Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant San Antonio, TX – Sprinkler system quickly put out hotel kitchen fire during wedding reception October 25, 2016 viking210 Two people were taken to a nearby hospital and two floors were evacuated after a fire erupted Saturday night during a wedding banquet at a downtown hotel. San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Bryan Patten said the fire started on the second floor at about 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Gunter hotel, 205 E. Houston St. According to San Antonio Fire Department Captain Craig Balter, a cooking stove caught fire during a wedding banquet, producing heavy smoke that filled the first and second floors. The sprinkler system quickly put the fire out, but the floors were soaked and the smoke had to be vented from the building. Residents were evacuated and two people were treated for minor injuries, officials said. Groomsman Matthew Guevara said they had just sat down to eat their food when their wedding planner told them to evacuate. “I did not feel the reality of it until I walked out and was hit hard by the smoke,” Guevara said. “It’s a real specific kind of smoke with plastic burning.” Guevara said he saw one person being escorted by first responders with a burned arm and another person had a breathing mask, possibly for smoke inhalation. The 200 block of East Houston Street was closed off for at least two hours as more than 15 units initially responded to the scene.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Lafayette, LA – No injuries at senior apartment building as sprinkler system limits fire to one unit October 24, 2016 viking210 Dozens of elderly residents were displaced Tuesday night after a fire at the historic Evangeline Hotel in downtown Lafayette. The building is located at the intersection of Jefferson and Vine St. Lafayette fire officials say it could be a couple of days, maybe even weeks, before residents can return back to the complex, but the 69 residents who were evacuated are now safe and sound at a local hotel. The fire started in the kitchen of a room on the 4th floor of the six story building around 8:30 p.m. Fire officials say the tenant was cooking when she fell asleep. “Fortunately, the apartments had a sprinkler system and it activated pretty quickly and extinguished the fire, so the fire was contained to the small area,” said Lafayette Fire Investigator, Alton Trahan, but it’s the amount of water that the sprinkler system produced that caused the evacuation of residents. “The water damage from the sprinkler system actually went from the 4th floor all the way down to the 1st floor, so you had a lot of flooding in all the units underneath,” said Trahan. Electrical hazard concerns had prompted the owners to cut power to the building and bring in engineers to inspect the damage. “A lot of components within that facility need to be examined and once it’s cleared they’ll be able to put the power back on,” said Trahan. Meanwhile, the displaced residents, initially housed in two hotels, have since been reunited at one local hotel. “Most of them came last night, a few of them early this morning,” said Shawn Johnson, General Manager of the Ramada Inn. “I think we’re accommodating about 41 people.” Johnson says they had to do a little moving around, but they were able to squeeze everyone in. “They all have their own room,” said Johnson. “We’ve included all their meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner all together, so I’m very grateful and thankful we’re able to accommodate them. Most of them came in with just what they had on.” News 10 also spoke with the on-site manager of the Evangeline Apartments and she said the property is controlled by the Lafayette Neighborhoods’ Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, who wished not to comment at this time citing that their first priority is the residents well-being. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential High Rise Lafayette, LA – Sprinkler system activates in high-rise senior apartment building fire; No injuries reported October 19, 2016 viking210 The fire originated in an apartment on the fourth floor of Evangeline Elderly Apartments. It was caused by an occupant who left a pot of grease unattended on the stove top. The grease ignited and caught the cabinets in the kitchen on fire. The sprinkler system in the apartment activated and quickly extinguished the fire. The kitchen sustained minimal fire damage. However, heavy water damage was observed seeping through light fixtures on the first floor. Concerned of electrical hazards from the water, 69 tenants were evacuated and later transported to two local hotels. The management company arranged for the transportation and lodging. Acadian Ambulance, Lafayette Police, and American Red Cross assisted fire personnel with the care of the elderly tenants. No one sustained any injuries. The cause of the fire was ruled an accident. ORIGINAL STORY:A small fire that broke out Tuesday evening at Evangeline Elderly Apartments in Lafayette has inadvertently caused big problems for more than 60 of its residents. According to information from the Lafayette Fire Department, a small fire broke out in a fourth-floor apartment’s kitchen Tuesday, triggering the building’s sprinkler system. The fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived at the scene; however, the water from the sprinkler system caused another issue. As a result of the water from the sprinkler system, firefighters worked to evacuate about 65 of the complex’s residents. “The fourth floor on down has sustained some extent of water damage,” Lafayette Fire Department spokesman Alton Trahan said in an email. “Water is seeping through some of the electrical fixtures on each floor.”
Auto Dealership, Retail Riverside, CA – Fire at vintage car restoration business limited by sprinkler system; Welding sited as cause October 11, 2016 viking210 Welding equipment set fire to a vintage car at a Riverside auto repair shop causing $150,000 damage, city fire officials say, though a sprinkler contained the flames until firefighters arrived. The blaze was reported at 6:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, inside a 1952 Chevy that was being restored at DMCG Inc., 1860 Chicago Ave., in Freeway Industrial Park. “A guy was welding and ignited the upholstery of the rear seat,” said Acting Capt. Brandon Mollicone. Smoke and water damage also affected several adjoining businesses, Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said in a written statement. Fire crews finished extinguishing the flames, then used exhaust fans to clear smoke out of the building, and squeegees to remove the water. No one was hurt.
Office Building, Other Business Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes intentionally-set fire at office building October 11, 2016 viking210 Madison police and firefighters had to deal with a bizarre incident Friday night in an office building along the Beltline, where a man allegedly set fire and vandalized a suite of offices before crawling out, soaking wet, to waiting police. Dustin Palmer, 30, was taken into custody on five counts of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, and could face an arson charge, Madison police said. The incident started at about 8 p.m. Friday at the office building at 2601 W. Beltline, the building on the corner of Todd Drive and the Beltline. According to police: Palmer’s intention was to vandalize, not to steal, police said. “Damage was reported on several floors of the high-rise building,” said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. “Glass was broken, items were pulled off of walls and smeared blood was found in different locations.” Before Palmer allegedly set a fire in an office suite on the fifth floor, he went into the restaurant, scared staff and helped himself to a fountain drink. The fire brought firefighters to the scene, called by police as they searched for the suspect. “The crew from Ladder 6 saw dense smoke in the fifth-floor room and found that a small fire had been extinguished by the automatic fire sprinkler system,” said Joel Kneifel of the MFD. Firefighters evacuated the building and searched the part of the building near the fire to make sure nobody was hurt or trapped. When police officers entered the damaged fifth-floor offices, Palmer was ordered to come out. “He crawled to them alternating between yelling nonsensical things and coughing,” DeSpain said. “Officers pulled him to safety and took him down several flights of stairs as the MFD mopped up the scene.”
Primary / Secondary School, School / University New London, CT – Evening fire at elementary school confined to one classroom by sprinkler system October 10, 2016 viking210 A fire at the Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School has been knocked down, according to New London Fire Chief Henry Kydd Jr. The fire, which began about 9 p.m. Friday evening, caused the sprinkler system to go off and was confined to one classroom, the chief said. There were no injuries reported. Two custodians, who heard the fire alarm go off and evacuated, said they were the only people in the school at the time. Superintendent Manuel J. Rivera, at the scene, said school officials will need to assess the scene when firefighters finish their work to see how it will impact operations. However, with the long weekend, he said they are optimistic that building staff will be able to get the school in shape for the return of students on Tuesday. No further information was available.
College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory Santa Barbara, CA – Residence hall fire controlled with help from sprinkler system September 28, 2016 viking210 Around 200 Westmont students were displaced Monday when a fire broke out inside a storage closet at one of the college’s dorms, leaving a student with burns to his feet, according to school officials. Firefighters responded to Page Hall at 955 La Paz in Montecito early Monday evening to reports of the fire and found heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the three-story building. The Montecito Fire Department says a second-alarm response was then requested due to the number of people in the building that could be in harms way. The students were evacuated and the fire controlled, with the help of a fire sprinkler system, by 6:15 p.m. The injured student was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. School officials say power was out at the dorm and students were being set up with alternative housing for the night. Some reportedly stayed on cots in Murchison Gym and others stayed at the homes of faculty and staff. No student rooms were damaged by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Westmont’s fall semester began August 29.
Food Processing, Manufacturing Madison Heights, MI – Fire at snack food manufacturer contained by quick response of sprinkler system and firefighters September 28, 2016 viking210 The Kar’s Nuts factory in Madison Heights had to close Sept. 15 when a fire broke out in the middle of the plant, but the fire was contained thanks to working sprinklers and a quick response by area fire departments. Around 60 workers had to evacuate the facilities on 14 Mile Road, between John R and Dequindre roads. There were no injuries. The fire started around 7 p.m. in the roughly 300-square-foot room where the stainless steel containers are washed for product distribution. Kar’s Nuts ships a variety of snack mixes and nuts to distributors across the nation. Four fire departments arrived at the scene, including the Madison Heights Fire Department. Firefighters from a fifth fire department, Birmingham, filled in for Madison firefighters at Station No. 1, ready to take calls for any extra emergencies. At press time, the investigation was ongoing, but Madison Fire Chief Greg Lelito said he suspects it was an issue with the insulation around the piping that exhausts heat in the washing room. “It then extended to the ceiling,” Lelito said. “The sprinkler system activated, which contained the fire. We then went in and put out the remainder of the fire with our fire hoses. But it was the sprinklers that kept it in the room of origin.” While the fire didn’t spread far, the entire building was filled with heavy smoke, which made for limited visibility. The firefighters had to open every window and door, set up fans to circulate the air, and even break out the skylights on the roof in order to vent the smoke. The whole process took several hours. The entire building sustained significant damage from smoke and water. A mitigation company came in immediately afterward to begin work on restoring the facilities. The plant employs about 200 workers. There were no injuries reported. The company has reported that all of its equipment is in working order, and at press time, production was expected to resume the following week. In the meantime, authorities continued to investigate the cause of the fire. Lelito said it’s fortunate that the sprinklers worked as they should. “It was manageable, it was smooth, but it just shows you what sprinklers can do,” Lelito said. “City code typically requires that a building over 12,000 square feet is sprinklered. If that building didn’t have working sprinklers, that fire would’ve definitely spread past the room of origin.”
Office Building, Other Business Boston, MA – Sprinkler system activates in spontaneous combustion fire at downtown office building September 25, 2016 viking210 Firefighters believe a spontaneous combustion caused a small fire at a downtown Boston office building Thursday night, the fire department said. The fire started in a work room on the first floor of 50 Milk St. at about 8:55 p.m., said Steve MacDonald, a Boston fire spokesman. “It generated a lot of smoke,” he said, but the building was otherwise not damaged, and the Friday workday should not be affected. The department believes some rags in the work room had spontaneously combusted. MacDonald said the rags had some solvents on them and were in a room that was poorly ventilated. The room did have a sprinkler system, however, which activated when the fire began, MacDonald said. Fire companies left the scene by about 10:15 p.m. There were very few people in the building at the time of the fire, MacDonald said.
Food Processing, Manufacturing Unalaska, AK – Sprinkler system puts out fire caused by explosion at seafood processing plant September 23, 2016 viking210 A Dutch Harbor seafood processing plant was severely damaged by an explosion Monday evening a public safety official said was likely caused by the ignition of fine fish-meal dust, though the incident remained under investigation Wednesday. Mike Holman, director of Unalaska’s Department of Public Safety, said the blast — first reported by public radio station KUCB — occurred inside the Westward Seafoods plant on Captains Bay Road at about 6:45 p.m. Monday. Thirteen members of the department responded. There were employees inside the building at the time of the explosion, but no injuries were reported. Westward Seafoods President Mark Johanson confirmed employees were in the facility, which he described as mostly “one large open space,” but were thankfully uninjured. The blast likely occurred when an undetermined ignition source detonated dust from the production of fish meal, often used as feed for other fish, Holman said. Johanson said the exact cause of the blast was still undetermined, though fish-meal dust was among the possible culprits. He declined to mention other possible causes. “I don’t want to speculate at this point,” Johanson said. “We’ll do our investigation and obviously we’ll learn from it.” Johanson said the fish-meal plant was closed for the time being, due to the extent of the damage. “There’s quite a bit of damage inside the building — some of the pipes erupted, and one of the doors was blown off its hinges into a container,” Holman said. Holman said no foul play is currently suspected in the blast, which is also being investigated by the state fire marshal. The plant’s sprinkler system extinguished the resulting fire before crews arrived but contributed to damage estimates well beyond the $100,000 first reported after the fire. “It sounds like the sprinklers, when they went off, they dumped a lot of water on all the electrical equipment,” Holman said. Johanson said one pollock season was wrapping up and the fish-meal plant isn’t needed in any current fishery openings. The company was optimistic the plant will be fully operational in time for another pollock season in January, he said. Holman said he has seen two fish-meal dust explosions at Dutch Harbor plants during his 21 years with the department, but those blasts hadn’t been as costly as the one Monday. “I don’t think it has caused as much damage as this one,” Holman said. “This was a little bit bigger.”
