Tag Archives: Evening (6pm-9pm)

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Winchester, VA – Sprinkler system controls fire at manufacturing plant; No injuries reported

Kingspan Insulation management credits alert employees, the company’s sprinkler system and a prompt response by firefighters for limiting damage from a warehouse fire reported at 6:09 p.m. on Sunday.

Jamey Walters, Kingspan plant manager, said on Monday that Kingspan frequently does emergency preparedness training including fire drills. “We have a very strong safety culture and situations like this show how strong it is,” he said.

No one was hurt in the fire at the plant at 200 Kingspan Way off Martinsburg Pike (U.S. 11). The fire was accidental and occurred during the insulation manufacturing process, according to a news release from Lt. Adam Hounshell, a deputy fire marshal with the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Department. The first firefighters arrived at 6:18 p.m. and found smoke in the warehouse. They extinguished the fire at 6:50 p.m. and removed the burnt insulation. Some of the charred insulation could be seen outside the warehouse on Monday.

Walters said about 130 people work at the 170,000-square-foot facility and about 20 were working when the fire began. He said when the foam insulation caught fire there were “significant flames” that workers tried to put out with fire extinguishers before evacuating when they realized the magnitude of the fire. The sprinkler system then activated and is credited by the fire department for arresting the spread of the fire.

The facility originally opened as Amoco Foam Products and was later purchased by the Pactiv Corp. Kingspan bought the facility in 2014.

Walters said Sunday’s fire was the worst since Kingspan bought the property, but there were a few serious fires in 1990s and 2000s. He said fire is a risk due to the combustibility of insulation.

“Which is why we take fire prevention so seriously,” said Doug Crawford, Kingspan managing director. “It is a real risk.”

A damage estimate was unavailable on Monday. The warehouse, which opened in 1981, is valued at $9.1 million, according to county property records.

Apartment Building, Residential

Haverhill, MA – Sprinkler system contains fire to bedroom after item is left too close to electric heat register; No injuries reported

The Friday night blaze that displaced 14 residents was caused by items left too close to a condo unit’s electric heat register, fire Chief William Laliberty said Tuesday.

The single-alarm fire at the brick Merrimack Place apartment building behind the A-1 Deli was reported by phone around 6:30 p.m. and firefighters had the blaze under control within a half-hour. All residents were evacuated and no injuries were reported.

According to Laliberty, the building’s sprinkler system activated and contained the fire to the bedroom. While smoke from the fire made its way to the adjacent Landmark Building, firefighters were able to quickly remove the smoke using fans, the chief said.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Kingstowne, VA – Sprinkler system puts out fire at condo caused by overheated computer processing unit; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system put out a fire at a condo building Friday, Feb. 14 in Kingstowne, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

The fire happened around 6:58 p.m. in the 6800 block of Brindle Heath Way. Firefighters arrived to find a sprinkler had already extinguished the fire. There were no injuries.

Investigators determined an overheated computer processing unit caused the blaze. Damages were estimated to be $1,500.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire sprinklers can save lives and property by reducing the heat, flames, and smoke caused by a fire. While fire sprinklers have been a longtime method for commercial buildings, fire officials recommend installation in homes as well.

Child Care Facility, Hospital/Care Facility

Coppell, TX – (no media coverage) Single fire sprinkler extinguished fire at day care

At 8:45pm Coppell Fire Department was dispatched on an automatic fire alarm to a day care facility.  CFD units arrived approximately 4 minutes later with very light smoke inside the structure.  Crews began a search at the front door, immediately hearing the activated fire sprinkler head.  Firefighters saw remnants of a ceiling mounted exhaust fan burning.  They ‘pulled the ceiling’ exposing burned roof members and the activated automatic fire sprinkler head.  The single fire sprinkler head extinguished the fire. 

Approximately $7,000 damage (not including water restoration)

Potential loss if building did not have protection – approx. $650,000 (structure and contents, not including loss revenue)

Dry Cleaner, Retail

Eden Prairie, MN – Fire at dry cleaners contained by fire sprinklers

On Feb. 13, Eden Prairie firefighters responded to a small fire which was contained by the building’s sprinklers before the firefighters arrived, the assistant chief told Eden Prairie News.

Two fire trucks went to 6205 Dell Road at 8:12 p.m. in response to a water flow alarm after sprinklers went off in Best Cleaners, assistant chief Kurt Buchanan said. A bin of laundry had caught fire, but nothing else in the building burned and the responders’ main tasks were to ensure the bin was extinguished and clear the building of smoke and burnt materials, he said.

“It’s a good story, that sprinklers make a difference,” Buchanan said. “They’re designed to keep fires at bay.”

The fire department contacted Best Cleaners and the owner of the strip mall, which also houses Venice Nails and a Holiday gas station, Buchanan said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Buchanan said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Allouez, WI – Apartment closet fire put out by fire sprinklers

The Green Bay Metro Fire Department says 38 residents of an assisted-living facility were evacuated during a fire Friday evening.

The sheriff’s office tells us there was a fire in a resident’s room at Bishop’s Court on E. St. Joseph St. in Allouez. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke in the hallways. The fire was in a closet in one of the apartments.

Five people were medically evaluated on the scene. Three were taken to a hospital for smoke inhlation: one staff member and two residents — including the resident of the apartment where the fire started. A battalion chief told us they should all be OK.

The battalion chief credited the sprinkler system in the facility for doing “a great job.”

The fire department says 60 residents are displaced temporarily while repairs are made to the fire suppression system. The fire department says some are being housed in another building at Bishop’s Court but some will have to be moved to other assisted-living facilities.

A report from the GBMFD says the cause of the fire was accidental but it doesn’t provide details. The estimated cost of damage to the property is $20,000.

Other - Retail, Retail

Orland Park, IL – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at pet store, saving the animals

Officials in Orland Park believe a sprinkler system helped save a group of critters from a fire that broke out at a pet store Monday in the southwest suburb.

Crews responded about 8:15 p.m. to reports of a fire at Chicago Fish and Coral Company, 14412 John Humphrey Drive, according to Ray Hanania, spokesman for the Orland Fire Protection District.

The sprinkler system was activated soon after the blaze broke out, and firefighters extinguished the small fire when they arrived, Hanania said. Smoke was removed from inside the store with the help of additional crews.

The store’s owner, Brian Potter, said he was initially worried the fire would cause “total devastation.” However, the animals were all safe and in good condition.

“We had a fire at the store there was no loss of life for any animals it was very minor and contained we have a lot of cleanup to do we just wanted everybody to know all the animals are safe!,” a post on the store’s Facebook page said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the quick activation of the sprinkler system helped keep the blaze in check, Hanania said.

Potter said the fire stemmed from a chiller near a fish tank. The shop was closed Tuesday and is expected to open Wednesday.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oceanside, CA – Fire sprinklers put out cooking fire at senior living center

A cooking fire at an Oceanside senior community displaced eight to 10 residents, Saturday night.

The residents were displaced because of water damage from the sprinklers that put the fire out, officials said.

The fire broke out at the three-story Lil’ Jackson Senior Community on Lake Boulevard around 7:20 p.m.

A cooking fire in a unit on the second floor triggered the sprinkler system and put out the flames before they spread.

Crews shut off the sprinklers when they arrived, but it was too late. Water pooling in the unit began seeping through the ceiling into the units on the ground-floor.

The Red Cross was called in to help the eight to 10 residents who were displaced by the fire and water damage.

One resident was evaluated by paramedics, but didn’t need to go to the hospital, officials said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

West Goshen, PA – Fire sprinklers contain hallway fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A fire in a hallway forced the evacuation of the Microtel on the 500 block of Willowbrook Lane Thursday evening.  

West Chester firefighters were alerted just after 8 p.m. and arrived to find the alarms sounding and the building evacuated.

Chester County Fire Marshal Latta White said there were no injuries, however power was out to the building so no residents would be able to return to the building. He said the building has 90 rooms of which more than 70 were occupied, most with multiple guests.

White said the fire was contained by sprinklers, and firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze which was located on a first floor hallway.

The fire alarm went off, and the desk person checked the fire alarm and found smoke on the first floor and called the fire department, White said. 

Multiple guests could be seen leaving the scene with assistance from firefighters.

White said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Seward, AK – Sprinkler system extinguishes electrical fire at aquarium saving saving staff and animals; No injuries reported

The Seward Volunteer Fire Department responded to a small fire at the Alaska SeaLife Center on Wednesday, according to a Jan. 9 press release from the center.

The fire occurred in the SeaLife Center’s avian curatorial on the second floor of the facility around 6:37 p.m. Wednesday night, according to the release. Firefighters saw smoke coming from the building upon arrival and discovered that the fire sprinkler system had already extinguished what was believed to have been a small electrical fire.

Staff from the avian curatorial recovered two long-tailed ducks that were being held in the curatorial. SeaLife Center veterinary staff and avian staff treated the birds, and the animals seem to be recovering, according to the release. No staff or other animals were injured in the fire.

The SeaLife Center sustained water damage in the avian curatorial as well as the first floor BP Theater and Exit Exhibit/Donor Recognition area. The SeaLife Center was closed to the public on Thursday for cleanup and to replace the sprinkler heads and sensors, and resumed normal operating hours on Friday.

“I’m so proud to work with this staff who, as a team, are willing to take on the challenges, learn from the experiences and go on with the important mission of the Alaska SeaLife Center,” center Chief Operating Officer Chip Arnold said in the release. “Thank you Fire Chief Clinton Crites and the Seward Volunteer Fire Department for handling the situation with speed, professionalism and tact.”