Tag Archives: Evening (6pm-9pm)

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Centreville, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes electrical fire at high school; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system is being credited with saving a Maryland high school after an electrical fire broke out Tuesday night — but students still got the day off while crews cleaned up, officials said.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire happened at Queen Anne’s High School on Ruthsburg Road in Centreville around 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

The school’s alarm company alerted 911, and a custodian also discovered the blaze after the alarm activation.

Investigators said the fire started in a rear first-floor office and was caused by “an unspecified electrical event involving a power surge protector.”

The sprinkler system extinguished the flames before they spread further.

Crews from the Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company responded with 36 firefighters and brought the situation under control in about 30 minutes.

No injuries were reported, but the school was closed Wednesday, Sept. 10, for cleanup.

The fire caused an estimated $15,000 in structural damage and another $15,000 in contents.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Whitestown, IN – Sprinkler system activated for evening fire at Amazon warehouse; No injuries reported

No one was hurt in a weekend fire at an Amazon warehouse in Whitestown, fire department officials said.

Around 6:15 p.m. Sunday, crews from the Whitestown Fire Department were called to the warehouse at 4255 Anson Boulevard. That’s in an industrial park just east of I-65.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a fire on the third-floor shelving units, WFD said on Facebook.

The building’s sprinkler system had activated and contained the fire to two rows of shelves before fire crews arrived.

Firefighters put the fire out and ventilated the affected area.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Power was cut to 101 apartments Saturday evening after a fire and subsequent electrical failure triggered the sprinkler system at a Virginia Beach apartment complex.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department said crews were dispatched around 6:16 p.m. to the 5600 block of Infinity Lane. When firefighters arrived, they found light smoke coming from an electrical box outside the four-story building.

While crews worked to mitigate the issue, officials said a catastrophic failure occurred inside the electrical room, activating the sprinkler system. Dominion Energy immediately secured power to the affected units due to the dangerous combination of water and electricity.

The number of residents displaced remains unclear. Property management is working to help tenants find temporary housing if needed.

No injuries to residents, firefighters, or pets were reported, and there was no fire damage to the building.

The incident is under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

South Bend, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at nursing home

The South Bend Fire Department reports crews responded to West Bend Nursing & Rehabilitation around 7:45 p.m. Sunday for a report of smoke and fire involving an air conditioning unit.

Crews arrived to find fire coming from an A/C unit in the rec room.

The report states the building’s sprinkler system was activated, helping contain the fire but leaving the room with water damage.

No residents were displaced but fire officials say one resident experiencing chest pain was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

A staff member, exposed to dry chemicals from a fire extinguisher, was assessed on scene and declined to go to the hospital.

Department Store, Retail

Spokane Valley, WA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at JCPenney store

A teenager suspected of starting a fire at the JCPenney store at the Spokane Valley Mall last month was arrested.

According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, a 13-year-old was identified as the suspect who started the fire.

The sheriff’s office said the teen was booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center Wednesday morning for first-degree arson.

According to the sheriff’s office, the fire resulted in an estimated loss of over $50,000 in merchandise and fire-related damage.

The sheriff’s office said detectives believe that two other minors were with the suspect at the time of the fires. The sheriff’s office said the suspect used a torch-type lighter to burn holes in boxes that had merchandise in them before walking away.

The box caught on fire and lit other boxes on fire, which triggered the fire suppression system and sprinklers.

In May, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said firefighters responded to a single-head sprinkler activation at the Spokane Valley Mall inside the JCPenney store at around 8 p.m. Saturday, May 17.

The fire department said the sprinklers did their job and stopped the forward progress of the fire.

JCPenney General Manager Aaron Klennert said damage to the merchandise was limited, and the majority of the damage was structural due to excessive water from the sprinklers.

Klennert said the fire happened on the top floor of the store in the home section, just minutes before closing time. Staff said it took a while to turn off the sprinklers, causing about three inches of water to spread across the floor and seep down into the ceiling of the first floor.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Springfield, MO – Fire at university extinguished by sprinkler system

A small fire broke out in Craig Hall on Sunday evening, prompting the Springfield Fire Department, University Safety, Facilities Management and Planning, Design and Construction to respond. 

According to a Missouri State University blog post, the fire was small enough to be extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, limiting the extent of the damage. Fortunately for the school, the sprinklers only activated in the area that the fire was located, saving thousands of dollars in electronics such as computers and projectors.

The fire reportedly was sparked by a fan coil motor that burned up in the ceiling of the building — the same reason for the fire in Carrington Hall on May 23.

A university spokesperson told The Standard that the university is assessing the damage to the area of the fire and whether it will impact classes for the fall semester, but that it did not impact the ongoing Asbestos abatement.

According to the blog post, Missouri State is working with FM Global, the school’s insurance company, on filing a claim for the fire.

Hotel / Motel

Sprinkler System Contains Hotel Room Fire in LA

LAFD received reports of smoke emanating from a guest room at The Holiday Inn. Arriving units made entry into the hotel room to find a well involved fire confined to the guest room couch, which activated fire sprinklers.

Sprinkler activation held the fire in check to the room of origin.

A 40 y/o female was located down in the room next the smoldering piece of furniture. Firefighters quickly extricated the patient to an awaiting rescue ambulance, who transported the victim suffering from smoke inhalation.

No additional civilian injuries or hotel property damage was reported. Cause of fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building

Sprinklers Limit Fire Damages At Ashburn Residential Complex

ASHBURN, VA — Sprinklers helped contain a fire at a multifamily residential building in Ashburn Saturday, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Units responded to a fire alarm around 7:20 a.m. Saturday to the 20000 block of Lazy River Terrace. Multiple 911 calls alerted emergency personnel to smoke coming from the first floor and alarms throughout the building. The incident was upgraded to a structure fire response, bringing in units from Lansdowne, Ashburn, Leesburg, Kincora, and Sterling. Crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system in the garage space on the first floor. There was no extension of the fire beyond the garage space.

No residents or firefighters were injured.

The fire marshal’s office said the cause of the fire was combustible materials stored against a golf cart’s battery charger. The battery unit did not have adequate airflow to cool, leading to combustible materials catching fire. Damages were estimated to be $7,000.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said the fire caused potential for significant property damage and loss of life without the sprinkler system. The building had working fire alarms and automatic sprinkler systems. The fire department has been advocating for requiring automatic fire sprinklers in more residential homes. A National Fire Protection Association report notes that home fire fatalities 2017 to 2021 were 89 percent lower with fire sprinklers, and firefighter injuries were 48 percent lower with home sprinklers.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Port Washington, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel restaurant kitchen

Port Washington firefighters were dispatched to the Harborview Hotel on E. Grand Avenue on Sunday evening, Jan. 12. 

Smoke coming from hotel’s kitchen

What we know

The first call about the fire came in around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. A caller reported an activated fire alarm with smoke visible from the rear of the hotel.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the fire was already fully extinguished in the hotel’s kitchen. This is thanks to the sprinkler system in the building. Officials say the system prevented the fire from spreading beyond the kitchen and minimized damage to the property.

The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire. Hotel management said eight registered guests were temporarily evacuated, but able to continue staying at the facility.

What we don’t know

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Source

The information in this post was provided by the Port Washington Fire Department.