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

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

Hibbing, MN – Single sprinkler contains early morning fire at senior high rise apartment building

A fire at Hibbing’s Androy Building Sunday morning drew a full response from the Hibbing and neighboring fire departments. But when they arrived, they found the fire had already been contained by a single sprinkler head.

The Androy Building houses senior high-rise apartments, an Elks Club banquet center and an orthodontics clinic. According to the Hibbing Fire Department, firefighters arrived shortly before 6 a.m. when an automatic fire alarm was triggered. The found smoke coming from a vent near the kitchen of the Elks Club and tenants starting to to evacuate the building.

Inside, crews found smoke in the Elks side of the building but the fire down to a smolder. Crews put out the remaining smoldering material and ventilated the smoke from the banquet room. By 7:10 a.m., it was deemed safe enough to allow tenants back in.

Hibbing Fire Marshal Bryan Fagerstrom determined the case was accidental — a steam table had been left on which overheated and ignited the wood buffet table. He stressed the importance of having a properly maintained sprinkler system. “The sprinkler system in this fire was serviced and maintained per code and did exactly as it should by containing the fire and keeping it from spreading,” he said in the release.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Vallejo, CA – Sprinklers help limit damage in early morning restaurant fire

Vallejo’s Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill will be closed for a week or more after suffering damage from a fire early Sunday that was still under investigation Monday, Vallejo Fire Department officials said.

Firefighters responded to a reported structure fire at the Plaza Drive restaurant at about 5:22 a.m. Sunday and arrived to find the sprinkler system activated, Fire Prevention Manager Vince Sproete said.

“The sprinklers kept the fire contained until crews arrived” and extinguished the small blaze that remained, he said. Fire damage was minimal and water damage, moderate, he said.

All the surrounding establishments — Kaiperm Federal Credit Union, GameStop and Cold Stone Creamery — remain open for business, Sproete said.

The fire’s cause is officially undetermined at this time, and Fire Department officials are working with the Vallejo Police Department on the ongoing investigation, he said.

Office Building, Other - Hospital/Medical

Elgin, IL – Sprinklers douse fire at medical building; Cause may have been lightning strike

Lightning may have started a small fire Friday in a northwest suburban medical office building, where an internal sprinkler system doused the flames before firefighters arrived. Elgin firefighters were called just before 7 a.m. Friday to the medical building at 1015 Summit St. after an employee arriving for work called to report a fire alarm going off, according to a statement from the Elgin Fire Department.

Firefighters heard a strobe horn going off, and saw water flowing out from an exterior door, but saw no smoke or flames. When the door was forced open, firefighters found that a fire had started in the telecommunications equipment and activated the sprinkler above. Investigators determined the cause of the blaze was “either an electrical issue or a lightning strike,” which caused the telecommunications equipment to catch fire until it grew strong enough to set off the sprinkler.

The alarm signal directly into the fire department did not activate because it is the telecommunications equipment that activates it, according to the department, which recommended a wireless system be installed. Fire and smoke damage to the building and contents was minimal, but the “building was determined to be unsafe due to an inoperative alarm, inactive sprinkler system, and unknown electrical conditions’ and consequently red-tagged,” the department said. City Code Enforcement inspectors were notified. No injuries were reported.

Other - Residential, Residential

Oakley, CA – Early morning fire in multi-family structure controlled by home fire sprinkler system

The fire was called in about 6:02 a.m. at a multifamily residential structure in the 2000 block of Rubens Way. The household sprinkler system largely brought the fire under control, but the downstairs room received major water damage and moderate smoke damage. No dollar estimate for the damage was available. In a news release, the fire district said the probable cause of the fire was a discarded cigarette. No one was injured in the blaze.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lincoln, NE – Fire at Holiday Inn Express held in check by sprinkler system

Fire crews responded to a fire at the Holiday Inn Express near 12th and W. Commerce Way just before 4 a.m. Firefighters say the fire started in a room on the second floor. The fire was contained to that room thanks to hotel sprinklers.

“We did have some concerns initially because of the concentration of smoke that was reported to us that we may have something larger then it turned out to be but thankfully because of the sprinkler system in this structure it did assist us in holding the fire in check,” says Battalion Chief Leo Benes. “Folks are concerned about getting to their plane flights out of this city so we’re trying to assist them to get their personal belongings and getting their business done here at the hotel.”

Heavy smoke was reported throughout the building which had to be evacuated. The occupant of the room was taken to the hospital but the extent of their injuries is unknown.

Apartment Building, Residential

Gillette, WY – Sprinkler system extinguishes early morning fire in apartment building

The Campbell County Fire Department responded to 1926 Harvest Moon in Gillette for a fire alarm activation at 6:12 a.m. Friday. The call was upgraded to an active structure fire after neighbors reported seeing flames in the rear of the building. Upon arrival, crews found a four-plex apartment building with fire and heat damage in the back porch area of a lower unit, according to a fire department incident report. A fire sprinkler had activated and extinguished the fire before the department’s arrival.

Other - Retail, Retail

Tampa, FL – Fire at pawn shop controlled with help from sprinkler systems

Tampa fire rescue responded to an automatic fire alarm at 4910 East Busch Blvd, Value Pawn and Jewelry. Upon arrival firefighter saw heavy smoke coming from the roof of the single story commercial building. Firefighters entered the building with a hose line and found the automatic sprinkler system working.

The fire was under control at 4:25. The fire initially appears to have originated in the attic area of the building.  Fire Marshal’s Investigators are on scene to determine the cause and source of the fire. There were no injuries.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Garden City, MI – Factory fire contained with help from two activated sprinkler heads

Garden City firefighters responded to a fire at about 5:30 a.m. after receiving a call that fire was coming through the roof of a manufacturing plant on Industrial Drive.  As a result of the fire and heat, two sprinkler heads had activated prior to the arrival of the firefighters.

En route, the department learned that all employees had evacuated the building. The firefighters observed steam coming from the roof on the northeast corner and light smoke inside of the building.

“Initially the incident commander, Captain Gary Gallo, was told by bystanders that flames were visible from the roof prior to our arrival,” Garden City Fire Chief Catherine Harman said. “They were met at the front of the building by a supervisor who reported a piece of equipment designed to burn off excess coating from their product was emitting heavy fire. He reported employees tried to extinguish it without success. He then turned off the ventilation units on the roof and to the machine that was on fire.”

Firefighters found the door to the equipment closed. When they opened it, they saw heavy smoke but no flames. Harman said that utility supply to the equipment was turned off and the unit was cooled with a hand line. After cooling it down, the firefighters re-checked and there was no excessive heat. The door to the equipment was closed, and firefighters continued to use the cooling heads inside of the unit, supplied by the water supply lines, to continue cooling the equipment.

The supervisor said that he and another worker noticed the fire and he shut down the power to the unit and attempted to extinguish the fire with extinguishers without success. He then turned off the ventilation system and exited the building. “We have advised the company to immediately contact the fire department anytime there is a fire before attempting to extinguish it,” Harman said. “We’d rather get there sooner than later.”

There were no injuries as a result of the fire and no one suffered any problems due to the extreme cold, Harman said.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Columbus, OH – Kitchen fire on 9th floor of high-rise apartment building put out by sprinkler system

The fire happened around 5 a.m. in the Skyview Towers on Sawyer Boulevard, just south of I-670. According to the fire chief, the blaze started on the 9th floor, where a stovetop caught fire. The building’s sprinkler system activated and effectively put out the flames. All evacuated residents are now safe and back inside.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Lebanon, OH – Sprinkler activates, extinguishes fire at high school

At 6:51 a.m., Lebanon firefighters were called to the high school, 1916 Drake Road, on reports of a fire in the kitchen, said Capt. Steve Oughterson. A 17-year-old girl was taken to Bethesda Medical Center at Arrow Springs in Lebanon and was released within an hour, said Lebanon Fire Chief Perry Gerome.

The fire happened inside a small appliance in the kitchen as a result of a cooking accident. A sprinkler was activated and the fire was extinguished before crews arrived, the chief said. Gerome said the fire was ruled accidental and caused about $200 in damages.

School officials and the Warren County Health Department were notified and responded to assess the situation, according to Gerome. The small fire caused one event to be canceled and another postponed at the high school until all systems could be reset and placed back in service.