Tag Archives: Canada

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Car fire contained by sprinkler system until fire crews arrived

Sunday morning at 2:45 a.m. the Kelowna Fire Department dispatch center received a 911 call reporting three vehicles on fire inside a storage/mechanic bay type structure, in the 3100 Block of Sexsmith Rd.

The first arriving Officer reported smoke coming from the soffit area of the roof.

Crews gained access to the building and discovered a single vehicle on fire with impingement on two others. The sprinkler system had been activated and was able to contain the fire. Fire crews then finished extinguishment, ventilation and overhaul.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by both RCMP and Kelowna Fire Department investigators.

Kelowna Fire Department responded with four engines, one ladder truck, rescue unit, a safety unit and Command vehicle with a total of 17 personnel.

Please check your smoke alarms. They do save lives.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Montreal, QC, Canada – Arson fire at pizzeria extinguished by sprinkler system

When eating out at a pizzeria in Montreal you can typically expect certain things to happen. First, you get your giant pizza pie and sit down at a diner-like table. Then, you can totally expect to get some of the sauce on at least one article of clothing.

Third, a Molotov cocktail hurls through the window and sets the restaurant on fire.

That last point may seem bizarre, but it’s exactly what’s been happening in pizza shops in the city. 

Around 3:30AM this morning one of the bombs was thrownthrough a window at California Pizza, in the Côte des Neiges neighbourhood. Firefighters arrived to find the flames dying out, thanks to the sprinkler system in the restaurant.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, unfortunately. In fact, over the past two weeks three known fires have been started by an arsonist in the city, according to CTV. They remain on the loose, so who knows what pizza shop they’ll be targeting next.

Thankfully, however, no one has been injured.

Not-so-surprisingly, Montreal actually has a bit of a problem with people setting things on fire. Just so you get an idea of how bad it is, below is a visual aid of firebombings in the city since 2009.

So, needless to say, we have a lot of arsonists running around the city. Montreal’s arson squad will be meeting with California Pizza today to examine security footage and attempt to identify who keeps setting pizzerias on fire.

So far, there’s no apparent motive.

Until the perpetrators are caught, you might want to stick with ordering delivery.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Kitchen fire in first-floor apartment extinguished by sprinkler system

The Chilliwack Fire Department are reminding residents to “stand by your pan” after a kitchen fire on Saturday. It was that day at approximately 5:30 p.m. when firefighters were dispatched to a reported apartment structure fire in the 45000 block of Wellington Avenue.  Firefighters discovered a stovetop fire in the kitchen of a first floor apartment unit. The fire had been extinguished by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system prior to the arrival of fire crews  Without a working sprinkler system in place, this fire had the potential of causing extensive fire damage to the home and adjacent units in the apartment building, according to the department.  “The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Please make sure to stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food and always turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen for any reason.”

College/University (on campus), School / University

Victoria, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Camosun College

A 30-year-old Victoria man was arrested and could face charges after he was believed to have sparked fires at Camosun’s Interurban Campus and at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence early Sunday morning.

The incident has caused Camosun to close their PISE, Centre for Business/Access and Trades Centre buildings on their Interurban campus for assessment. Any classes Monday in those buildings are canceled for the day.

All other buildings on the campus are open.

The University of Victoria is allowing any paid PISE members to use their CARSA facilities on Monday and Tuesday, your current membership card is all that is required.

The Saanich Fire Department says they responded to the PISE building following a general alarms activation at 2:20 a.m., when they arrived they discovered a broken glass door and two small fires set. They were able to extinguish both quickly with help of the sprinkler system.

Around 15 minutes later an intruder and fire alarm were both tripped in the nearby Camosun College Interurban Campus at the Centre for Business and Access building. Saanich police were called to the scene and searched the building before allowing Saanich fire to extinguish the single small fire.

Officials say the man was apprehended after a K9 unit was called in.

Police are recommending serval charges of break and enter, arson, mischief and theft. The man is still in custody.

All of the fires are under investigation. One of the fires in PISE was set in the foyer at a bulletin board and was about one square-metre, the other was in the weight room and was three square-metres.

The fire in the CBA building was around one square-metre and was  from bulletin and poster boards set on fire.

As a result there was water damage for PISE in the specific areas and minimal damage to the CBA.

“Our major concern is health and safety of student and staff,” said Joan Yates, Camosun’s vice president of student services.

“We are continuing to ascertain the impact on buildings and air filtration… we are glad no one was hurt [but] it’s getting near the end fo term, not great timing but safety first.”

Most classes on the campus end next week.

The Saanich fire department says they were able to contain the fires quickly

“You never know what your going to get at a large building,” said Saanich Deputy Fire Chief Dan Wood.

“We often go to these buildings for false alarms… although our crews are trained to be ready for anything.”

As the sprinklers activated in the specific areas the alarms were activate, widespread water damage to the buildings did not occur.

Apartment Building, Residential

Prince George, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for apartment building fire; No injuries reported

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Prince George Fire Crews responded to a commercial fire alarm at the 3200 block of Westwood Drive just before 10 this morning. 11 firefighters from three halls responded and found a sprinkler system had activated inside the apartment building due to a fire in one of the suites. The fire was contained to the suite involved though some water damage was caused to other suites before the sprinklers were shut off. Fire and water damage is estimated at 70 thousand dollars. The cause is under investigation and no injuries were reported.

Retail

Brampton, ON, Canada – All animals safe at PetSmart store after sprinkler system isolates fire

The incident called firefighters to the scene of a PetSmart location at 547 Steeles Avenue.  Brampton Fire & Emergency Services reported on Twitter that the fire was isolated by the sprinkler system and is under control.  All animals in the store have been reported safe.

Reported on Twitter – Crews operating at a commercial property fire at 547 Steeles Av. Fire is under control. Sprinkler system has isolated the fire. All animals are safe. Smoke control is underway. @CityBrampton @BPFFA1068 ^hg

 

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Innisfil, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system suppressed fire at secondary school until fire crews arrived; No injuries reported

Innisfil Fire crews were called to Nantyr Shores Seconday School in Alcona on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a report of a fire.

According to Innisfil Fire, a small fire was detected in one of the school’s washrooms.

Officials say the sprinkler went off and it suppressed the fire until crews arrived on scene.

According to a tweet from the Simcoe County District School Board, students from Nantyr Shores Secondary School were evacuated to St. Frances of Assisi Catholic School.

Innisfil Fire says the fire was put out and there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fergus, ON, Canada – Fire Chief credits sprinkler system in early morning fire at plastics plant

Sprinklers put out a small early morning fire at the AO Smith building on Hill Street West here on Oct. 31.  The fire began in the SM Polymers portion of the building, which is separated from the main AO Smith building by concrete blocks.  Centre Wellington deputy fire chief Jonathan Karn said the department was called at 5:20am but when firefighters arrived the fire was largely extinguished by the sprinkler system.  Karn said two cardboard boxes piled close to the ceiling ignited when a heater was turned on.

“So no damage to the building itself; actually the sprinkler system activated and put the majority of the fire out before we got there, which is good,” Karn said.  “It actually saved that building and most of the product.”

The damage is estimated at $5,000 to $10,000. There were no injuries and all employees had evacuated to the parking lot prior to the arrival of firefighters, Karn said.  The fire department cleared the scene just before 6:20am.

Apartment Building, Residential, Restaurant

Saint John’s, NL, Canada – Pizzeria fire in building with apartments above is extinguished by sprinkler system

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A Saint John restaurant remains closed after it was damaged by fire early Saturday morning. Crews from the Saint John fire department responded to call at Pomodori Pizzeria at 34 Canterbury Street, located in the city’s uptown.  There are apartments upstairs in the three-storey structure.  Platoon Chief Barry Oickle said the first crew could not locate the initial source of the fire. With the help of another crew, they searched all three floors of the building to make sure all tenants had been evacuated.  After further investigation, the source of the fire was found inside the restaurant located on the ground floor. Access was gained from an adjoining business.  Oickle said there had been a small fire that was extinguished by the sprinkler system in the kitchen. “But it also caused some smoke and water damage,” he said. Fire crews worked to clear the smoke from the building. Tenants were allowed to return to their apartments after about two hours. “The cause has not yet been determined but it does not seem to be suspicious in nature,” Oickle said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Hotel fire mostly extinguished by sprinkler system helping to limit fire damage; No injuries reported

A two-storey hotel in the 600 block of Main Street caught fire Tuesday morning, but the building’s sprinkler systems extinguished most of the flames before Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews arrived.  No damage estimates are available yet. Considerable heavy smoke was also throughout the building. No injuries or illnesses were apparent as a result of the fire or smoke, and all occupants had evacuated and taken shelter on a Winnipeg Transit bus prior to firefighters’ arrival.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.