Tag Archives: Canada

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Calgary, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes hotel fire; No injuries reported

The Calgary Fire Department responded to a fire at a hotel early Saturday morning.

Officials say crews were called to the Riviera Hotel at 3535 26 Ave. N.E. just before 7 a.m., finding smouldering furniture in a storage area.

The fire was knocked down by the hotel’s sprinkler system.

The hotel was evacuated as a precaution as crews ventilated the area and Calgary Transit buses provided shelter for the roughly 100 people forced out of their rooms.

No injuries resulted from the small fire and the hotel’s guests have since returned to their rooms.

The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time and investigators remain on scene.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at resource society; No injuries reported

Just after 7: 20 AM Saturday morning, 20 firefighters from Chilliwack firehalls 1 and 4 responded to a fire alarm and sprinkler activation in a 2 storey supportive housing building located in the 45000 block of Hocking Avenue.

This is with PCRS and formally known as the Contact Centre.

Fire crews accessed the vacant first floor unit to find a single sprinkler head had activated, extinguishing the fire that originated on the bedroom night table.

Firefighters confirmed the fire was out, ventilated the smoke and shut off the sprinkler system.

There was minor fire, smoke and water damage in the unit.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries.

Cause of the fire appears to be accidental and continues to be investigated by the Chilliwack Fire Department.

Other - Residential, Residential

Campbell RIver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at homeless housing facility

No injuries to report after flames broke out in a top floor unit at a supportive housing facility in Campbell River.

Just after 11:30 last night (Wednesday), Campbell River fire chief Thomas Doherty says crews were dispatched to Q’waxsem Place.

The 50-unit building, located at 580 Dogwood St., opened in February and provides homes with 24/7 support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

According to Doherty, an alarm call is what first prompted Campbell River Fire Rescue to attend.

Once on scene, he says crews quickly noticed smoke spewing out a third-floor window. They then utilized hose lines, working to extinguish the blaze in hopes it wouldn’t spread to other units.

But Doherty says the building’s sprinkler system did activate, which played an ‘instrumental’ role in getting the job done.

The cause of the fire is now under investigation.

“All said and done, there’s damage to the one unit on the third floor, and a little bit of water damage as well to some subsequent units,” Doherty explains. 

However, while a number of residents did evacuate before firefighters arrived, others did not, which posed a challenge, Doherty tells My Campbell River Now.

Eventually, everyone made it out. Doherty notes that a transit bus stopped by, offering a warm and dry place for residents to stay while crews assessed the damage.

“We were fortunate to be able to let the occupants return to their units, with the exception of those that were damaged,” he adds.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system contains fire; No injuries reported

An automatic sprinkler system extinguished an early-morning blaze Thursday at AKS Engineering & Forestry, according to the Vancouver Fire Department.

The call came in initially as a water flow alarm at 9600 N.E. 126th Ave., Capt. Raymond Egan said, but a Clark County sheriff’s patrol went by the building, smelled smoke and reported a fire. The call was then upgraded to a full commercial fire alarm shortly before 2 a.m., emergency dispatch records show.

Engine 4 was the first to arrive and found the fire inside had been contained to the original area by the fire sprinkler system, Egan said. Crews worked for about 45 minutes on clearing the smoke from the building and shutting off the fire sprinklers, he said.

There were no injuries.

The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

Apartment Building, Residential

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Kitchen fire at apartment building quickly extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews had a busy Sunday, as they battled three different blazes in 10 hours across Winnipeg.

Just after midnight, a vacant home on Arlington Avenue caught fire. The same house was also the scene of a fire about a year ago.

Then at about 2:30 yesterday morning, a three storey apartment building on De La Seigneurie Boulevard was evacuated when the building’s sprinkler system extinguished a kitchen fire.

The third fire happened around 10 a.m. at a commercial building on Gateway Road. It was limited to a small room and only took a few minutes to put out.

No one was hurt in any of the incidents and all of them are under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Medicine Hat, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Update: The Medicine Hat Fire Service says residents residing at the Toronto Street Apartments have been taken to a local hotel, after their building sustained extensive water damage following a structure fire Saturday afternoon.

Crews were called to the area just after 4p.m. Saturday.

“On arrival there was smoke coming from a set of patio doors on the fourth floor. The first arriving crew, gained access quickly, and with the assistance of the sprinkler system in the building, the fire was extinguished quickly,” said Kevin Heinrich with the Medicine Hat Fire Service.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

Members of the Medicine Hat Fire Service were called out to the Toronto street apartments Saturday afternoon to battle a structure fire.

Photos submitted to CHAT News, and videos on social media appear to show smoke coming out of a top-floor apartment unit.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this point. A fire investigator remains on scene.

Portions of 3rd street were blocked off from traffic as fire crews worked to put out the blaze.

EMS and the Medicine Hat Police Service were also on scene.

CHAT News has reached out to the Medicine Hat Fire Service for more details.

As of 5p.m. the Medicine Hat Fire Service remains on scene.

More to come.

Apartment Building, Residential

West Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for couch fire at apartment complex

West Kelowna firefighters spent some of Sunday afternoon dousing a couch fire potentially sparked by an electrical charging device.

Reports of a fire alarm going off at the Harbor Ridge Apartments on Old Ferry Wharf Road prompted a crew to head to the building, where they found the sprinkler system activated and was holding a small fire in a couch on the first floor.

“Residents had evacuated the building and fire crews finished extinguishing the fire and stopping the flow of water from the sprinkler system,” fire chief Jason Brolund said in a press release.

“In this case, all systems and the residents of the building performed well. The fire alarm and suppression systems in the building functioned exactly as designed, alerting residents and holding the fire to a small size. The residents and building management did exactly as they should, evacuating the building and showing patience and understanding as firefighters took care of the emergency.”

Fire damage was contained to one unit and there was a small amount of smoke and water damage from the sprinkler system to five other nearby units.

“Most residents of the building were able to return home within two hours,” Brolund said. “The residents of six units have been offered Emergency Support Services while the status and damage of their units is further evaluated. Any residents with questions or requiring further assistance are directed to contact the building manager.”

The fire investigation has been completed. The cause of the fire has been deemed accidental, possibly related to an electrical charging device in the unit.

“This event is a great reminder of the importance of having an emergency plan including a grab-and-go kit for your self, your family and your pets. You never know when or why you may have to leave your home without notice and a few minutes of preparation can make this process much smoother,” he said.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Fire at condo extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire in a three-storey Devonshire Drive West condominium complex was contained to one suite say fire officials.

Just after 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 24, 2021, firefighter were called to the complex. When they arrived they encountered smoke inside the building an quickly launched an offensive attack. The building’s fire sprinkler system was able to quickly knock down the blaze before crews arrived.

No injuries were reported.

The residents in all of the other suites were able to return on crews had completed ventilating the building.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Airdrie, AB, Canada – Motel kitchen fire quickly extinguished by overhead sprinkler system; No Injuries reported

The Airdrie Fire Department responded to a structure fire on April 4 after a pot containing cooking oil overheated and ignited on a stovetop at the Motel 6 in Airdrie.

Airdrie Fire Department members responded to a structure fire on April 4, after a pot containing cooking oil overheated and ignited on a stovetop at the local Motel 6.

The fire was quickly extinguished by the building overhead sprinkler system, according to a news release from the City of Airdrie, but damages to the structure and contents have been estimated at $50,000.

The fire occurred in a main level guest room, the City’s release stated, where fire crews found light, grey smoke and water covering the main floor when they entered the building.

Once the fire had been fully extinguished by the sprinkler system, salvage and cleanup efforts were started by the thirteen firefighters on scene.

All motel staff and guests had safely evacuated to the parking area by the time that fire crews arrived on scene, and there were no injuries to report.  

In a public safety announcement after the fire, the City reminded residents to be cautious while cooking, as kitchens remain one of the leading sources of fires in the home.

“Never leave the stove or oven unattended when in use,” the PSA stated. “When cooking with oil it is advised that you use a proper appliance designed for deep frying. Ensure that you have residential fire extinguisher which is easily accessible in your kitchen.”

Uncategorized

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Fire sprinkler extinguishes fire before fire crews arrive

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) responded to a call from an alarm company at 6:21 a.m. for a fire signal in the 200 block of Arlingon Ave.

Three engines and an aerial unit were dispatched, according to a press release from the fire department.

When fire crews arrived, they found water flowing from a sprinkler head and a small extinguished fire.

The water protection system had put out the fire before SFD arrived, the department said.

Fire crews ventilated the building to remove smoke and stopped the water flow from the activated sprinkler head.

A SFD fire investigator conducted an examination saying the fire was determined to be accidental due to smudging materials for a spiritual ritual being too close to the other combustible material.

The damage is estimated to be $10,000.

The SFD is recommending that property owners consider purchasing a lockbox providing keys to create an ease of access for fire crews to enter rooms, fire protection equipment and other areas.

By providing a lockbox, it allows fire crews to gain access quickly to emergency situations, the department said.