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

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Park City, UT – Sprinkler system puts out electrical fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A fire in an electrical panel at a Park City hotel forced the evacuation of part of the building on Wednesday morning, the Park City Police Department said.

The incident occurred at a little bit before 6 a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow on Park Avenue. The Police Department said nobody was injured.

The Park City Building Department investigated, finding that water leaking from a circulation pump attached to a boiler went through the floor and into the level below. The water leaked onto the electrical panel, shorting the panel, Kurt Simister, the fire marshal at City Hall, said. The panel then caught fire.

He said the fire burned insulation off wiring. The fire-sprinkler system was triggered and extinguished the flames, Simister said. He said the fire was determined to be accidental.

Simister said people staying in the southeast wing of the hotel were ordered out of their rooms for several hours during the emergency response. Phil Kirk, a police captain, said people staying in more than 50 rooms were ordered out of their rooms during the evacuation. The hotel provided food for the people who needed to leave their rooms, Kirk said.

The hotel recently underwent a major renovation. Simister said the electrical system, though, was not upgraded as part of the project. It is “as built, years ago” in the 1970s, Simister said about the electrical system.

“We treat these like they’re real every time,” Simister said about the fire and the decision to order people to leave part of the building.

Vail Resorts, the Colorado-based owner of Park City Mountain Resort, manages the hotel. A PCMR spokesperson said the hotel has resumed normal operations. The damage was “minimal” and is expected to be repaired quickly, the spokesperson said.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Battle Creek, MI – Early morning fire in shopping cart storage area at Meijer store extinguished by sprinkler system

The Meijer Inc. store in Battle Creek has reopened after an evacuation and fire early Monday. Battle Creek firefighters were called to 2191 W. Columbia Ave. at 2:17 a.m. for a structure fire, according to Battalion Chief Matt Beauchamp.  He said when the first firefighters arrived they found smoke in the northwest corner of the building where shopping carts were stored.

“There was a decent amount of smoke,” Beauchamp said. He said a sprinkler had activated in the cart storage area and had extinguished the fire. “The sprinklers kept it in check,” Beauchamp said. Store employees, firefighters and Battle Creek police searched the building several times and evacuated everyone inside. No injuries were reported. Beauchamp said the fire appears to originated in an electric cart  stored with other shopping carts.

He said maintenance crews from the store were called to ensure the fire alarm and sprinkler system were functioning properly and the Calhoun County Health Department was notified because of the perishable food in the building. The health department inspected the store and determined it could be opened, firefighters said later Monday morning.  Firefighters left the scene about 4 a.m. They estimated damage at $3,000.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Orting, WA – Sprinkler system help limit damage in early morning fire at high school

All four schools in the Orting School District are on a two-hour delay after fire crews in Pierce County responded to a roof fire at Orting High School Thursday morning. The first call came in shortly after 4:30 a.m. By 5:30 a.m. crews had the fire out. According to the school district’s website, the fire started in a maintenance area above the boys locker room at the gymnasium. Sprinklers went off and contained the fire. It involved the HVAC system. No one was hurt.

“Right now we’re just having crews do an overhaul and waiting for the Fire Marshall to do their investigation,” Orting Valley Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Zane Gibson said. “Both Graham, Central Pierce, and East Pierce Fire and Rescue responded.”  Only the locker room has some water damage. “Sprinkler systems work, they did their job, and kept the fire very small,” Gibson said.  There is no financial estimate on the damage caused by the fire. The gymnasium is in a separate building on the same property as the high school. No classrooms were affected by the fire.

Retail

Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activates to help suppress arson fire at retail store

The Montreal police arson squad is investigating a fire at a downtown clothing store that may have been intentionally set. Firefighters were alerted to the situation around 6 a.m., when the alarm system went off at Giorgio Gruppo Roma, a men’s clothing store on Peel Street.

Once they arrived, they found a broken window and an incendiary device, which had been thrown inside. Police Const. Daniel Lacoursière said the sprinkler system activated soon after the fire started.Damage to the store was mainly caused by the water.  Lacoursière said there are no witnesses nor suspects, and no arrests have been made so far.

Manager Tony Elian told CBC News he doesn’t know who might have targeted his business or why. He said he knew now-deceased crime boss Vito Rizzuto and Ducharme Joseph, reputed gang leader, but he said they were both clients. He attended Rizzuto’s funeral.  Elian refutes claims he is linked to the mob.

Government Office, Government/Military

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Arson fire at Children and Youth Services Center extinguished by sprinkler system

The Luzerne County human services building on Pennsylvania Avenue was closed Monday after someone threw a “fire bomb” into an office, according to an email to county council members. In the email, council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck told fellow members she was informed Children and Youth Executive Director Joanne Van Saun’s office was the one targeted.  A fire at the building at approximately 5:37 a.m. Monday was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system, District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said.

She added the incident is under investigation, and there are several potential leads for persons of interest. She declined to offer further details. “Based on the circumstances, this is an active criminal investigation,” Salavantis said.  County Manager C. David Pedri said the building would be reopened today with crisis counselors on site to provide counseling for those who needed it.

Salavantis said it was not known how long the investigation would take, and she declined to provide specifics on how the fire started. The building contains the offices for the county’s Human Services Division, including Children and Youth, drug and alcohol programs, and Mental Health and Developmental Services. The Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne and Wyoming counties is also located there.  Pedri said there was never a lapse in coverage during the day.  “All emergency calls for the Children and Youth division were diverted to on-call workers,” he said in a news release.  State Police and Wilkes-Barre police and firefighters were at the scene along with numerous agents from the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Office.

Apartment Building, Residential

Starkville, MS – Possible arson fire at off-campus apartment complex doused by sprinkler system

An early morning fire at a Starkville apartment complex left several units damaged and law enforcement investigating a potential arson case. Lt. Brett Watson of the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office told the SDN on Monday the fire was being investigated as a possible arson by the sheriff’s office and Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s office. Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said a call was received at approximately 5:28 a.m. Monday morning for a fire alarm at 21 Apartments on Ace Avenue. The fire occurred in building 4 of the complex. When emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they found an unoccupied third floor apartment filled with smoke. Upon further inspection, fire officials determined that a mattress had been set on fire, setting off the unit’s sprinkler system. Rosenhan said there was minimal fire damage in the unit and building, but considerable water damage in the units below where the fire occurred. Management at 21 Apartments declined to comment on the fire

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Fairfax, VA – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in controlling recycling center fire

Firefighters from Fire Station 30 in Fairfax County responded to the report of a fire early Sunday morning, at the Merrifield Recycling Center, according to the Fairfax County Fire & Police Department. 

Units arrived to find water and smoke coming out of the indoor recycling facility, prompting a request for a second alarm. Additional units from Fairfax and the Arlington County Fire Department arrived soon after. 

No injuries were reported from the scene. Fire damage was limited to recyclable materials. The fire sprinkler system and use of firefighting foam limited the damage to $1,000.

Investigators determined the fire started from an exothermic reaction in one of the recyclable material piles, which caused the materials to catch on fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Santa Barbara, CA – Sprinkler system keeps restaurant fire from spreading

A working sprinkler system prevented a fire from spreading at a Santa Barbara restaurant early Monday morning. Santa Barbara City Fire officials said three fire engines were sent to the first block of East Anapamu Street at 5:39 a.m. for a report of smoke inside the building. Smoke was seen from outside the restaurant. Once firefighters forced their way into the building, they found the source of the fire to be in the kitchen.  Food accidentally left on the stove is believed to be the cause of the fire.  The sprinkler system activated and left two inches of water on the floor. Firefighters worked to get the water out of the restaurant.   Officials said the smoke and water damage is estimated at $10,000.  No injuries were reported. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Red Wing, MN – Sprinkler system douses third floor apartment fire; No injuries

The Red Wing Fire Department responded to an early-morning structure fire Friday, Dec. 30 at at 325 Plum St.

Firefighter/paramedics arrived at the scene within two minutes of receiving a call about a fire/water flow alarm and found smoke in the building.

Firefighters forcible entered the apartments and found a small fire on the third floor, which had been extinguished by the sprinkler system prior to the department’s arrival.

All residents were evacuated from the building. All but three residents were allowed back into their apartments. The local Red Cross was on scene to provide housing assistance to tenants displaced due to damage.

Apartments on the third and second floor as well as the church on the ground floor sustained moderate water damage. The third-floor apartment also suffered minor fire and smoke damage.There were no injuries.

The Red Wing Fire Department, Red Wing police, Red Wing public works responded to the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Butte, MT – Sprinkler system praised for minimizing fire damage at off-campus housing

A sprinkler activation system successfully limited the damage after an early-morning house fire broke out at off-campus Montana Tech student housing at 1038 Missoula Ave. on Friday.

At 5:42 a.m. Friday, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in apartment 1032 and kept it from spreading to the interior of the apartment and adjoining apartments.

The fire originated in an exterior barbecue used the previous evening, according to Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department responders.

One of three male occupants suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated, and A-1 Ambulance transported him to the hospital, according to a county press release.

The fire damaged exterior siding, two large exterior windows, the front door, and an overhead awning. It resulted in water damage, but the sprinkler system confined the fire to the exterior and kept it from engulfing the entire residential complex, saving lives and limiting property damage, according to the report.

Fire crews cleared the scene after 7 a.m. Responders included the BSB police and the Big Butte Fire Department.

“We thank Montana Tech for having a properly installed and maintained automatic fire sprinkler system,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Doherty.

Total cost damages to the involved structure were minimal, he said. A-1 Ambulance transported the injured civilian to the emergency room. His condition is unknown.“

This is a great sprinkler success story. The facilities sprinkler and alarm systems did their jobs,” said Doherty.

“There were no fatalities, minimal amounts of property damage, and after some minor clean-up, this apartment should be back up and running quickly. This is a great example of how sprinklers save lives; they are efficient, effective, and essential in protecting both lives and property.”

Friday afternoon, cleaners from Dayspring Restoration were tearing out damaged carpets and cleaning up smoke damage. Workers Matt Popham and Patrick Hennessey estimated the cleanup would take two weeks to a month.