called to the Samuel Place supportive housing building Tuesday afternoon for a minor fire.

The blaze was sparked shortly before 2 p.m. at 280 McIntosh Road, according to assistant fire chief Dennis Craig, and was contained to a single unit.

The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived and Craig says crews acted quickly to shut off the water to limit damage to the rest of the building.

A resident of the building tells Castanet residents of the floor where the fire occurred have spent the afternoon mopping out their rooms.

Craig says nobody was displaced due to water damage, but the unit where the fire occurred is uninhabitable for now. The people living there, however, have been moved to another unit within the same building.

Craig says the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but he recommends that anyone who receives electronics for Christmas with lithium-ion batteries, like e-bikes, should follow manufacturer advice when charging.

Apartment Building, Residential

Langford, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fourth floor apartment fire

At least one person was left homeless on Christmas Eve after a fire badly damaged one suite and water damage rendered others temporarily uninhabitable at an apartment building on Treanor Avenue in Langford.

View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst said at least one person was displaced as a result of the midday blaze, a kitchen fire on the fourth floor, which drew firefighters from Langford, Colwood and View Royal.

The fire was contained to the suite after the sprinkler system activated, controlling the blaze, he said.

“But unfortunately, you know what happens when a sprinkler system goes off on the fourth floor — everybody on floors three, two and one [is affected] — it makes for a pretty wet experience all the way around.”

Hurst couldn’t say exactly how many people were displaced, but the unit where the fire started is uninhabitable due to flame, smoke and water damage. He expected at least a handful of other units would have been hard to live in as a result of water damage.

“We got the water shut off as quickly as we could, but still they flow at 20 to 30 gallons per minute,” he said. If it takes 10 minutes for the fire department to shut off the water, that amounts to 300 gallons, “a lot of water in a small apartment.”

The occupant of the suite on the fourth floor was not in the unit at the time of the fire.

The province confirmed Wednesday afternoon that one person is receiving a shelter allowance through Emergency Support Services.

Hurst said if it was any other time of year, more people could have been displaced.

But because it was Christmas Eve, the crews on scene used “vacuums and all kinds of stuff to get up as much of the water as we could to make the suites somewhat habitable.”

Other - Retail, Retail

Fort Frances, ON, Canada – Late night arson fire at tire shop contained by sprinkler system

Rainy River District OPP have a youth offender in custody following an arson investigation that resulted from a late night fire at the Fort Frances Canadian Tire store.

In a post made to their Facebook page early this morning, Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Services noted that they responded to the retail store at approximately 11:04 p.m. last night, Thursday, December 18, 2025. OPP officers were already on scene upon arrival at Canadian Tire, and firefighters noted heavy smoke and low visibility when they entered the store.

Canadian Tires’ sprinkler system had activated and contained the fire to a limited area, and firefighters were able to make “a quick interior attack” to bring the fire under control.

A primary and secondary search were performed to ensure no occupants were within the building, and it was subsequently ventilated to help clear hazardous smoke.

Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Services noted that firefighters and other first responders faced “extreme cold conditions” during the effort to put out the fire.

As of this morning, the Fort Frances OPP had carriage of the scene to conduct an investigation.

As a result of the investigation, an OPP spokesperson confirmed a 15-year-old youth from Fort Frances has been arrested and charged under the Criminal Code with:

  • Arson – damage to property
  • Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
  • Break and enter
  • Uttering threats – cause death or bodily harm
  • Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 – 2 counts
  • Fail to comply with probation order
  • Mischief – destroy or damages property

The accused cannot be identified as they are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Fort Frances on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Services shared that sprinkler systems can make a big difference in local homes and businesses when it comes to protecting from, or lessening, the damage caused by fires to both property and human life.

“Fire protection systems like sprinklers help protect our community, businesses, and first responders,” Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Services said in their post.

”Thanks to all responding agencies for their coordinated efforts.”

The OPP said members of the Fort Frances Crime Unit continue to investigate alongside the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire in commercial building; No injuries reported

Montreal police will examine local surveillance cameras after someone attempted early Tuesday to set fire to a commercial building in the city’s Rivière-des-Prairies district.

The security alarm of the building on Henri-Bourassa Blvd. E. near Rodolphe-Forget Blvd. was triggered around 1 a.m. First responders found the fire had quickly been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

There were no injuries reported and the damage done to the building was due to water from the sprinkler system.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Airdrie, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguished kitchen fire in commercial building

The Airdrie Fire Department says an automatic sprinkler system extinguished a kitchen fire earlier this week in a commercial building and has shared a reminder about cooking safety.

Fire Chief Mike Pirie wrote in a social media post on Thursday that fire crews were called on Tuesday, Oct. 7, to a structure fire in a two-story commercial building on Kingsview Boulevard.

“On arrival, fire crews determined that the sprinkler system, located in a second-floor kitchen area, had activated and extinguished a fire which had been burning in a cooking pan left unattended on a stovetop,” Pirie wrote.

He said there were no staff or customers in the building at the time of the incident.

The department reminded residents to:

  • Never leave cooking unattended and stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, broiling or boiling food.
  • Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the burner if you need to leave the room.
  • Use dry oven mitts and potholders to prevent scalding or burns.
  • Use the stove’s back burners whenever possible and turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk of pots being knocked over.
  • Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils and other combustible items away from the front and top of the stove.
  • Clean food and grease residue from the oven and stovetop once cooled.
Other - Residential, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for balcony fire; No injuries reported

At approximately 11:55 pm Tuesday, the Kelowna Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1700 block of Gordon Drive. Initial arriving crews had audible alarms going off with people outside. Crews made entry to one of the units and found medium smoke conditions, the fire was contained to a single unit with the sprinkler system activated. Fire was extinguished quickly by initial arriving crew, but some water damage occurred to the single unit. The origin of the fire was on the back patio/balcony and unknown cause. There were no injuries to the resident or KFD personnel.

KFD responded with 3 Engine companies, Rescue truck, Ladder Truck and Command vehicle, for a total of 17 personnel.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at restaurant

A fire has forced downtown Winnipeg restaurant Commonwealth to temporarily close for repairs.

The restaurant, located at the corner of McDermot Avenue and Main Street, sustained damage after someone reportedly broke a window with bricks and started a fire inside, according to a Facebook post on Thursday by managing partner Nikola Maharajh.

The post said the building’s sprinkler system was triggered by the fire, causing additional damage.

Maharajh added that the restaurant may remain closed for “a few weeks, if not months.”

College/University (on campus), School / University

Hamilton, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at university research lab; No injuries reported

A small fire in the basement of the Communications Research Laboratory, located near the Engineering Technology Building, was quickly extinguished Wednesday afternoon.

The sprinkler system put out the fire and the building was safely evacuated. There were no injuries reported.

The building was briefly closed to be ventilated and assessed for water damage, and has now been cleared and reopened by the Hamilton Fire Department.