Tag Archives: Canada

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada – Space heater fire contained to single room thanks to fire sprinkler system at senior housing center

A long-term care home in Brentwood Bay was damaged by a fire Monday night.

The Central Sannich Fire Department received the call at 9:30 p.m. for a structure fire. Additional crews from North Saanich and Sidney were called in to assist.

The fire was contained to one room thanks to the sprinkler system but the water did cause damage to the rest of the care home.

“The immediate challenges with this fire were it’s a multi-unit building and with the occupants that are in there are not very mobile. So our priority was to make sure they were safe and out of harm’s way and to also stop the flow of water and clear the building of smoke,” said Chris Vrabel, Central Saanich Fire chief.

Brentwood House provides care for dementia patients and is temporarily closed while the damage is dealt with, displacing 17 patients.

Residents were taken to a nearby facility and family members were contacted. Island Health found temporary homes for those in need. 

The cause of the fire was determined to be a space heater.

There is no word to when the care home will re-open.

Apartment Building, Residential

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Fire sparked by candle put out by fire sprinklers at 13-story apartment

A candle sparked a fire that forced the evacuation of a 13-storey apartment building in Saskatoon on Sunday.

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) said it received a residential fire signal from the building at 530 25th St. E. at 3:23 p.m.

Nothing was showing from the exterior of the building when crews arrived, but a check found smoke on the third floor from a fire in a suite, SFD said.

The building was evacuated and residents were taken to the neighbouring YWCA building. Tenants with mobility issues were sheltered in their suites.

The fire department said the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire prior to their arrival, but heavy smoke remained throughout the third floor.

Higher carbon monoxide levels were reported on the third floor and above, SFD said, and positive pressure ventilation was used on each floor to remove smoke and toxic gasses.

Residents were allowed back to their apartments once carbon monoxide levels returned to zero.

A fire investigator determined a candle ignited stationary on a desk, starting the fire.

Damage is estimated at $100,000 due to the significant amount of water discharged from the sprinkler system.

Apartment Building, Residential

Maple Ridge, BC, Canada – Apartment sprinkler system stops second floor fire from spreading; No injuries reported

The call initially came in late Tuesday night as alarms sounding, but it turned out to be an actual fire in the kitchen of a second-storey apartment on 224th Street and 122nd Avenue in Maple Ridge.

“It originally came in as alarms ringing, but when the crews arrived on scene, they actually found there was a fire in a suite,” Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue chief Howard Exner said Wednesday.

Initially, two trucks arrived on scene when the call first came in just before 11 p.m., but that was soon upgraded to 10 trucks.

No one was home at the time, but there were two dogs and a cat in the suite, said Exner.

“And they’re doing fine.”

He added that the building is equipped with water sprinklers.

The sprinklers activated and stopped the progress of the fire, “and allowed us to put out the remaining parts of the stuff that was on fire,” Exner said.

In addition to the fire-damaged suite, there was also some water damage to units below.

There were no injuries.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Mount Pearl, NL, Canada – Suspicious fire at commercial business controlled by fire sprinklers

A suspicious fire at a Mount Pearl commercial business is under investigation following a blaze early Thursday morning.

The St. John’s Regional Fire Department responded to the fire at Funderdome, off Corisande Drive, At about 1a.m.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they noticed smoke inside the building and after making entry, they found some fire in one of the rear rooms of the building. Most of the fire had been extinguished by sprinklers and firefighters took care of the remnants.

An RNC forensics Identification vehicle arrived shortly after the fire was extinguished and firefighters led them to the rear of the building where several emergency doors to the business were located.

Officers could be seen taking photos of the area as well as parts of the Trailway walking trail that passes within just metres of the building.

The building received fire, smoke and substantial water damage from the sprinkler system.

This was the third suspicious fire in Mount Pearl since Chistmas night. The first two fires both damaged and then destroyed the Hotel Mount Pearl.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. John’s, NL, Canada – Fire sprinklers extinguish fourth floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

A fire at an apartment building in St. John’s has displaced thirty people from their units at least overnight and possibly longer in some cases.

Platoon chief Paul Chaytor of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department told the Telegram that the fire in one of the fourth-floor apartments set off the sprinkler system, which extinguished the fire but sent water through the ceilings of the second and third floors of the building.

He said due to an electrocution concern and water damage, power was shut off to the area and the residents were told they would not be able to stay overnight.

The Red Cross was called in to help the people affected with alternate accommodations and with any needs they might have until they could return.

Residents of the building could be seen milling about near the entrances as emergency personnel dealt with the situation.

The RNC was also called in to investigate and assist other first responders. There were no injuries but an Eastern Health ambulance was on scene.

Child Care Facility, Hospital/Care Facility

Victoria, BC, Canada – Fire sprinklers keep fire contained to kitchen at daycare center; No injuries reported

A fire that sparked in a daycare along West Saanich Road Thursday evening resulted in no injuries, but did delay traffic, according to authorities.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., the Saanich Fire Department was called to the 4300-block of West Saanich Road for reports of a structure fire.

In a tweet, the Saanich Fire Department said that the fire started in the daycare area of the building, but was limited to the kitchen section by automatic sprinklers.

Police say that traffic in the area was severely affected by the fire, especially along West Saanich Road, Royal Oak Drive, the Quadra Street off ramp onto the Patrica Bay Highway and Glanford Avenue.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Regina, SK, Canada – Boy sets fire to paper towel aisle at superstore, fire sprinklers keep fire at bay; No injuries reported

A 12-year-old boy is scheduled to appear in court Thursday in connection with a fire that started in the paper towel aisle of the Rochdale Walmart in Regina’s north end.

The boy has been charged with arson, the Regina Police Service said.

Police and fire trucks rushed to the store around 8:30 p.m. CST on Tuesday, after smoke was reported in the building. Staff and shoppers were evacuated from the building.

“The building was filled with a really thick, bad-smelling smoke,” said Jordan Blodgett, who was at a Tim Hortons near the store and saw the fire response.

Taylor Deis was at Walmart at the time and confirmed the fire was coming from the paper towel aisle. She captured a quick video before staff and customers had to leave.

Fellow shopper Michelle Morrow never saw the source of the fire, nor did she hear a fire alarm.

Her only indication that something was wrong, aside from the smoke, was a man speaking unclearly over the intercom telling people to “get out.”

Morrow said she wasn’t impressed by the evacuation methods.

Blodgett took video of the scene outdoors, showing a smokey haze floating from the Walmart entrance and red fire truck lights flashing.

Regina police say firefighters put out the fire and cleared the building. Fire Marshal Randy Ryba said investigators were on scene until about 1 a.m. assessing the situation. 

He confirmed the fire was started in the paper towel section of the store. The building’s sprinkler system kept the fire at bay until fire crews arrived on the scene, he said.

“I’m not sure if it was a lighter or match, but that’s all it took,” Ryba said. “It did cause a great deal of smoke and water damage throughout the store.”

Ryba said Walmart is assessing the damage and said it would be “a great deal of time” before the store can reopen.

When contacted by CBC News, Walmart said once the necessary clean-up and repair work is completed, the store will reopen. In the meantime, staff at the Rochdale location will be working in nearby stores.

Police say no one was injured.

Police said the investigation was assisted by management and security staff at the store, who made surveillance video available.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Tecumseh, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system puts out fire caused by piece of machinery

An industrial building in Tecumseh had to be evacuated after a piece of machinery caught fire.

The Tecumseh fire department reported the blaze at 5245 Burke St. shortly before 6 p.m. on Friday and said firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke inside. Fire officials said the sprinkler system activated and quickly put out the fire.

Fire crews remained on scene at around 7 p.m. to clear smoke from the production area of the plant.

The production shift has been cancelled, fire officials said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Ottawa, ON, Canada – Kitchen fire in empty apartment unit extinguished by fire sprinkler

The sprinkler system quickly doused a fire at the Minto Suite Hotel Friday morning after a night that kept firefighters busy with two east-end house fires including one that sent three people to hospital with smoke inhalation.

The fire department was called to 185 Lyon Street North at 8:15 a.m. as residents were brought to the building’s lobby. The smoke and water was limited to a unit under renovation and an adjacent unit. Fire crews were clearing the scene within the hour.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Guelph, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system stops fire from spreading after 3D printer catches on fire at condo

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A 3D printer caused a fire at a Guelph condo building, leading to water damage for several units and displacing tenants, according to the Guelph Fire Department.

Police got the call just after 11 p.m. on Thursday.

The fire and smoke were coming from a bedroom on the fifth floor at 1291 Gordon Street. That’s where a 3D printer had overheated and started the fire, police said. 

“It was determined 100 per cent the 3D printer was the source. It’s the only ignition source in the room,” said Ian Hickey, fire prevention officer with the Guelph fire department.

The building was evacuated, the fire was extinguished quickly, but the sprinkler system caused water damage for all units below, including on the ground level, according to police.

A number of tenants were displaced because of the water damage. Guelph Hydro-Alectra arrived on the scene because of the water’s impact on the electrical system, police said.