Tag Archives: Evening (6pm-9pm)

Residential, Single Family Home

Taneytown, MD – Fire sprinklers keep fire contained to garage after fire pit ashes are incorrectly discarded

A house fire caused by fire pit ashes displaced two Taneytown residents after their garage caught fire in the 200 block of Colbert Street on Sunday night, according to fire officials.

The homeowner was alone in the house when a smoke detector alerted him to the fire, according to Mike Glass, public information officer for Taneytown fire company. The other resident was away at the time, he said. The Office of the State Fire Marshal identified the owner as Alan Sadowski.

Six fire companies responded after the initial call went out at about 8:54 p.m., Glass said, and those first on scene said there was a large fire in the attached garage. A sprinkler system in the house kept the fire mostly contained to the garage, but flames spread to the second floor of the single-family home where the bedrooms are, he said. Fire apparatus returned from the scene at approximately 11 p.m.

Improperly discarded ashes were the cause of the accidental fire, according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Residential, Single Family Home

Valley Center, CA – Garage fire limited thanks to fire sprinkler system

The first was an attached garage fire on Nicole’s Vista Wy. This fire was reported at 6:20PM on Saturday May 30. Units from Valley Center Fire, San Pasqual Reservation Fire and Pala Fire responded. The fire started in the garage, and was controlled by the automatic fire sprinkler system. Because of the fire sprinklers, damage was limited to the immediate area of origin, and the family was able to continue to occupy their home.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Colorado Springs, CO – Sprinklers extinguish electrical fire at Walmart that started in a meat cooler

The Walmart on 8th St. in Colorado Springs was evacuated around 8:00 Sunday night for a fire.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department spokesman said there was a small fire in a meat cooler. The fire was extinguished by an automatic sprinkler.

Walmart was later reopened according to a tweet from the CSFD PIO’s Twitter at 9:22 p.m.

The accidental fire was a mechanical fire, according to CSFD Capt. Mike Smaldino.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

St. Paul, MN – Fire on 10th-floor of residential high-rise contained by fire sprinklers

Hundreds of people were forced from a St. Paul high-rise by a fire on Monday night, but sprinklers helped contain the damage.

The fire started just after 8 p.m. in the 16-story Wilder Park senior high-rise a few blocks from the junction of Interstate 35E and Ayd Mill Road.

Resident Diane Welch said she could hear the fire burning right above her 10th-floor unit as alarms sounded.

“And I knew things were crumbling, because I could hear it in the walls, like if you put sand through a sifter,” she said. 

Deputy Fire Chief Roy Mokosso said that more than 60 firefighters responded to fight the fire and evacuate residents. Paramedics stood by and St. Paul police helped search the building and get residents into waiting buses.

Some residents who could not use the stairs were left in place, due to what the building’s governing board told residents was serious damage to the elevators.

Mokosso said at least some areas in the building had sprinklers and the system had activated. Fire investigators were at the scene on Monday night, trying to determine the cause of the fire.

A high-rise fire at a Minneapolis Public Housing building without sprinklers killed five people in November.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Easthampton, MA – Fire caused by careless disposal of rags put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Easthampton Fire Department was called to a fire at the American Legion Post Monday night.

According to the Easthampton Fire Department, when firefighters arrived they found heavy smoke in the bar area and a sprinkler system on farther into the building at 7:42 p.m.

Firefighters determined the source of the smoke was remnants of a plastic trash can and the cause of the fire was careless disposal of rags used for staining wood. The sprinkler system put out the fire.

There were no injuries reported and Northampton Fire Rescue was called in to assist.

Apartment Building, Residential

Forest Grove, OR – Sprinklers extinguish fire sparked while residents move into new apartment; No injuries

Residents accidentally sparked a fire while moving into their new apartment on Wednesday evening, according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue.

The fire at the Jesse Quinn Apartments in downtown Forest Grove occurred in a second floor unit. Firefighters arrived to find the flames had been extinguished by fire sprinklers. Crews then worked to mitigate the water from the sprinkler activation. They found water in two neighboring units and a tap house below.

Investigators say the residents while moving in had set a box on the stove, most likely accidentally turning it on at the same time. The box started to burn as they were bringing additional items up to the apartment.

Firefighters say three apartments are uninhabitable right now. Affected families are being assisted by the Red Cross. The tap house below, The Growler Garage, is closed until water damage can be mitigated and electrical wiring can be assessed, according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue.

Firefighters from Cornelius, Hillsboro, and Banks assisted at the scene. Forest Grove police officers and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office also helped.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Apartment kitchen fire controlled by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Charleston Fire Department (CFD), James Island Fire Department, Charleston County EMS, and Charleston Police Department responded to a fire at the 35 Folly Luxury Apartment building just before 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to CFD, dispatch was alerted to the fire by an automatic fire alarm as well as a 911 call from a resident. Crews responded within four minutes of the call.

Upon arrival, firefighters “encountered light smoke and searched the building.” They discovered that a small fire originated in the kitchen of an apartment, and was put out by the sprinkler system. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters “verified the fire had been extinguished, controlled the water to the system, and ventilated the smoke from the building.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Cape Girardeau, MO – Laundry hamper fire contained thanks to fire sprinklers

A fire started around 7 p.m. Wednesday at Tipton Linen Service on Independence Street in Cape Girardeau.

According to firefighters on the scene, smoke was coming out of the roof.

Upon entering the building they discovered one of the laundry hampers was on fire.

The sprinkler system was activated and the fire was contained until firefighters were able to put it out.

One block of Independence Street west of West End Boulevard is blocked until 8:30 this evening.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Pahrump, NV – Sprinkler system controls fire at senior living facility; No injuries reported

The evacuation of a senior care facility was one of several emergency service calls for local first responders.

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis said crews were dispatched for a report of a structure fire at Inspirations Senior Living facility on Honeysuckle Street just before 7 p.m. on Monday, April 6.

“While responding, crews were notified of a laundry room fire, with an evacuation underway,” Lewis said. “Crews arrived on location and found white smoke coming from the open doorways. They completed a 360 size-up, risk assessment and determined that evacuations were underway and we had to coordinate that.”

As a result, Lewis also said additional crews were added to the assignment, including Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

“We located a working fire in the laundry room with a sprinkler activation, so not only did we have to deal with the fire issue, but also the water that was pouring out of the sprinkler heads,” he said. “Crews quickly controlled the fire and the flow of water out of the sprinkler system at the riser. They were able to ventilate the smoke out of the building and return the residents back to their respective rooms. There were no injuries.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Richmond, TX (no media coverage) – Sprinkler head extinguishes kitchen fire in apartment

“The area of origin for the fire was the back, right rear burner on range top. Radiant heat ignited the microwave and cabinetry directly above. Responding FD found no flames or smoke, burner still glowing red as it had not been turned off. Fire was extinguished by sprinkler head on ceiling approximately 10′ away from fire. “