Other / Not Specified, Other Business Kent, WA – Early morning business fire extinguished by sprinkler system April 11, 2016 viking210 Just before 5 a.m. on Thursday, units from Renton Fire Department, Tukwila Fire Department and Kent Regional Fire Authority were dispatched to a commercial fire in the 19800 block of 84th Avenue South in Kent. Initially a small response for an automatic fire alarm, the first unit that arrived upgraded the call to a commercial fire response after confirming smoke was present, according to a Kent RFA media release. The upgrade triggered the addition of more resources. The building’s fire sprinkler system not only kept the fire in check, it actually extinguished the fire. A manual check along with confirmation from a thermal imaging camera assured there was no more fire. The business used its emergency evacuation plan to get employees outside to safety. A Kent fire investigator determined the fire to be accidental due to failure of a small electrical component. There were no injuries to employees or firefighters. The damage is estimated to be $10,000 and limited to a small area of the business. Employees were able to resume work relatively quickly after the fire was out and the building deemed safe.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residence Hall/Dormitory Springdale, PA – Early morning fire in senior high-rise apartment building limited by sprinkler system; No serious injuries reported April 9, 2016 viking210 Residents of an apartment building in Springdale was evacuated Thursday morning, when fire broke out on the sixth floor. Firefighters were called to Springdale Manor on Pittsburgh Street shortly before 6 a.m. Channel 11’s Jennifer Tomazic reports that a man was trapped inside the apartment where the fire started. He was rescued and did not suffer serious injuries. About 30 people were initially evacuated due to the fire. When the sprinkler system did not shut off, many apartments sustained water damage and all residents were evacuated. “The pressure in the sprinkler system was so great it was blowing the wedges back out of the sprinkler heads,” Springdale Assistant Fire Chief Dan Copeland said. “My cupboards on the first floor are full, my kitchen floor, the living room rug,” resident Joyce Bash said. Many of the evacuated residents were taken by bus to the borough building.
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.
Residential St. Paul, MN – Sprinkler system credited with saving man in wheelchair from fire April 8, 2016 viking210 Officials say an indoor sprinkler system saved a man in a wheelchair after a fire started. The man, who’s in his 50s, had been sitting in his wheelchair, smoking and using an oxygen machine, the St. Paul Fire Department says in a Facebook post. He dozed off, and around 5:30 a.m. his oxygen tubing caught on fire. The blaze spread, igniting a nearby recliner. Fire alarms sounded, but the man was stuck, officials say. Without help, he could not escape. When responders arrived, they say the man was sitting right next to the burning recliner, unable to move. But right above the recliner was an indoor fire sprinkler – and it’s the reason the man is still alive. The St.Paul Fire Department says if it wasn’t for the nearby sprinkler keeping the fire from spreading, the man could have been seriously injured or killed. Thanks to the safety system, he got away with only “mild smoke inhalation.” According to the fire department, the sprinklers are 96 percent successful in controlling or extinguishing a fire.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Redmond, WA – Sprinklers limit damage in possible arson fire at restaurant April 1, 2016 viking210 Firefighters think an arsonist may be to blame for an overnight fire at an Eastside restaurant. Investigators are at the Celtic Bayou restaurant in Redmond Thursday morning. Someone who was walking by the restaurant at about 1 a.m. saw flames inside and called 911. The restaurant’s alarm company also notified the fire department when sprinklers inside went off. There is not yet an official cause for the fire, but the Redmond Fire Department battalion chief said it could be arson. One of the reasons that the fire is suspicious is because the flames appeared have started just inside the front door to the restaurant. Firefighters said had it not been for the sprinkler system, the fire damage would be been far worse. “The fire itself though was held in check by the sprinklers and probably would have been a much more significant fire if it hadn’t been for the sprinkler system activation,” Ralph Ashmore with the Redmond Fire Department said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Apartment Building, Residential St. Louis, MO – Early morning apartment fire controlled by sprinkler system April 1, 2016 viking210 Residents at a Midtown apartment complex are evacuated overnight after a fire in one of the units. It happened around 12:50 a.m. at the North Sarah Apartments at C.D. Banks and Vandeventer. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The building has three floors and has 19 units. Fire department spokesperson Captain Garon Mosby says the fire started in one of the bedrooms of that second floor apartment. There were two people, a man and a woman, in the unit at the time. The sprinkler system in the apartment did activate and that took out much of the fire. Crews were able to keep the fire contained to the bedroom of that one unit. The building where the fire happened is three floors and has 19 apartments. Most of the residents, roughly 30 people, were evacuated but some did stay inside a sheltered space. This was a first alarm fire meaning 30 firefighters responded. Captain Mosby says there is nothing suspicious about the fire. The preliminary cause is a candle that was left burning in the bedroom where the fire started
Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail Jerome, ID – Fire officials credit sprinkler system after early morning fire at market March 30, 2016 viking210 Jerome fire officials are crediting a store’s fire suppression system for preventing what could have been a major disaster Sunday. According to the City of Jerome fire crews were called to Ridley’s Family Market at around 6 a.m. to a report of a fire. Jerome Police arrived and found smoke and fire in a back room not open to the public. The store was quickly evacuated before fire crews arrived on scene. The fire spread quickly with help from combustible material inside the store. But, within several minutes the sprinkler system kicked in and halted the spread of the blaze. Once fire crews arrived they searched for any hidden fires and didn’t find any. Investigators believe the fire was accidental. Officials say that the business was able to open several hours after the fire thanks to the sprinkler systems. The City of Jerome says this is the second building saved by a sprinkler system in the last 18 months.
Apartment Building, Residential Eugene, OR – Apartment balcony fire contained by sprinkler system March 30, 2016 viking210 Eugene/Springfield Fire units responded to an apartment fire at the Heron Meadows complex in west Eugene early Sunday morning. The call came in just after 5:40 a.m. Firefighters hurried to building 783 on Throne Drive. The apartment complex is just off Royal Street. Fire officials say the fire was small and started on the balcony of a second-floor unity. The apartment’s sprinkler system contained the fire to just the balcony where crews extinguished the flames. Officials say no one was injured and the fire was accidental..
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinklers help knock down flames in early morning townhouse fire March 21, 2016 viking210 An early morning structure fire in Kelowna has caused damage to at least one suite in a three storey townhouse. The Kelowna Fire Department received a call about the fire around 6:28 a.m. on Friday. When crews arrived on scene they spotted a fire on the roof of a townhouse on Ambrosi Road. Firefighters managed to knock the fire down quickly and the building sprinkler system helped to extinguish the flames. There were no reported injuries as a result of the fire but one suite was affected and an adjoining suite suffered water damage as well. Emergency Support Services is now assisting the residents with any support services they may require. The cause of the fire has not been released.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Lower Heidelberg, PA – Fire at BBQ restaurant held in check by sprinkler system March 12, 2016 viking210 Crews responded to a fire at a Berks County restaurant early Friday morning. Firefighters battled a fire at The Bar-B-Q Pit along Penn Avenue in Lower Heidelberg Township. Berks County dispatchers say the flames broke out at about 5:30 a.m. Fire officials say police arrived first and saw smoke and flames in the kitchen through a window. The sprinkler system held the fire in check while firefighters went in and put it out. No one was hurt. Crews had to close Penn Avenue for about 15-20 minutes but have since reopened it. Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the fire.
