Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Guelph, ON, Canada – Fire at Staybridge Suites hotel suppressed by sprinkler system June 15, 2015 viking210 Guelph firefighters say well trained staff and working sprinklers saved a fire from getting out of control in a Guelph hotel room. Officials say the fire was sparked by materials left near a hot plate at the Staybridge Suites off Highway Six. A father was staying in the first floor room with his children. They returned to the room on Saturday to find it full of smoke. “The sprinkler system actually did what it was supposed to. It was fully functioning and it actually saved that room and probably saved a huge part of that building as a result of that,” said Tony Sabatini, chief fire prevention officer with the city of Guelph. Part of the hotel needed to be evacuated. Damage is estimated at around $35,000.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinklers hold fire in check at packaging manufacturer June 1, 2015 viking210 City firefighters responded to the fire at around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at CKF Inc. on Production Way, said City Fire Chief Rory Thompson. In total, eight engines, several other vehicles, and 52 firefighters were deployed to deal with the fire. The actual fire didn’t do too much damage to the building. “We were fortunate because the sprinkler system really held the fire in check for us,” said Thompson. “There was a considerable amount of smoke,” he said of the fire near Fraser Highway. The fire was in the back of the large industrial building, and the complexity and size of the fire quickly led the City to go to three alarms. That brought in some Township crews to lend a hand. However, the building was full of pallets of thousands of cardboard egg cartons. The fire had gotten into the cartons and the pallets. Between the fire and the water, the cartons were destroyed, and the pallets collapsed, leaving piles of debris five to six feet high. Firefighters had to fight their way through the mess to lay hose lines and get at the last remnants of the fire. Two firefighters were hospitalized, with a City firefighter falling and injuring his shoulder, and a Township firefighter who hurt his knee. Firefighters brought a lot of bottled water for crews and had to work in shifts, taking breaks to hydrate after fighting the fire on a day when temperatures hit the high 20s. “Pretty tired, that’s for sure,” Thompson said of how the crews felt after the fire was out. Fire crews didn’t leave the scene until 4 a.m. on Friday. Investigators were looking through the scene Friday to try to determine the cause. City firefighters have had training with what are called “large box” fires, and they recently did a command and control training exercise in concert with the Langley Township firefighters. Township and City firefighters frequently work together on larger fires or cover for one another when crews are very busy.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Winnipeg, BC, Canada – Nightclub fire controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries May 22, 2015 viking210 A fire at a downtown bar shut down band rehearsals Thursday night. Multiple crews and a ladder truck were in front of the Main Street bar around 10 p.m. The popular spot was not hosting a bar night, but there were bands practicing in the upstairs recording spaces when the fire broke out. Gerry Suzuki was upstairs when he smelled smoke. “We thought it was an amp or something on fire so we investigated. We went upstairs and we went downstairs and we saw flames on the first floor on Whiskey Dix. It was at least six feet high and looked like six feet wide. It looked like the middle of the floor was on fire.” said Suzuki. District Chief Ted Humphreys said crews were quick to get the fire under control. “It was a fire that started in the back part of the building here on the main floor. About 90% was knocked down by the sprinkler system,” he said. Humphreys said everyone got out safely. There is no word on what started the fire, or how much damage it caused.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Grande Prairie, AB, Canada – Condominium fire confined to one suite by sprinkler system May 21, 2015 viking210 On Sunday, the Grande Prairie Fire Department (GPFD) responded to reports of a fire at Grande Plaza Condos on 92 Avenue, near Resources Road. Firefighters found the alarm system indicating a sprinkler activation on the first floor and then discovered a fire in one of the suites. Tony Lutzmann, the platoon chief on duty, said a heat-activated sprinkler in the suite went off and controlled the fire. “In this case, obviously, there was a large enough fire that there was enough heat to set a sprinkler head off,” he said. The fire was confined to one suite, which sustained smoke and water damage. “Basically, it’s what we call a room and contents fire,” said Lutzmann. “It didn’t spread beyond the suite of origin and that’s what exactly what a sprinkler system is designed to do, is to catch a fire in its early stages and prevent it spreading into a larger, more serious fire.”
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Victoria, BC, Canada – Spontaneous combustion fire in mixed-use building suppressed by sprinkler system May 20, 2015 viking210 The spontaneous combustion of improperly stored or discarded construction materials is suspected in a fire early today in a commercial space on lower Yates Street, reports the Victoria Fire Department. The fire was suppressed by the room’s sprinkler system, according to the fire department. The fire will be ruled accidental and the cause stated as undetermined but the spontaneous combustion of stored or discarded materials remains “a probable cause,” said Victoria Fire Lt.-Insp. Brad Sifert. No one was injured. At 2:14 a.m., Victoria firefighters raced to a fire on the main floor of 524 Yates St., just above Wharf Street. The building, adjacent to Waddington Alley, is commercial on the main floor with condominiums above. The office space was under renovation, with the new owner scheduled to occupy the space in about a week, according to Battalion Chief Dave Bicknell. The floor was being finished with a highly flammable drying oil and it is likely that the fire was the result of spontaneous combustion from the disposal of these materials, Sifert said. Fire crews arrived to find smoke in the commercial space. Firefighters traced the blaze to a small smouldering pile of construction materials and waste including discarded window dressing. “I couldn’t find anything but the garbage,” Sifert said. Sifert interviewed two labourers who had been working on the floor until about 3 p.m. Monday. As part of their normal protocol, the workers said they put the oil-soaked rags in water in pails outside the building. “I can’t rule it out just based on what they’re saying,” Sifert said. “A rag could have been left in there.” Fire crews used a hose line to completely extinguish the fire, which was contained to a one-metre-square area on the floor.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Revelstoke, BC – Sprinklers aid firefighters in suppressing blaze at sawmill May 13, 2015 viking210 A section of a Revelstoke sawmill was badly damaged in an early morning fire Wednesday. Fire Crews were called to the Downie Timber mill just after 6:00 a.m. “Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy fire damage in the millwright area and light smoke on the second floor”, says fire chief Rob Girard. Girard says it took just under an hour for 22 firefighters to extinguish and overhaul the blaze with the mill’s sprinkler system doing most of the suppression work. “I am really pleased with the results of the sprinklers suppression in the fire area. We realize how important this mill is to the community”. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Apartment Building, Residential St. Catharines, ON, Canada – Sprinklers activate during fire at 7-story apartment building April 30, 2015 viking210 Firefighters evacuated the seven-floor apartment building at 5 Louis Ave. Tuesday after a blaze broke out on the fifth floor. About 200 residents were forced from their homes for about six hours until the building was considered safe to re-enter. “There was a lot of smoke that migrated throughout the building — so it had to be ventilated,” Deputy Fire Chief Larry Jones said. “We had to make sure all the units were safe. “We went floor by floor with our air monitoring equipment and kept the fans going until we had zero readings.” The Salvation Army and Red Cross provided the residents with sandwiches and coffee. Two buses from the City of St. Catharines were used as shelter. The Humane Society also attended, to assist with the pets of the residents. Some tenants from the fifth floor will have to wait to re-occupy their units, Jones said. The Red Cross is helping them. “Once we are finished our investigation, cleanup will commence,” Jones said. “The cleanup will focus on getting the displaced tenants back first. I can’t imagine it will be too long. There was some water damage to the floors. We had to isolate part of the sprinkler system so that will have to be repaired. They will have to deodorize and clean the walls. The units — for the most part — are fine.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinklers put out suspicious overnight fire at glass manufacturer April 30, 2015 viking210 Montreal police are investigating a suspicious fire that happened in Anjou overnight. Officers discovered the fire after they responded to a burglar alarm shortly after midnight at a glass manufacturer. Firefighters were called to the scene at Industries Cover Inc., located on Ray Lawson Boulevard, just north of Jarry Street East. The fire was quickly put out by the automatic sprinkler system. The damage was minimal.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Barrie, ON, Canada – Fire contained to equipment room by sprinkler system April 20, 2015 viking210 The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted, following a late night fire at Global Electric Electronic Processing in Barrie. Barrie fire crews were called to John Street on Saturday night, around 10 p.m. to contend with smoke and flames. Officials say a sprinkler system contained the fire to an equipment room until firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames. Staff evacuated the building quickly and no injuries are reported. The OFM will sift through the debris on Monday to determine a cause and damage estimate. A private security firm has been hired to secure the property during the investigation. This is the fourth time in the last 12 months that Barrie fire crews have been called to Geep.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing Woodstock, ON, Canada – Fire in laser cutter at machining business contained with help from sprinklers April 19, 2015 viking210 The Woodstock Fire Department said they responded to a structure fire at Harvan Engineering Ltd. Thursday at around 5 p.m. When they arrived, fire crews found that staff had been evacuated and the sprinkler systems had been activated, allowing firefighters to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire was determined to be the result of a spark from the cutting process melting an oxygen supply line, igniting the oxygen supply and spreading to the machine housing. “This is an excellent example of a building’s life-safety systems minimizing the spread of a fire,” said Woodstock fire’s Deputy Fire Chief Jason Whiteley. “A working and properly maintained sprinkler system prevented the fire from leaving the piece of equipment and potentially destroying the facility.” The Woodstock Fire Department said they would like to remind everyone that all fire and life-safety equipment should be checked monthly and have annual maintenance performed to ensure it will operate when needed.
