Tag Archives: Evening (6pm-9pm)

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Washougal, WA – (no media coverage) Single fire sprinkler head extinguishes fire at nail salon, saving building from extensive damage

This strip mall fire occurred in Washougal WA on Monday August 12th. Business owners closed at 6:45 PM, 911 water flow alarm/dispatch came in at 7:15 PM. Camas Washougal Fire Marshals Office stated fire crews arrived to find the fire out and controlled by a single fire sprinkler head activation. The fire was contained to a single massage chair that was blackened just prior to sprinkler head activation. Crews provided smoke evacuation and squeegeed water out the front door before going back in service. The units on each side of the Nails & Spa where the fire occurred, had some minor water damage but with minimal effort by restoration services overnight they were able to open the next day for business. The Spa will require a couple days longer since the fire occurred in their space. Building management services arrived and were grateful they were not having to repair more extensive damages such as roof ventilation or extensive heat and smoke damage that would have occurred without a fire sprinkler system.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bothell, WA – Single fire sprinkler head extinguishes apartment kitchen fire, saves building from further damage

At 8:00 pm on Monday, August 5, 2019, firefighters were dispatched to a report of a kitchen fire in one of the units in The District at Mill Creek Apartments at the 17700 block of Bothell Everett Highway.

It was reported that a hot pan had ignited nearby plastic and a wooden spoon. The tenant evacuated the building to find a fire extinguisher. When he came back with the fire extinguisher, he found that the sprinkler system had turned on and put out the fire.

Firefighters arrived on scene and secured the water and the sprinkler head that was activated. Crews then began cleaning up the water from the apartment. All other tenants in the building had evacuated for safety.

The activation of the single sprinkler head above the fire is a perfect demonstration of the effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers systems. It not only contained and extinguished the stove fire, but it also saved the building from further damage.

Residential fire sprinklers, along with working smoke alarms help protect your home and family.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Honolulu, HI – Hotel fire sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading; No injuries reported

Honolulu Fire Department investigators have determined that the fire was intentionally set and the investigation has been handed over to the Honolulu Police Department.

Fire officials also provided the estimate of fire damages at $1,765,650 to the building and no injuries were reported for this incident. 

Nearly 60 firefighters rushed to put out a high rise fire in Waikiki on Monday night.

The fire began just after 8:30 p.m. at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel on Kalakaua Avenue and was discovered in a storage room on the 14th floor. 

According to the Honolulu Fire Department, fire sprinklers kept the flames from spreading.

Those staying at the hotel told KITV4 that the loud speakers that went off during the fire said, “This is not a drill” and instructed them to stay in their units.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are being investigated.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Elk Grove Village, IL – (No media coverage) Landscape and snow removal fire sprinkler system activates to put out fire; No injuries reported

On July 23, 2019 at 7:33p.m. the Elk Grove Village Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at ARO Enterprises, a landscape and snow removal company located at 1401 Tonne. Upon arrival, crews had nothing showing (no visible smoke or fire), but noticed a slight odor of plastic burning. No employees were on site at the time of the alarm.

After rapid entry into the building via the Knox Box (a small, wall-mounted safe that holds building keys for emergency services to retrieve in emergency situations), crews encountered moderate smoke conditions and were able to hear the sound of an activated sprinkler head. Following that sound, the fire was located, but was mostly already under control due to three (3) sprinkler heads that had activated. The remaining hot spots were extinguished with a simple pressurized water extinguisher, significantly limiting the typical water damage that occurs when use of a fire hose is necessary.

The building at 1401 Tonne was originally constructed without fire sprinklers.  Prior to ARO Enterprises taking occupancy in 2003, the Village required the installation of the sprinkler system due to the indoor storage of vehicles and related flammable materials. Without the presence of this early detection system, the building and all of its contents would have been a total loss. Instead, damages were held to a  minimum and ARO Enterprises suffered no disruption to its main business operations.

The Elk Grove Village Fire Department is proud to share the story of this “Sprinkler Save” to bring attention to the benefits of automatic fire sprinkler systems and their contribution to the preservation of life and property. This fire is still under investigation; however, no foul play is suspected.

Jason Staidl

Fire Marshal

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Hilton Head Island, SC – Fire sprinkler system contains fire to dishwasher at local resort; No injuries reported

A dishwasher was the source of a fire that started Saturday night in a villa unit at Hilton Head Resort, according to Hilton Head Island Rescue spokeswoman Joheida Fister.

It appeared to be a failure of the equipment, she said.

No one was injured in the fire that started about 7:30 p.m.

The building’s fire sprinkler system was activated and kept the fire contained to the dishwasher, she said.

The unit did sustain water damage but little fire damage.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Amherst, MA – Fire from an oven malfunction at college science center quickly put out by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

No one was hurt after an oven malfunctioned and caused a fire inside one of the labs at Amherst College’s Science Center Friday evening.

The college’s spokeswoman Caroline Hanna described the fire at the Science Center as small and was quickly put out by the building’s sprinkler system.

Amherst Fire Chief Tim Nelson told 22News firefighters and police were alerted after alarms activated at the Science Center located at 25 East Drive shortly after 7 p.m.

“There were no injuries and property damage was minimized. The fire started when a piece of equipment in one of the biology labs on the third floor overheated. The lab sustained some smoke damage, and there is some water damage in the spaces below the lab. No other portion of the building was affected.”

 CAROLINE HANNA, AMHERST COLLEGE SPOKESWOMAN

The Science Center was unoccupied at the time. Chief Nelson explained that the building’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading throughout the rest of the building.

The building will be cleaned and systems will be restored before opening on Saturday, Hanna told 22News.

All off-duty Amherst firefighters were called in to assist as well as officials from the Hadley Fire Department and ambulance services from Belchertown, Northampton, and South County.

The South Hadley Fire Department covered the Amherst fire station while crews assisted with the fire at the Science Center.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Haverhill, MA – Restaurant basement fire kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A basement fire in the Roma Restaurant interrupted dinner for several dozen customers Thursday evening.

The sprinkler system did its job and kept the blaze from causing more extensive damage, according to Deputy Fire Chief Eric Tarpy. Employees and diners left the 29 Middlesex St. restaurant quickly and there were no injuries, Tarpy said.

It was too soon Thursday night to say whether the popular restaurant, a fixture in Haverhill for more than 50 years that specializes in Italian cuisine, would be able to reopen, Tarpy said. City inspectors will assess the situation, he said.

The fire was reported at 7:33 p.m. Engine 3, from the main station on Water Street, was the first to arrive and firefighters encountered heavy smoke in the kitchen, Tarpy said. A thermal imaging camera helped firefighters get to the source of the fire in the basement, he said.

They hooked up a line to a hydrant located in front of the Roma and doused the fire. Firefighters then went to work ventilating the building.

An alarm at the restaurant alerted the Fire Department, Tarpy said. Telephone callers also reported the fire, he said. The single-alarm blaze brought a full response from the city’s firefighting force. Besides Engine 3, Engines 2, 4 and 5, Ladder 1 went to the scene. Three Trinity ambulances also responded.

Companies from Groveland, Lawrence and Methuen provided coverage at the 16th Street, High Street and Water Street stations while Haverhill firefighters were deployed to the Roma. Salem, New Hampshire sent its ladder truck.

Many of the diners and employees went to the parking lot across the street from the restaurant. Daniel Stanford, who has been a cook at the Roma for six years, said it appeared the compressor on an ice machine in the basement caught fire.

The sprinklers activated quickly and doused the fire, he said, but it still produced thick, black smoke.

Sharyn Linzey, of Haverhill, a regular customer at the Roma, said she had just finished eating a pizza when the smoke alarms went off. Employees ordered “everybody out!” she said.

“I didn’t get to finish my soda,” she said. “I hope they reopen tomorrow (Friday) because they have karaoke at 9.”

Terry Connolly and his wife Peggy were sitting at the bar sipping wine, waiting for dinner.

“Her salad had just come out. Next thing I know, the alarms go off,” Terry said. He never did get to enjoy his garden salad with chicken, he added.

The Connollys, of Haverhill, have been regular customers at the Roma for many years. They generally eat there once a week, they said.

“Everybody was good about getting out,” Terry said.

Fire engines began leaving the scene by around 9 p.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Salt Lake City, UT – Sprinkler system puts out oil fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Crews responded to a report of  an oil fire at an apartment in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City Thursday evening.

“Fire crews responded to a fire alarm at 150 E. 1st Ave. with reports of flames,” said a tweet from Salt Lake City Fire Department at 8 p.m. “Upon arrival sprinkler activation had extinguished an oil fire on a cooking range.”

No one was injured as a result of the fire.

“Crews are assisting in shutting off the sprinkler and will be clearing shortly,” the tweet said.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Shrewsbury, NJ – Sprinkler system puts out dryer fire at assisted living facility

Residents who are part of an assisted living community off Route 35 were temporarily evacuated Thursday evening after a fire broke out in a basement dryer in one of the residential buildings, authorities said.

The incident occurred at Brandywine Living at The Sycamore, according to Facebook post from Shrewsbury Hose Company 1.

The incident was first reported after 6 p.m.

“The fire was quickly extinguished by the sprinklers and our firefighters,” the post said. “An evacuation of the facility was initiated with the assistance of Shrewsbury PD (Police Department), and several Fire and EMS partners were requested for assistance. Damage was limited to the dryer room, and all of the residents were returned to the building.”

The Eatontown Fire Department and EMS, Little Silver Fire Department and EMS, Oceanport Fire Department, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Monmouth County EMS Task Force and Shrewsbury and Eatontown police departments all responded to the blaze, the post said.