Apartment Building, Residential Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in knocking down apartment fire May 4, 2019 viking210 No one was hurt, but an apartment and three businesses have suffered some major damage after a fire Sunday morning near Abbott and Water Street in Gastown. A discarded cigarette lighter seems to have been what started it. Fire crews were called to the unit near Abbott and Water Street, when smoke was reported by neighbours. Dave Rosenlund, Assistant Chief with Vancouver Fire and Rescue says it took time to knock out the flames. “Crews got there, the sprinkler system had been activated from the building, and combustibles from the suite were on fire at the time when crews entered the suite,” he says. There’s some structural damage to the apartment, as well as water damage to three businesses located below the suite. Rosenlund says it’s a reminder to be cautious if you smoke indoors. “When smoking in your room, just be careful of how you dispose of your matches or turn your lighter on and off,” he says.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Vanderhoof, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior care facility; No injuries reported April 25, 2019 viking210 An early morning fire has forced the displacement of 36 seniors at a care facility in Vanderhoof. Northern Health says the fire broke out just before 2 a.m. this (Monday) morning resulting in the need to move residents out of three sections of Stuart Nechako Manor. Spokesperson Eryn Collins says no residents or staff were harmed during or as a result of the fire. “The Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. The facility sprinkler system was activated during the event and has caused some water damage to three sections of the facility, necessitating the transfer of clients and patients for their own comfort and convenience.” She adds the 36 affected residents are currently being housed in St. John’s Hospital and Aspen House (an unaffected section of Stuart Nechako Manor) where they are being kept safe and comfortable while next steps are being arranged. No word yet on what caused the fire or how severe the damage is.
Apartment Building, Residential Calgary, AB, Canada – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported April 20, 2019 viking210 Just under two dozen residents of an apartment building in Bridgeland were forced out of their homes last Saturday afternoon after a fire broke out. Crews were called to the complex, in the 400 block of 2 Avenue N.E. at about 1:25 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke on the second floor and soon traced it to a small fire inside one of the units but found it had already been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. Crews ordered 23 residents of the building out of their homes so they could be assessed by EMS. There is no information on any injuries as a result of the fire. A fire investigator has been called to determine the cause.
College/University (on campus), School / University Vancouver, BC, Canada – Arson fire in college classroom building is put out with help from sprinkler system April 8, 2019 viking210 After fires prompted an evacuation at Langara College yesterday, Vancouver police have arrested and charged an individual. Prior to noon on April 1, first responders received reports of a suspicious fire at Langara College’s West 49th Avenue campus, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). A suspect had allegedly entered the college with improvised incendiary devices. At least two of the devices were detonated, causing fires to start, before the suspect fled. According to Cst. Jason Doucette at a VPD news conference held today (April 2), several other devices were left behind. Cst. Doucette said that the VPD’s bomb disposal unit neutralized a third device. Cst. Doucette stated that sprinkler systems at the building did activate and the Vancouver Fire Department helped to put out the fires. Initially, all classes in the T Building (Science and Technology Building) were cancelled but around 1 p.m., the college evacuated everyone from the campus and also closed its 601 West Broadway campus. Based on information provided by the school and witnesses, the VPD identified the suspect as Nasradin Abdusamad Ali of Surrey, who is a 23-year-old student of Langara College, and alerted other local police agencies. Just after 4 p.m. on April 1, Metro Vancouver Transit Police arrested Ali in Surrey and turned him over to the VPD. Today, the VPD announced that Ali remains in custody and has been charged with one count of arson related to inhabited property and one count of possession of incendiary material. Although Langara College announced at 10:20 p.m. on April 1 that the VPD completed their sweep of the campus, the college’s West 49th Avenue campus remained closed today while the 601 West Broadway campus was reopened.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill North Okanagan, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at sawmill April 4, 2019 viking210 Quick-thinking employees and a fire suppression system saved the day at a North Okanagan sawmill Saturday. The Lumby Fire Department were called to a fire at the Tolko WhiteValley mill at 7:30 p.m. Fire Chief Tony Clayton said two night watchmen were already dousing the flames with water and the sprinkler system had been activated, saving the day. “They did a really good job,” said Clayton, adding once fire crews got there they were able to knock down the flames quickly. “They kept it to the area of origin before we got there.” Clayton said there was potential for the fire to spread and it could have been a lot worse. The fire has been determined accidental and some mill equipment sustained damage.
Adult Care/Rehab Center, Residential Calgary, AB, Canada – Mattress fire at homeless shelter controlled by sprinkler system March 31, 2019 viking210 Two hundred people were cleared out of a downtown Calgary homeless shelter after a mattress caught fire on Tuesday. Crews responded to a triggered alarm system in the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope, located in the 400 block of 9 Avenue S.E., at around 3:30 p.m., according to the Calgary Fire Department (CFD). A mattress in a third-floor room caught fire and activated the sprinklers, the CFD said. “The sprinkler successfully contained the fire to that unit until fire crews could get on scene and finish extinguishing it,” said Carol Henke, the CFD’s public information officer. After firefighters ventilated the building and ensured the air quality was safe, staff and residents were allowed back inside just before 6 p.m., the department said. Several residents were displaced due to fire and water damage and will be allowed back in their suites after they are cleaned, officials said. It is unknown if the resident of the unit was inside at the time the fire started. The fire’s origin and cause are under investigation.
Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility Kamloops, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at recycling center March 26, 2019 viking210 Fire investigators have been unable to determine what caused a fire at the Emterra recycling centre in Valleyview on Tuesday. Kamloops firefighters were called at about 4:15 p.m. when a pile of cardboard went up in flames behind the Kelly Douglas Road facility. Investigators know the fire started outside, at the building’s west end, but have been unable to figure out what sparked the blaze, said Kamloops Fire Rescue platoon Capt. Darryl Cooper. “Talking to Emterra employees, sometimes they will get a lot of mixed recyclables that shouldn’t be in there — chemicals or steel or whatever that [can] cause a chain reaction, but the official cause is undetermined,” Cooper said. He said fire investigators are typically able to trace the blaze back to a point of origin, but that hasn’t been possible in this case as the fire was spread over a large area containing a lot of debris. Cooper said the fire started in a large pile of cardboard and led to an active rubber conveyor belt catching fire, which carried some of the fire inside the building. Those flames were met by the building’s sprinkler system. “We sent crews in to check for extension, but everything was good,” Cooper said.
Apartment Building, Residential Sarnia, ON, Canada – Apartment fire quickly extinguished by sprinkler system March 18, 2019 viking210 Two separate high-rise apartment fires kept firefighters busy on Tuesday. Sarnia Fire and Rescue Services said just after 11 a.m., a stove caused a fire in a unit at 1285 Sandy Lane, while one person was at home. The fire was extinguished and the smoke was cleared from the unit. Firefighters responded to a second fire just before 4 p.,m. in an apartment building at 810 Trillium Park after a garbage dumpster caught fire. The blaze was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. Fire crews removed the garbage bin from the building and ventilated the smoke. No one was injured during either fire. Fire officials have not released the causes or damage estimates for the fires.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Hawkesbury, ON, Canada – Fire at thermoplastics manufacturing plant contained with help from sprinkler system March 7, 2019 viking210 There was a minor fire at the Prémoulé thermoplastics plant on Tessier Street in Hawkesbury last Friday evening. According to the Hawkesbury Fire Department, the call arrived at 9:14 p.m. and the fire happened inside the plant. Nobody was working inside at the time and the building’s sprinkler system functioned properly. Firefighters quickly had the situation under control, but the smell of smoke remained outside the plant. The Champlain Fire Department station in L’Orignal was called for assistance as there was some concern at the beginning about having enough firefighters available to respond. Once the fire was under control, Hawkesbury firefighters were going to go into the plant to investigate the cause. According to Plant Director Steve Kennedy, 91 people work at the facility. He said the cost of the fire could not be verified and that on Monday, everything at the plant was back to normal. Prémoulé manufactures countertops and cupboard doors.
Retail, Shopping Mall Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system controlled fire at fitness center before fire crews arrived February 16, 2019 viking210 No one was injured after a small fire at a fitness centre on Portage Avenue Sunday morning. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said firefighters were called to the scene of a strip mall in the 900 block of Portage Avenue at about 7:57 a.m. Smoke was coming from the eaves from Valentine’s Fitness and Weight Loss Centre, so firefighters went inside to launch an attack and the fire was quickly put out. The building’s sprinkler system helped control the fire before firefighters got there, said the WFPS. The building suffered minimal fire damage but the business saw extensive smoke damage, they added. No one was in the building at the time, and the fire was caused by a broken bathroom fan. There are currently no damage estimates.
