Tag Archives: Evening (6pm-9pm)

Residential, Residential High Rise

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire in high-rise apartment building

A lithium-ion battery was blamed for starting a fire in a high-rise apartment building in East Village on Wednesday night, leaving 15 residents displaced and one complaining of smoke inhalation, a fire official said.

The fire was reported shortly after 7:10 p.m. at the building on 14th Street near Commercial Street in a fourth-floor apartment, a San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson said. Because of the size of the building, the fire went to a third alarm, which summoned more resources to help.

When firefighters arrived, they helped evacuate the building but they didn’t have to put out the fire. That was taken care of by the building’s sprinkler system. The sprinklers also caused extensive water damage to 14 units on the third floor and two common areas, fire officials said.

It was estimated the fire and sprinkler system caused $150,000 in damage.

Fifteen people were displaced and assisted by property management. It was determined that Red Cross assistance wasn’t needed.

One person was evaluated for smoke inhalation but did not require medical treatment.

The fire was determined to be accidental. The battery was for an e-bike and was on a charger connected to an electrical outlet when it sparked the fire.

A HAZMAT team responded to handle the battery mitigation and air monitoring, the department said.

Department Store, Retail

Bainbridge, OH – Fire at Target contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Bainbridge Target location in Geauga County is closed temporarily while damage is repaired from a fire that took place on Monday, January 8.

There were no reported injuries and the fire was quickly contained by the store’s sprinkler system.

No reopening date was given by Target.

A representative from Target released the following statement:

“On Monday evening, the Bainbridge Township Fire Department responded to a fire at our Bainbridge, Ohio store, and our team worked quickly to evacuate the building. We appreciate the quick response of the local fire department and we’re grateful that no one was injured. The store will be closed for a short time for repairs and restocking, and we invite guests to visit our nearby store at the Macedonia location. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and we refer questions to the Bainbridge Fire Department.”

Bainbridge Fire Chief Lou Ann Metz released the statement below after the fire was successfully contained:

“There was a fire inside of Target. There were no injuries, and the fire was contained by the sprinkler system. The Bainbridge Police Department and Geauga County Fire Investigation Unit are investigating the incident and details will be released when the investigation is complete. The Bainbridge Fire Department would like to thank the following fire departments for their assistance : Auburn, Aurora, Chagrin Valley, Russell, and Solon. We are fortunate to have such great neighbors.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Saco, ME – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire

The Saco Fire Department responded to a 911 call last week and arrived to find an extinguished apartment fire, thanks to a fire sprinkler system.

The Saco Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call shortly before 8 p.m. Dec. 26 from the occupant of an apartment who discovered a fire in a bedroom, which was being contained by the building’s fire sprinkler system at the time of the call. The occupant alerted her daughter, and the family safely evacuated outside.

Fire crews arrived on the scene and saw no smoke or fire but did confirm the fire in the bedroom was fully extinguished by the fire sprinkler system, which was then shut off and drained to prevent any additional and unnecessary discharge of water.

The apartment is part of a complex consisting of two, three-story buildings connected by an enclosed breezeway with 24 units in total.

An investigation determined that a candle on top of a bookshelf ignited decorative items nearby and that some of these items dropped onto a plastic tote below, causing the ignition of the tote. The single side-wall sprinkler head in the bedroom performed as designed, and when it operated, water flowed in an umbrella-like fashion, wetting the bedroom and extinguishing the fire.

The Saco Fire Department is happy to report that the quick activation of the building fire sprinkler system prevented a developing fire from extending beyond the first few items ignited.

The department reminds everyone never to leave a burning candle unattended and that when in use, a candle should be at least 12 inches away from anything that can catch fire and that it is on a stable and heat-resistant surface.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Sooke, BC, Canada – Fire at middle school extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes resumed Wednesday (Dec. 13) despite a small fire Tuesday evening at Journey Middle School.

The Sooke Fire Rescue was called out for a fire in a utility room during the evening band concert. All students, staff and community members were safely evacuated from the building when the fire alarm sounded and no one was injured, School District 62 said in a news release.

The fire was extinguished by the school’s sprinkler system. Staff and firefighters worked together to clean up the water from the sprinkler system and the systems were reset.

“Thank you to everyone involved in safely evacuating the school,” the statement reads. “We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Sooke Fire Department and the SD62 staff who worked well into the night to ensure the school could open this morning.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Fire forced the evacuation of a hotel Tuesday night.

The Rochester Fire Department says it was called to Candlewood Suites – Rochester Mayo Clinic Area just after 7:30 pm.  Firefighters arrived to find an evacuation underway due to a fire alarm and encountered smoke in a hallway.

The Fire Department says the hotel’s sprinkler system had extinguished flames in a single room.  No one was injured in this incident but the hotel room suffered smoke and water damage.

The Rochester Police Department and the Red Cross assisted at the scene.

The Fire Department responded to this incident with units E16, E5, BC1, E1, E2, E3, T12, and Fire Marshal 4.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire in high-rise apartment; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire in a high-rise apartment in Town Center has displaced one person and damaged several other units in the building.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the 4500 block of Commerce Street in Town Center on Tuesday evening. They arrived at about 8:35 p.m. After unsuccessfully attempting to reset the alarm, further investigation found water flowing from the door of an apartment on the ninth floor.

When they entered, firefighters found an active sprinkler head, fire and smoke in the apartment.

The fire was extinguished at 9:03 p.m. There was also water damage to twelve units below the apartment.

One person has been displaced. No civilians, firefighters or pets were injured.

The cause of the fire was found to be accidental from boxes left on a stove.

Other - Residential, Residential

Paso Robles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in multifamily residential building

A fire forced residents to evacuate a three-story Paso Robles multifamily residential building Sunday evening.

The fire on 33rd Street was first reported around 8:15 p.m., according to a news release from Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services.

It was located in an exterior storage space on the second floor of the building, the release said.

The fire suppression sprinkler system was working and helped mitigate the effects of the flames until firefighters could arrive on-scene.

“Due to the fire suppression system and quick actions by firefighters, there was no fire extension into the living quarters, and there was minimal damage to the structure,” the release said.

All occupants safely evacuated their homes during the blaze and were able to return after the fire was extinguished by firefighters, the release said.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, according to the release.

Two fire engines, one battalion chief from Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services responded to the fire, along with two San Luis Obispo County Cal Fire engines and one battalion chief and a ladder truck from the City of Atascadero Fire Department.

Fire / Police Station, Government/Military

Westboro, MA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at police station; No injuries reported

A person was taken into custody after a fire was set in the lobby of the Westboro Police Station on Sunday night, officials said.

Crews responding to a report of a fire at the police station on Main Street around 8:20 p.m. found a smoldering fire being held in check by the building’s sprinkler systems and heavy smoke in the building, according to Westboro Fire Chief Patrick Purcell.

The police station was evacuated.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and ventilated the building.

No one was injured. Policing operations, including patrol, remain operational.

After a search, which included police K-9 units and police drones, a person of interest was located and taken into custody. That person’s name is not being released.

There was minimal fire damage to the building, but the sprinkler system caused significant water damage. Purcell estimated the damage at $250,000.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Quincy, IL – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at senior center; No injuries reported

Two engines from the Quincy Fire Department responded to a fire at the Quincy Senior Center, 639 York, on Monday night.

The Quincy Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in the basement, but it received no indication of what was on fire was given. The first crew arrived on scene at 8:10 p.m. No smoke or other signs of fire were observed from the exterior.

The first-arriving crew made entry into the basement and discovered a fire in an industrial dryer. One sprinkler head had tripped, and the fire was kept in check and extinguished by the sprinkler system. Two other crews arrived on scene and assisted blocking the flow of water from the sprinkler head. They then squeegeed the water into a floor drain. The sprinkler system was shut down until a sprinkler technician arrived and reset the system.

No civilians or firefighters were injured at the scene. The dryer appears to be a complete loss. The laundry room, south hallway, and kitchen in the basement sustained water damage.

An investigation determined that mop heads and rags, which previously had cleaning solution on them, had been drying in the dryer.

The fire department had 10 members on scene from two engines, as well as a quint and the assistant chief.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Sharon, OH – Fire at restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system

According to a press release, the fire happened shortly before 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night at The Block by Nova Destinations on Chestnut Avenue. It originated in or near a laundry basket on the floor.

Once the fire started, the building’s sprinkler system activated and fire crews were able to make it to the restaurant in less than two minutes.

Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke inside the building and one fire sprinkler near the bar area flowing. According to the release, the whole fire was extinguished by the sprinkler alone.

Fire crews say damage to the building was minimal.

Crews added that during the new occupancy fire inspection conducted on the building in July, the city’s fire inspector discovered that the water supply valve to the sprinkler system was closed, which was unknown to the fire department at the time.

Further investigation revealed that the water supply valve had been closed and the system had drained in 2021 due to freezing concerns, but the fire department was never notified that this had been done.

The city fire inspector immediately required the valve to be reopened along with a complete evaluation of the sprinkler system. Had this not happened, the situation could have been much worse.

“If no city fire inspection had been performed, it is very likely that the water supply valve would still have been closed at the time of this fire, allowing the fire to spread unchecked until it was large enough to be seen blowing out of the windows by a passerby,” said Deputy Fire Chief, Nick Samson.