Tag Archives: Canada

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Salmon Arm, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hospital

No serious injuries resulted from a fire at Shuswap Lake General Hospital on Friday night but two patients were checked for smoke inhalation.

The Salmon Arm Fire Department was paged at 7:20 p.m. Sept. 23 for what was tagged at first as a commercial alarm. However, that was soon upgraded to a structure fire, recounts Deputy Fire Chief Gary Lebeter.

When crews arrived on the hospital’s second floor where the alarm was coming from, the sprinkler system had activated and already extinguished the fire.

“Which was great, it had done what it was supposed to do,” Lebeter said.

There were two beds in the room and the two patients required assessment for smoke inhalation.

All 19 patients on Level 2 were safely evacuated to another area of the hospital, Interior Health reported, noting minor damage was isolated to the area of the fire.

Level 2 was temporarily closed as damage was assessed and repaired. Interior Health said Monday repairs have begun to the damaged area and some beds on Level 2 are expected to open next week.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Salmon Arm Fire Department.

Lebeter said crew members helped move patients from the second to the fourth floor, as well as setting up ventilation fans to remove the smoke. He said there was a fair amount of water damage on the second floor, so firefighters “got busy with mops” to limit damage or accidents.

Interior Health said it would like to thank the Salmon Arm Fire Department, the RCMP and all staff who quickly came together to assist during the incident.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at commercial building; No injuries reported

The fire Sunday in the 400-block Wellman Crescent was deemed accidental based on the investigation done by the Saskatoon Fire Department.

The fire investigator concluded the cause of the fire was accidental due to the internal heating of oil-soaked rags used for staining which ignited.

Construction materials that were also near the area of the oil-soaked rags also caught fire but the sprinkler system kept the fire small on the second floor of the commercial structure.

No civilians or firefighters were reportedly injured as a result of the fire, which had estimated damage of $10,000.

On Sunday, at 5:14 p.m. on Sept. 11, the SFD received a call from the alarm monitoring company that indicated a structure fire in the 400 block of Wellman Crescent

One fire engine was dispatched to investigate what might have triggered the alarm from the property.

Arriving fire crews indicated the fire alarm was ringing and water was flowing from the automatic sprinkler system on the second floor.

After further investigation, it was identified that there was smoke visible on the second floor and two more fire engines, a ladder truck, a rescue unit and the Battalion Chief were dispatched.

The fire was reported extinguished at 5:41 p.m. as the sprinkler system helped minimize the damage.

Other - Residential, Residential

Quebec City, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire in underground parking lot

Hyundai recalled some 77,000 Kona EVs in 2020 due to the risk of them bursting into flames from possibly defective battery packs and even though it supposedly fixed all vehicles that potentially had problems, the fires didn’t completely go away. Now another electric Kona caught fire while it was parked in an underground parking lot in Quebec City, Canada.

Firefighters responded to the call but they say they first had to ventilate the underground part of the building in order to gain access to the vehicle in order to extract it from the garage. They quickly managed to do that and even though they say it was the battery pack that was the source of the fire, this particular Hyundai Kona Electric has much less damage compared to others we’ve seen.

It is also noted that the vehicle was parked under a sprinkler for the emergency fire suppression system and even though the battery pack (the source of the fire) was under the car where water couldn’t quite reach it, it probably played its part in keeping the fire contained and preventing it from spreading to other cars parked nearby.

It was not noted in any of the reports that we found whether or not the vehicle had been plugged in and charging when the fire started.

The fire was reported at around 4 AM and firefighters decided to evacuate the entire eight-story building to make sure everyone was safe. Even though the fire was contained and flames were never visible from the outside, smoke had apparently entered the building’s ventilation ducts, posing health risks and making the evacuation necessary.

Everybody was given the green light to return to their homes two hours later and the fire reportedly caused no damage to the building or any of the other cars parked there at the time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The building’s sprinkler system did its job and the fire department handled the rest after a fire sparked in an apartment in central Kelowna this morning.

The Kelowna Fire Department was called to the scene in the 1700 block of Ethel Street around 10:30 am and found the fire in a unit on the first floor of the four-storey building.

According to Platoon Captain Scott Clarke, the sprinkler system had activated and suppressed the fire to the stove top of the unit.

“Firefighters entered the unit and completed extinguishment,” he said.

The fire has been deemed accidental in nature.

While there was no one home in the unit affected by the minor blaze, the rest of the building was evacuated and Clarke said no injuries were reported.

There was some fire and water damage to the single unit and some general water damage to the first floor.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Steinbach, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at window manufacturer; No injuries reported

There were no injuries from a fire Wednesday afternoon at Loewen in Steinbach.

The Steinbach Fire Department was called to the window manufacturer at approximately 2:30 pm. By then, the building was evacuated.

“Usually if we are getting a call at Loewen there is potential for a large fire,” says Fire Chief Kel Toews. 

Toews says when they arrived on scene they determined the fire was coming from within a wood hopper. 

“It was quickly extinguished,” he notes. “Fire damage was contained basically to that room.”

Toews notes the fire set off the sprinkler system and as a result there is water damage in the room below.

Jon Sawatzky is Director of Product and Marketing at Loewen. He says they are still waiting to hear the official cause of the fire and the extent of damage. But, he says damage appears minimal.

“Our staff did an incredible job of following protocol, which helped to keep everyone safe and we’re already back in operation, we’re thrilled and relieved to say that nobody was hurt,” said Sawatzky on Wednesday shortly after 4 pm.

“We also want to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the Steinbach Fire Department, Southern Health Emergency Medical Services, and the RCMP for the quick response in keeping us safe,” adds Sawatzky.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lethbridge, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at four story apartment complex; No injuries reported

Around $75,000 worth of damage was done thanks to a fire in a four-storey apartment complex in the city on Friday night.

Lethbridge Fire and EMS officials say they got to the scene on Highlands Boulevard West approximately 8:30, and were met with a majority of residents already evacuated, and smoke showing from the third story on the north east side of the complex.

The building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire, and crews were able to quickly search all other floors and determine there was no risk to the rest of the building.

No one was injured as a result of the fire, and all but two of the apartments were able to safely house residents again, with the buildings fire suppression system intact and smoke alarm system fully operational.

The investigation into the cause of the fire remains ongoing.

Apartment Building, Residential

Airdrie, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in four-story apartment building; No injuries reported

A four-story apartment building caught fire on June 1 at 5 p.m. in Canals Crossing, located in southwest Airdrie. No injuries have been reported at this time.

Although no details have been released yet about what caused the fire, a press release from the City of Airdrie stated the fire originated in one suite and resulted in an emergency evacuation of the building. 

The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before Airdrie Fire Department crews arrived on the scene. However, units in the building have been severely damaged by the water from the sprinkler system. 

The Crossfield Fire Department provided standby resources to the nine Airdrie Fire Department firefighters who were deployed to the call. 

The Fire Prevention Bureau will be conducting an investigation to discover the cause of the fire, according to the City’s press release. 

Other Business, Place of Worship

Brossard, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at mosque; No injuries reported

An early morning fire at the Islamic Community Centre on Grande Allee Blvd. in Brossard, Que., was most likely started by an electrical issue, according to Longueuil Police.

Firefighters arrived at the mosque around 1a.m Saturday morning. The fire was already being extinguished by the building’s emergency sprinkler system. Firefighters were able to control the blaze in about 30 minutes.

According to security footage, there was nobody inside at the time. No injuries were reported.

Investigators say there is about $50,000 in damages.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Mississauga, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system contains fire at car dealership

Crews are responding to a fire in Mississauga this evening (Feb. 27).

Shortly before 6:30 p.m, the city’s fire department said they were responding to a fire at the Ideal Honda car dealership located near Highway 401 and Dixie.

Early reports indicate heavy smoke rising from the roof of the dealership.

The cause of fire and any potential injuries are currently unknown.

UPDATE: The fire is under control and appears to have been contained by the sprinkler system, the fire department says.

It’s believed that the smoke was coming from a vent inside the facility.

Other - Residential, Residential

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at homeless shelter; No injuries reported

A fire that originated in a suite in the Lighthouse in Saskatoon resulted in several residents fleeing the building overnight.

The Lighthouse is a supported living facility and homeless shelter in the city.

In a release, the Saskatoon Fire Department said it received a report of a fire in a third floor suite at around 3:19 a.m. CST on Friday. When fire crews arrived, they saw occupants from that floor leaving the building.

The fire department said the fire created heavy smoke but low heat, because the sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in a small state. Fire crews finished putting out the fire.

It said fire damage was contained to the one suite, but water had drained from the suite and affected approximately 15 suites, mainly ceiling tiles.

Initially, the fire department said it was possible some residents might need to be rehoused as a result of the fire. Later Friday morning, it said no residents will be displaced, as significant water damage was confined to the one suite and the Lighthouse will accommodate its occupant.

The department said cleanup is underway and the suite is expected to be fit for occupancy by early next week.

A fire investigator determined the cause was accidental due to improper disposal of smoking material, the department said. Damage was initially estimated at $150,000, but that has since been revised down to $40,000.

No one was injured.