Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse Middletown, DE – Fire at Amazon fulfillment center put out by automatic sprinkler system March 25, 2018 viking210 The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal has determined that last night’s Amazon fire in Middletown was accidental and caused minimal damage. The Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown was called to the Amazon Fulfillment Center at 560 Merrimac Avenue at 9:30 pm for a reported fire inside the processing area. Upon arrival, it was learned that the fire sprinkler system had extinguished the fire. State fire investigators were called to the scene According to a release, the fire occurred at the mezzanine level when static electricity ignited leaking vapor from a container of assorted aerosol cans. The area where the fire began was protected by a fully automatic fire sprinkler system which put the fire out and prevented the blaze from spreading. Fire damage was confined to the stockpile of merchandise and was estimated at $1,000. There were no reported injuries, despite scanner news reports to the contrary on Tuesday night.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Christiana, DE – Kitchen fire at TownePlace Suites hotel knocked down by sprinkler system September 24, 2017 viking210 A fire inside a guest room at a Christiana hotel on Thursday was ruled accidental by officials later that day. The Delaware State Fire Marshal determined the cause of the blaze—which was reported around 4:30 p.m., on the fourth floor of the TownePlace Suites by Marriott, located at 410 Eagle Run Road—was a cardboard box that had been placed on top of a working stove. According to state fire investigators, as the box was placed on the appliance, it accidentally turned on a burner by contacting the burner control knob. The building’s fire sprinkler system had been operating properly, officials advised, allowing a nearby sprinkler head to detect and, subsequently, extinguish the flames. Officials reported no injuries among hotel guests, who were alerted to evacuate by the building’s fire alarm system. Alternate accommodations were provided to guests at other Marriott properties, until the hotel could be reopened. No estimate of damages was provided.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Rehoboth Beach, DE – Overnight laundry fire in basement of resort hotel put out by sprinkler system August 1, 2017 viking210 A basement fire already extinguished before emergency personnel arrived forced the evacuation of all guests from the Atlantic Sands Hotel in Rehoboth Beach just before midnight. It was still Sunday, around 11:55 p.m., when the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company dispatched to the hotel, located at 101 North Boardwalk, for what was called in as a kitchen fire in the basement, fire officials said. Rehoboth Beach Firefighters, Rehoboth Beach Police and Atlantic Sands Security personnel evacuated all guests. But a basement dryer had caught fire and the sprinkler system had already put it out, officials said. Firefighters remained on the scene for a couple of hours removing smoke and water from the sprinklers. No injuries were reported. Rehoboth Beach Firefighters were assisted by Lewes Fire Department, the Bethany Beach Fire Company, Rehoboth Beach Police and Sussex County EMS. The Indian River and Milton Fire Companies covered the Rehoboth Fire Stations during the alarm.
Other Business, Other-Government/Military Wilmington, DE – Fire at Amtrak maintenance building contained to area of origin by sprinkler system March 31, 2017 viking210 A fire broke out at an Amtrak maintenance building in Wilmington Monday morning but was quickly extinguished, according to officials. It has been ruled accidental. Wilmington firefighters were called to 4001 Vandever Ave. just before 7 a.m. for a report of smoke coming from building No. 17, known as the “Powerhouse,” according to a statement on the fire. The building is located within Amtrak’s maintenance facility for the Northeast Corridor. The fire was placed under control by 7:22 a.m. Prior to the fire department’s arrival, several Amtrak employees attempted to extinguish the fire with portable extinguishers, according to officials. The 120-by-55-feet warehouse-style building sustained both fire and smoke damage, but the building was equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which had activated, confining the fire to the area of origin. Approximately 60 fire and EMS personnel responded.
Retail, Shopping Mall Greenville, DE – Overnight jewelry store fire controlled by sprinkler system March 26, 2017 viking210 A building fire that caused about $100,000 in damages to the Jewelry Exchange of Delaware in Greenville was deemed accidental, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire, which happened around 2:30 a.m. at the Greenville Crossing II Shopping Center on Kennett Pike, prompted the response of the Talleyville Fire Company, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio. Investigators determined that the fire started in the back of the store when an electrical malfunction involving a refrigerator sparked the blaze, Chionchio said. The automatic sprinkler system that contained the fire until firefighters arrived, he said. No one was hurt.
Department Store, Retail Wilmington, DE – Fire at Macy’s Department Store suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries February 20, 2017 viking210 A fire at Macy’s in Concord Mall caused an estimated $150,000 in damages Thursday afternoon, according to fire officials. The blaze was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at the mall on Concord Pike in Brandywine Hundred, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael G. Chionchio in a press release. Most of the fire damage occurred in a clothing storage area off the main sales floor, but smoke filled the department store, Chionchio said. The fire was suppressed by the building’s sprinkler system, he said. The Talleyville Fire Company and several neighboring fire companies responded to the fire. No injuries were reported, Chionchio said. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the origin and cause of the fire.
College/University (on campus), School / University Newark, DE – Fire in University of Delaware science laboratory controlled with help from sprinkler system April 9, 2016 viking210 University of Delaware Police responded to a fire alarm after 5 a.m. this morning and found flames. The fire department responded and the scene was secured. The sprinkler system activated, so there is water in the building as well as some smoke damage. The second floor of Du Pont Hall’s west wing remains closed this morning, Wednesday, April 6, while clean up is under way after a minor fire in a materials science laboratory. The east wing of Du Pont Hall is now open, as are the first and third floors of the west wing. The second floor of the west wing remains closed. Facilities staff are on scene assisting with the clean up. No one was injured in the incident.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Wilmington, DE – Morning fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system September 23, 2015 viking210 Stubbs Elementary School in Wilmington was evacuated after a small fire Monday morning, but the site will reopen Tuesday. Principal Jeffers Brown “will be notifying parents and staff of this decision,” Christina School District Public Information Officer Wendy Lapham said. City fire crews were dispatched at 8:10 a.m. after sprinklers set off an automatic alarm, according to Battalion Chief James R. Jobes, the department’s public information officer. Firefighters found medium-heavy smoke on the second floor with water in the hallway, Jobes said. Crews that began searching the second floor with fire hoses found an activated sprinkler in one room, with the fire already out, he said. Nearly 330 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade were relocated from their school in the 1100 block of N. Pine St. to the nearby Howard High School of Technology in the 400 block of E. 12th St., Lapham said. “Being right across the street, it worked out perfect,” she said. Since school doesn’t start until 9 a.m, only teachers and other staff members were in the building, Lapham said. Arriving buses were directed to the high school, she said, and students who walk were escorted there. Water from the sprinkler reached adjoining rooms and leaked through the floor to classrooms below, he said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office. Parents and concerned citizens may call the school at (302) 429-4175 for more information. There was no immediate estimate of damage to the elementary school, built in 1953 and named for city native Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs, one of the country’s top thoracic surgeons.
Apartment Building, Residential Wilmington, DE – High-rise apartment fire controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries February 24, 2015 viking210 Residents safely evacuated their high-rise apartments last Thursday night after a fire on the ninth floor of Compton Tower Apartments in Wilmington, officials said. Approximately 35 fire and EMS personnel responded to the fire at 325 East 5th St., which was reported about 7 p.m. After assessing the damage, residents were allowed back into the building, where they were held on the first floor while firefighters continued to take the fire under control.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Rehoboth Beach, DE – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at country club; No injuries reported February 19, 2015 viking210 Firefighters were called last Friday afternoon to fight a fire at the Kings Creek Country Club near Rehoboth Beach. Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Company spokesman Warren Jones says the fire was discovered in the bar area of the clubhouse and that it spread in the attic area until a sprinkler system activated and extinguished most of the flames. Jones says there were no injuries.
