Tag Archives: Connecticut

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Norwalk, CT – Fire sprinklers control truck engulfed in flames at lawn service business; No injuries reported

Officials are investigating after a car fire inside a garage in Norwalk sent a firefighter to the hospital Friday morning.

The incident occurred at Tuff Lawn Lawn Service, Inc. on Martin Luther King Drive. 

When crews arrived, they saw a pickup truck engulfed in flames parked next to pallets of fertilizer with pesticides. Crews said the cab of the truck was fully involved in the fire.

The sprinkler system controlled the fire while firefighters extinguished it.

Crews said the damage appears to be confined to the vehicle and the pallets of fertilizer/pesticides next to it.

The firefighter was sent to the hospital for exposure to pesticides in smoke and was treated and released, according to crews.

No injuries have been reported.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Ridgefield, CT – Hotel fire controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The cause of a fire that broke out at the Days Inn by Wyndham on Route 7 Thursday night is under investigation.

It all started around 10:40 p.m., when an automatic fire alarm went off at the 34-guestroom hotel at 296 Ethan Allen Highway.

The Days Inn has a Ridgefield address, but Redding firefighters were first to respond.

While en route to the scene, dispatch informed them that smoke was coming from the hotel and had activated the sprinkler system.

A working fire was discovered in one of the rooms around 10:50 p.m., and mutual aid from Ridgefield was requested. Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department also responded.

Ridgefield sent two engines and an ambulance, said Ridgefield Fire Chief Jerry Myers.

West Redding Engine 1 stretched a single hose-line into the building and the fire was contained to the unit.

The fire was knocked down shortly after 11 p.m.

Firefighters shut off the hotel’s alarm and sprinkler systems, and started clearing the scene around 11:06 p.m.

There were no reported injuries.

Ridgefield and West Redding Fire Marshal Mickey Grasso is investigating the cause of the fire, but he could not be reached for comment Monday morning.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Enfield, CT – Hotel dryer fire contained by fire sprinkler activation; No injuries reported

Early Friday morning, crews responded to the Hampton Inn at 20 Phoenix Ave., for a fire in a laundry room. Firefighters from Shaker Pines, Hazardville, North Thompsonville and Thompsonville responded to the scene, Richards said.

“Crews encountered flames in a commercial laundry dryer. The fire spread outside the machine, causing the activation of the automatic sprinkler system, which contained the fire,” Richards said.

The inn was evacuated while crews removed smoke from the five-story building. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Bethel, CT – Fire at middle school put out by fire sprinklers

Numerous fire department in the area Bethel responded to a large commercial building fire and a fire at a middle school Sunday afternoon.

According to the Stony Hill Volunteer Fire Company’s Facebook page, numerous companies from Fairfield County responded to a large fire in the Francis J Clarke business park.

Firefighters also responded to Bethel Middle School on calls of smoke in the building. The sprinkler system was able to put out the fire.

Bethel Middle School will not be session Monday.

It is unclear if anyone was inside or hurt at the time of the fires.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

New Haven, CT – Overnight fire in university residence hall contained with help from sprinkler system

Two people suffered smoke inhalation after crews responded to a fire at a Southern Connecticut State University residence hall in New Haven early Tuesday morning. The New Haven Fire Department tweeted that at around 2 a.m., fire crews responded to the West Campus Residence Complex at 160 Wintergreen Avenue after a sprinkler head was activated.

Fire officials say that the fire broke out on the second floor and they believe that it started in a trash can. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation but both refused to go to the hospital.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one room but students were evacuated from the building. Most of the students have since been allowed back into the dorm. Officials say that the sprinklers going off helped to put out the flames so smoke was more of an issue as it filled up the second floor. The incident remains under investigation.

Other Business

Torrington, CT – Storage room fire in large multi-business commercial building stopped by sprinkler system

Employees of three companies at 59 Field St. were evacuated last Wednesday around 5 p.m. when a fire was discovered in a storage room at the back of the sprawling factory building. Dozens of members of the Energy Fitness gym were told by Fire Department personnel to leave the building as were employees of the job center New Opportunities Inc.

Torrington Fire Department Battalion Chief Patrick Doyle said foam insulation caught on fire. “The sprinkler system came on and stopped the fire,” he said. Quite a bit of smoke filled the storage room, Doyle said. The room where the fire began has a loading dock attached to one side of the factory building.

“A fire marshal is on the scene, he’s waiting until the smoke clears,” Doyle said, before he entered the building. Engines 4 and 2 from Torrington Fire Department responded to the scene, as did TAC truck 9. The Register Citizen office also is in the building at 59 Field St.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norwich, CT – Sprinkler system activated for garbage fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Two apartments and a common area in a downtown Norwich apartment complex sustained smoke and water damage following a fire in its garbage area early Monday morning, officials said in a press release.

At 2:14 a.m., Norwich Fire Department said crews responded to the Thayer Building, 16 Franklin Street, for a fire alarm activation and water flow alarm.

Firefighters said while on their way, dispatch notified responders that residents reported smoke in the building.

On scene, officials said crews found a rubbish fire in a room used to store garbage containers and waste, according to a press release.

A single sprinkler head had activated in the area of the fire, officials said, which slowed down the fire’s growth.

Crews extinguished the fire with a hose and the sprinkler system was shut down to minimize water damage, the release said.

According to firefighters, the fire was contained to the garbage room, but the building sustained some water and smoke damage to a common area on the second floor and two apartments on the first floor.

No civilians or firefighters were injured, officials said, and the Norwich Fire Marshals’ Office is investigating the cause.

Apartment Building, Residential

Stamford, CT – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries to occupants

A late morning fire in downtown damaged an apartment on Clinton Avenue, according to fire officials.  A post on the Stamford Fire Department web site stated that, at 11:40 a.m., the city’s 9-1-1 center received an automatic fire alarm for 40 Clinton Ave., a downtown high rise apartment building.  The post said that arriving firefighters were advised that water was coming from an apartment on the fifth floor. When firefighters arrived on the floor they reportedly encountered lots of smoke and found an activated sprinkler in an apartment.

Other fire companies were called to the scene while firefighters stretched a hose from the standpipe to the fire apartment, the post read.  Fire officials said investigators discovered that cooking oil had ignited and, when the occupant attempted to extinguish the fire with water, the fire flared up and activated a sprinkler overhead and fire was extinguished. The fire was declared under control at 11:52 a.m. The occupant of the apartment had evacuated prior to fire department arrival and suffered no injuries.

The two occupants of the apartment were displaced and will be staying with friends and family. A total of four engine companies, one truck company, the heavy rescue company, and the duty deputy chief responded with a total of 27 firefighters. Stamford Police responded as well to provide traffic control. The city fire marshal’s office responded for cause and origin determination. The final fire department unit left the scene at 1 p.m.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that cooking fires are the top cause of home fires and injuries, and the leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

North Haven, CT – Sprinkler system activated in fire at manufacturing plant

Chief Paul Januszewski reports that the North Haven Fire Department battled an early morning fire at an industrial facility on Saturday, according to a news release.

Firefighters responded to the Parker-Hannifin Corporation, located at 33 Defco Park Road, at 3:11 a.m., after receiving a call from a police officer working a paid detail nearby. The officer reported smoke showing in the area. Upon arrival, firefighters had flames coming from the rear of a 32,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

The building’s sprinkler system had activated, but the fire alarm was not activated.

Fire was showing through the roof, and firefighters began an aggressive attack to attempt to limit the damage and keep the flames from spreading. Despite the cold weather doing its best hamper efforts, the crews were successful in stopping the fire, and containing the most serious damage to about 10 percent of the structure. The fire was declared under control at approximately 5 a.m.

No one was injured, but during firefighting efforts, it was determined that a large quantity of acids and other chemicals used in the manufacturing process were present at the scene and had spilled or leaked during the fire.

Chief Januszewski has declared a hazardous materials incident. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and a private environmental contracting company were called to the scene to access and clean the chemicals, and the North Haven Fire Department is providing decontamination for workers, as is standard procedure in these types of incidents.

“This was a challenging fire, with a large facility, bitterly cold conditions and the added element of unknown and potentially dangerous chemicals present at the scene,” Chief Januszewski said in a news release. “I would like to commend our overnight fire crews and mutual aid partners for working diligently to contain this fire to only one portion of the building, despite the fire’s head start with a non-functioning alarm system present in the building. Additionally, had it not been for the alert police officer in the area, the outcome may have been much worse.”

Officials believe at this time that the design of the building worked to mitigate any exposure of the chemicals to the ground and environment.

Interior operations and the fire investigation will begin a soon as all of the chemicals are identified and removed by the contractor.

Fire crews from Wallingford and Hamden also responded to the scene to provide mutual aid, and the North Branford Fire Department provided station coverage.

Once the cleanup is finished and fire investigation are underway, investigators will also look into why the fire alarm system, which had been inspected in the past calendar year, failed to notify the fire department. Chief Januszewski indicates that remodeling and construction work was taking place at the facility, and officials will investigate if that played any role in either the failure of the fire alarm of the outbreak of the fire.

Parker-Hannifin is a manufacturer of gaskets and seals for aircraft.