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

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Baltimore, MD – Sprinkler system activated for accidental fire at high school

A fire damaged a classroom at an Eastern Shore high school early Wednesday, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The fire started at Easton High School after custodial workers “inadvertently” activated a stove-top burner, fire officials said.

The custodians were moving items out of a classroom and, at one point, placed electronic equipment on the burner, which is what activated the burner, according to authorities.

That’s what started the fire, fire officials said.

Moments later, the fire alarm activated and alerted staff to the fire, according to authorities.

A sprinkler head was activated and suppressed the flames, fire officials said.

The fire required 58 firefighters and was under control within about 96 minutes, according to authorities.

All damage was contained to a single classroom, fire officials said.

The cost of the damage came to roughly $3,000, which included $500 in structural damage and $2,500 in damage to “contents,” according to authorities.

Other - Retail, Retail

Oregon City, OR – Sprinkler system controls early morning arson fire at store

Bales of hay at a Wilco Store in Oregon City were set on fire early Thursday morning. Clackamas Fire District says a fire alarm brought crews to the store on Molalla Avenue. The sprinkler system helped control the fire, and firefighters put it out before it caused any more damage. Surveillance video shows a suspect wearing a baseball cap, mask, a T-shirt, and short pants lighting the fire. Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect to contact Oregon City Police.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Buford, GA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at mall; No injuries reported

Firefighters are investigating an incident that sparked at the Mall of Georgia Tuesday morning.

Crews were called to Buford Drive in Buford at 5:38 a.m. A bystander called 911 and reported a fire at the Mall of Georgia food court, authorities said.

When firefighters arrived, they found the fire developing in a first-floor storage room behind of the restaurants in the mall food court, investigators said.

The fire triggered the sprinkler system. Despite the low visibility, crews were able to use its hose to extinguish the flames. Mall workers and security were evacuated during the fire.

The building’s ventilation system was used to remove residual smoke from the and fire units brought in fans to ventilate parts of the building.

The storage room sustained heavy fire damage; there were no injuries.

Crews have determined the fire started from an electrical issue with a light fixture.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

High Point, NC – Sprinkler system activated for fire at factory; No injuries reported

A fire damaged part of the Akzo Nobel factory in the southern part of the city Tuesday morning and forced a temporary evacuation of the complex, which produces specialized paints and coatings.

The fire started around 6:30 a.m. at the factory in the 1400 block of Progress Avenue.

Employees in the building where the fire was immediately evacuated, and the building remains shut down until further notice, Akzo Nobel said in a statement to The High Point Enterprise.

Firefighters saw flames coming from part of one building when they arrived, Deputy Fire Chief Brian Evans of the High Point Fire Department said. The fire started in a vat in a production area. A sprinkler system activated and kept the fire from spreading further, he said.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in eight minutes, and no one was injured.

Three buildings were initially evacuated while firefighters brought the blaze under control, Evans said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but it is being ruled an accident, he said.

A dollar estimate of the damage wasn’t available Tuesday.

Fifteen units and 33 firefighters went to the fire scene.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Oshkosh, WI – Sprinkler system controls fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Oshkosh firefighters said a fire at a restaurant was caused by “the spontaneous combustion of deep-fried tempura flakes.”

On Monday at 5:49 a.m., the Oshkosh Fire Department responded to a water flow alarm at Sakura Japanese Steakhouse, located at 330 North Koeller Street in Oshkosh.

Engine 16 and Ladder 15 responded initially and upgraded the alarm to a structure fire response after seeing smoke coming from the building. The fire activated the fire sprinkler system which controlled the fire until it could be fully extinguished.

“The fire was caused by the spontaneous combustion of deep-fried tempura flakes,” the Oshkosh Fire Department said in a news release.

No injuries were reported.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Chaska, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school; No injuries reported

A small fire started on a ceiling light fixture at Chaska High School the early morning of Wednesday, March 29, while the district was on spring break.

The sprinklers triggered a water flow alarm and the alarm company called the Chaska Fire Department.

“Thanks to the sprinkler system and the fast response of the fire department the fire was put out quickly,” a Facebook post from Eastern Carver County Schools stated. “We are grateful for their support. No one was harmed but staff are working to assess damage.”

Most of the damage from the incident was from the water, according to Celi Haga, the district’s director of communications and community engagement.

Haga said that the school would “be ready to welcome back students and staff on Monday.”

Chaska’s Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Gravalin said that the fire was “nothing major because of the sprinklers. It was controlled. But without the sprinklers he said it “could have been catastrophic, so definitely very lucky to have the sprinkler system.”

Gravalin said that the insurance company is investigating the other lights in the building. “The message from us was to make sure that they have somebody take a look at it,” he added.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

East Providence, RI – Sprinkler system activated for fire in commercial building; No injuries reported

A two-alarm fire broke out at a commercial building in East Providence on Sunday morning, city fire officials said.

Around 6:43 a.m., East Providence fire officials were alerted of a fire at 830 Waterman Ave. Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire coming from the loading dock and that the fire sprinkler system was activated.

Fire officials said they quickly struck a second alarm and made an aggressive attack at the flames inside the building.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, according to authorities. No injuries were reported.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The East Providence fire department received mutual aid from Seekonk, Massachusetts. Providence, Pawtucket and Barrington covered the fire stations.

Apartment Building, Residential

Gardiner, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

A small fire that started in a Maine Avenue apartment Monday shortly before 5 a.m. was put out by the building’s sprinkler system.

Gardiner Fire Chief Rick Sieberg said the tenant in the third-floor apartment apparently knocked into a stove, turning on a burner that ignited some nearby paper products and caused a small fire up the wall, which activated the sprinkler head.

The Maine Office of State Fire Marshal is investigating the fire.

“Having that sprinkler system is like having the fire department in your apartment 24/7,” Sieberg said. “The amount of property and lives that can be saved by that sprinkler system is enormous.”

Sieberg said the Gardiner firefighters who responded turned off the sprinkler.

This is the third time in the last decade the sprinkler system has extinguished a fire in that building, which is located several hundred feet from the site of a fire in July 2015 that destroyed 235 Water St. and damaged buildings on either side of it.

Sieberg said damage to the unit was minor, and no other unit was affected. No one was hurt.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

New Philadelphia, OH – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at Burger King; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire has temporarily closed the Burger King at 110 Blue Bell Dr. NW.

Firefighters from multiple municipalities responded at 5:26 a.m. The fire was accidental, according to Capt. Jim Shultz of the New Philadelphia Fire Department.

“We can’t rule out electrical or grease. Initially, an employee turned on the fryers and the hood vent, went back to get food from the freezers and upon returning saw fire coming out from behind the fryer. Their extinguishing system tripped, and the sprinkler system then went off and held the fire in check until our guys could put it out. It had extended up into the ceiling.”

Employees from Burger King could be seen loading up a rental vehicle with food to be transferred to other locations.

A woman, who identified herself as the store manager but would not give her name, said employee were being moved to other nearby Burger King locations, estimating this location could be shut down for months.

A corporate representative from Burger King on scene declined to comment on the situation.

Firefighters from New Philadelphia, Dover, Uhrichsville and medics from Smith Ambulance all responded.

No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Somerville, MA – Sprinkler systems activated for two separate fires

Sprinkler systems in two Somerville buildings prevented serious fires this past week during the early morning hours while occupants were asleep, accoding to Somerville Fire Department’s Chief Engineer Charles Breen Jr.

On Friday, Oct. 28t at 4:25 a.m. the Somerville Fire Department was notified of a fire alarm activation via a building alarm system which was directly connected to the city fire alarm box system.

Firefighters were dispatched to 32 Kent Street, a 40 unit, four story wood frame apartment building. Firefighters encountered smoke on the fourth floor and forced entry into a 4th floor apartment. They found a man on the floor inside and removed him to safety. He was taken to the hospital.

Sprinklers confined the fire to one room in the apartment and firefighters completed extinguishment. Due to water damage, the building was evacuated and all occupants were temporarily displaced. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental due to smoking.

On Sunday, Oct. 30, the department was notified of a fire alarm activation from an alarm monitoring company at 4:09 a.m.

Firefighters were dispatched to an address on Lake Street and arrived to find a sprinkler head operating in a ground level garage in a row of three story town houses.

One sprinkler head confined the fire to a very limited area in the garage and, after verifying that the fire was out, crews were able to clear the scene in 15 minutes.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an unattended candle that had ignited nearby combustible items.

Simple Share Buttons