Tag Archives: Early AM (5am-7am)

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Half Moon Bay, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire at beach house; No injuries reported

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Fire officials performed a full evacuation of the Beach House at Half Moon Bay after an early-morning fire erupted in the hotel’s laundry room.

Automatic alarm systems at the luxury hotel alerted fire personnel around 5:30 a.m. to a structure fire spreading on the first floor. Six fire crews responded to the scene and evacuated about 30 guests and hotel employees from the premises.

The first responders to the fire found that the automatic sprinkler system at the hotel had contained most of the blaze.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. Battalion Chief Clayton Jolley said the fire was likely triggered by the water heater in the laundry room and then spread to other combustibles such as linens and baskets lying around the area.

Jolly estimated the cost of the damage from the blaze to be around $15,000, primarily due to water damage caused by the hotel’s sprinkler system.

Guests were allowed to return to their rooms by 6:30 a.m.

In 1996, the unfinished structure of the Beach House hotel was destroyed in a suspicious fire that started in the building just days before the sprinkler system was installed. The fire completely wrecked the structure, causing $2.5 million in damages.

Investigators treated the fire as an arson case, which officially remains open to this day, although no suspect has ever been identified.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Arlington Heights, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A fire broke out Tuesday morning in a hotel guest’s bathroom, originating in a single light fixture. The Arlington Heights Fire Department is crediting the “quick action” of the sprinkler head for limiting damage at the Holiday Inn Express, 2111 S. Arlington Heights Road.

Officials said there were no occupants or firefighters injured during the incident.

Firefighters were called for an activated fire alarm at around 6 a.m. and found a sprinkler system activation at the fire alarm panel upon arrival. The hotel manager said a guest reported a fire in her room on the third floor.

The crews proceeded quickly to the third floor via the stairwell and reported light smoke conditions and a single sprinkler head activation, according to officials. Once it was verified the fire was out, the sprinkler system was shut down and drained to avoid further water damage.

Officials said the fire is still under investigation, but the area of origin appears to be a single light fixture in the bathroom of the third-floor room. There was limited damage and the fire did not extend beyond the bathroom of the fire unit due to the quick action of the sprinkler head. Multiple rooms were deemed uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage.

Crews from Mt. Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines and Elk Grove Village assisted in the operations.

The Arlington Heights Fire Department is “everyone to always have an escape plan, whether at home or staying somewhere temporarily like a hotel.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Redding, CA – Sprinkler system activated for electrical fire at theater; No injuries reported

The Redding Fire Department responded to an electrical fire inside the Axiom Repertory Theatre in Redding early Wednesday morning.

Around 6:40 a.m. the Redding Fire Department responded to the theatre on Bechelli Lane.

According to theatre officials, there were no injuries, and NorCal Corals, the aquarium retailer next door, has not been damaged. RFD said the Axiom was unoccupied at the time of the blaze.

The executive director of the Axiom Theatre Nancy Hill, said they don’t know exactly how it happened, but the sprinkler system did its job, and now they will deal with the water damage.

RFD said the cause of the incident was determined to be a electrical failure or malfunction.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire on fifth floor apartment deck

An apartment building’s sprinkler system kept a minor fire on a fifth floor deck from expanding early Friday morning.

Just before 6 a.m. on Oct. 18, the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) responded to a call for a structure fire at a six-story apartment building in the 800 block of Leon Avenue. When the initial crew arrived at the scene, no smoke or flames could be seen from the apartment’s exterior.

Upon further review, a small fire was found on a fifth floor deck. The sprinkler system kept the fire from expanding and crews extinguished the rest of the blaze.

The building’s fire alarm went off and everyone evacuated safely. After the blaze was doused, everyone was able to go back to their homes. No one was injured and one person was treated for minor smoke inhalation.

KFD has deemed the fire accidental and it’s no longer under investigation. They responded with three engines, one rescue unit, one ladder truck, and one command unit, totaling 18 fire personnel.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system activated for suspected arson fire at café; No injuries reported

Rockford Police are investigating an attempted arson at Wired Cafe. 

Rockford Fire Department responded to Wired Cafe after reports of a fire before 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

Tenants living above the cafe were awoken from their sleep by the sound of the fire alarm and quickly called 911 after noticing smoke coming from the back door of the establishment.

Upon arrival, firefighters found that the activation of the sprinkler system had significantly mitigated the spread of the fire. Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the remaining flames, limiting the damage to the cafe itself.

No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters. Damage is estimated at $30,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Rockford Fire Department Capt. John J. Hall tells 13 WREX Rockford Police are investigating a break in at the business that occurred prior to the fire.

Rockford Police Department confirms this is an arson investigation.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Hackensack, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for electrical fire at medical center; No injuries reported

Hackensack University Medical Center crews are working to report damage left by an electrical fire.
It happened at 6:38 a.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters investigated initial reports from hospital security of smoke coming from the supply room but found that an electrical busbar shorted out and activated a sprinkler, according to officials.
The electrical equipment shut down, and the sprinkler put of remaining hot spots. The damage was contained to the room, equipment and some hospital supplies.
No injuries were reported, and no evacuations took place.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Snohomish, WA – Sprinkler system holds fire commercial fire in check

Early Saturday morning 48firefighters responded to a fire at 1530 Bonneville Ave (a 17,000-square-foot commercial building) in the City of Snohomish.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 was dispatched to a fire alarm, wherethey found smoke coming from the building and upgraded the response to a commercial fire.

Units from Everett Fire, South County Fire, and Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue assisted Snohomish County Fire District #4.

Investigators said the building had an operating sprinkler system that held the fire in check until crews could gain access to the seat of the fire and fully extinguish it.

Currently there is no cause to the fire and the Snohomish County Fire Marshal is leading the investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

Emergency personnel arrived 13 minutes after they were dispatched to the three-story apartment building.Crews searched the building and located a possible fire in a third-floor apartment.
Firefighters forced the door and discovered smoke in the unit and an extinguished kitchen fire. A rapid search of the unit discovered a dog in the apartment, which firefighters quickly brought to safety.
According to the CFD, the fire originated on the stovetop after combustible items stored on the stove surface were ignited. The fire was contained to the kitchen area by a single fire sprinkler.
Five units were affected by water from the incident. The CFD said they anticipate three adults will be displaced. No injuries were reported.
“We continue to experience a significant number of fire losses in the kitchen area. Residents need to stay in the kitchen when cooking, verify cooking devices are turned off before leaving the kitchen, and never store combustible items on top of the stove,” Julazadeh said.
Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Sonora, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at waste management facility

A fire inside a Cal Sierra Waste Management Transfer Station building in East Sonora early Sunday triggered an automatic deluge sprinkler system that helped keep the fire from spreading throughout the structure, though the station was closed to the public Monday.

Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the fire just after 6 a.m. Sunday in the 19300 block of Industrial Drive in Mono Village, south of Mono Way, east of Sonora, Tuolumne County Fire posted to Instagram. A total of 11 engine crews, one ladder truck, two hand crews, three water trucks, and one bulldozer responded.

They found heavy smoke and active fire in the waste facility building, and the sprinkler system was already active and flowing. Firefighters remained on scene with Cal Sierra Waste Management representatives for several hours to ensure the fire was completely out.

The Tuolumne County Public Works Department said late Sunday that the transfer station would remain closed to the public Monday and is expected to resume normal service Tuesday.

“Residential and commercial curbside collection services are not affected by this closure and routes will be serviced on their regular schedule,” the department stated.

For more information, call Cal Sierra Waste Management at (888) 558-0616.

Tuolumne County Fire said agencies that responded to the fire early Sunday included Twain Harte Fire, Tuolumne City Fire, Sonora City Fire, the Cal Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, and Cal Fire units from San Bernardino, Tulare, and and San Benito-Monterey. The out-of-town crews are helping cover parts of Tuolumne County.

Other - Retail, Retail

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at furniture store; No injuries reported

Lithium-ion batteries were suspected to have sparked a fire at a Yuma furniture store Friday morning.

According to the Yuma Fire Department, at 5:30 a.m., crews were dispatched to a report of a “water flow alarm” in the 300 block of West 32nd Street. Upon arrival, crews found a large furniture store with heavy smoke and water exiting from the front door. Firefighters were able to enter the structure and extinguish the fire quickly.

It was discovered that a properly working fire sprinkler was able to prevent any further damage to the building and its contents, YFD said. No injuries were reported, and business operations were not disrupted.

“Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant property damage and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex,” YFD noted.

A YFD investigator discovered the fire’s area of origin was a shelf with lithium-ion batteries and a battery charging station, YFD said, noting “This is yet another call for service in which lithium-ion batteries have been involved.”

YFD offered the following battery charging tips:

Use the provided or approved charger for the battery

Do not use extension cords or overload surge protectors

Do not use damaged or deformed batteries

Keep batteries away from high temperatures, do not charge them if they are hot

Remove the battery from the unit when done charging and do not cover the battery

Do not keep batteries on a charger once the charging cycle is completed

Keep the battery away from other combustibles

Fire sprinkler systems save lives and property.