Tag Archives: Evening (6pm-9pm)

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Prescott, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Ninety people are without a home after a fire broke out at a Prescott senior living community on Friday evening.

Around 6 p.m., crews were called about fire and smoke that was reported from a third-story apartment at the Prescott Lakes Senior Living Apartments near Prescott Lakes Parkway and Highway 89. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm due to the building’s size and number of residents inside.

The Prescott Police Department was the first on the scene and saved the resident in the apartment and those in nearby units. Fire crews soon arrived and quickly accessed the apartment on fire. With help from the fire sprinkler system, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the complex.

Some residents evacuated; however, others could not leave their apartments and were told to shelter in place by the fire personnel after it was determined they were not in danger. A Prescott police officer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One resident fainted after being evacuated and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. No other injuries were reported.

Prescott Fire says there was extensive water damage from the sprinklers and fire personnel on all three floors, including an electrical room that powers half of the complex. Therefore, fire officials, the City of Prescott Building Department and utility companies determined it was unsafe for residents to return to their apartments, leaving 90 people and several pets displaced.

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross has arranged a temporary shelter at the Humboldt Unified School District Offices in Prescott Valley. Around 11 residents have chosen to stay at the shelter, while many others are staying with family, friends, and at hotels. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Prescott Fire says the outcome would’ve been different if the sprinkler system were not in place. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, buildings with fire sprinkler systems successfully confine fire spread to the room of origin 95% of the time, compared to 71% of properties without.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Oakville, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at community center

The Oakville Fire Department says no injuries were reported following a fire at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre on Monday, July 17.

At around 8:30 p.m., the 2302 Bridge Rd. facility was evacuated due to a small fire in one of the board rooms.

“We believe there were items placed on top of a charging station that kind of smothered and caused something to overheat creating a small fire,” said Oakville Fire Chief Paul Boissonneault.

“The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system and then our crews removed the remanent components when they arrived.”

The fire chief said firefighters also ventilated the building to get rid of the smell of burnt plastic.

The community centre was able to open its doors on Tuesday as per usual.

Damage to the boardroom is said to be minimal.

“The sprinklers certainly did their job,” said Boissonneault.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Longview, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at distribution plant; No injuries reported

Firefighters were called out to a fire at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire was at R & K Distributors on Whaley Street in Longview. Several engine companies arrived at the scene to battle the flames. Whaley St. was blocked eastbound as they worked to bring the fire under control.

At 6:15 p.m. Longview Fire Department officials say the fire was out, and there were no injuries. The sprinkler system assisted in putting out the fire.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Largo, FL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hospital; No injuries reported

Around 19 patients at HCA Florida Largo Hospital were evacuated to other rooms after a fire started in a patient’s room on Sunday night.

Largo Fire said around 8 p.m. smoke was seen coming from the third floor. Fire crews from Clearwater, Seminole, and Largo were called to assist.

“Preliminary investigation shows that a paper towel dispenser possibly overloaded with some batteries, and because again paper towels are highly flammable, it overheated the paper towels inside, started to drip molten plastic down onto the table that they had tissue paper and towels on and then it extended to the wall from there. It was contained at the height of about midway up the wall,” Largo Fire District Chief, Kyle Lighthiser, said.

Lighthiser said the fire burned through the paper towels and said it’s unclear how long the fire was burning before the sprinkler system put it out. He said the staff was told to shut down the air conditioning system so smoke wasn’t circulating.

Fire crews then walked through the building with air monitors to make sure it was safe.

Lighthiser said maintenance is cleaning up any flooding but added that general cleanup will take several days.

There were no reported injuries.

Government Office, Government/Military

Los Angeles, CA – Suspicious fire at city hall contained by sprinkler system

Arson investigators are looking into what caused a “suspicious” fire to break out at Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday night. 

According to the LAFD, firefighters responded to City Hall – located at 200 N. Main Street in downtown L.A. – around 8 p.m.

Preliminary reports indicated that an object was apparently thrown into the building, causing the fire to start.

Fire crews arrived on scene and responded to an activated alarm on the second floor of the building. A sprinkler helped contain most of the fire, LAFD said.

“LAFD firefighters found evidence that the fire was started suspiciously,” a spokesperson for the LAFD confirmed to KTLA.

A fire department spokesperson told the LA Times that the fire started in the office of Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso.

Tso later confirmed that there was a fire in her office, but also said that she could not comment further on the matter.

Arson investigators with the Los Angeles Fire Department are handling the ongoing investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Yarmouth, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Firefighters rushed to the Yarmouth Commons Apartments sometime before 12:30 PM after reports of a kitchen fire on the 3rd floor. Mutual aid from Dennis also responded to the scene. A sprinkler system controlled the fire and limited damage to the kitchen. No injuries were reported. Further details were not immediately available.

In response to a reader inquiry, Cape Wide News reached out to Yarmouth Fire and received the following statement from Deputy Chief Jon Sawyer: “The building is not habitual at this time. There are 40 apartments and 39 were occupied. As of  7:30 PM (Saturday), the sprinkler and fire alarm systems had been restored, broken windows in the fire apartment had been boarded up and restoration crews were on scene working hard to remove water and dry things out. All three floors sustained water damage.

The towns Building and Electrical Inspectors were on scene and are ready to assist contractors as soon as they are ready.

Families were allowed back into the building to collect medications and belongings as soon as it was safe.

Red Cross did a fantastic job assisting families as well as the management of the complex.

Everyone involved knows families are displaced and are doing everything possible to get them back home as quickly as possible.”

The apartments were constructed on the site of the former Cavalier Motel.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Norwood, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at pallet warehouse

In the evening hours of Friday, June 10, the Norwood Fire Department responded to an alarm at 675 Canton St. The alarm was triggered after a fire sprinkler activation at a large commercial structure which houses a pallet warehouse.

Upon arrival, the first unit reported dense plumes of smoke billowing from the warehouse. Quickly recognizing the potential for a rapidly escalating fire, they promptly called a 2nd Alarm, bringing in additional firefighting resources from the surrounding towns.

Firefighters began the challenging task of locating the source of the fire amidst the smoke-filled, pallet-strewn warehouse. After a grueling 45 minutes into the incident, they succeeded in locating the fire’s origin, quickly getting water on it, and managing to suppress the flames effectively.

Despite the successful initial efforts, the situation called for further assistance, leading to the activation of a third alarm. This call brought in even more resources and manpower to help overhaul the aftermath of the fire.

To aid in the smoke clearance of the warehouse, large fans were brought in to help with ventilation. This effort made it safer for the fire department units to work in the interior and ensure no hidden fire pockets would flare-up later on.

Units from neighboring towns including Foxborough, Westwood, Sharon, and others all responded to the fire, contributing to the efficient management of what could have been a catastrophic disaster. Their coordinated efforts ensured the massive warehouse sustained minimal damage.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Kearney, NE – Sprinkler system activated for fire at manufacturing facility

Fire crews responded to a fire at Eaton in Kearney Wednesday evening.

According to the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD), they found heavy black smoke when they arrived at Eaton Corporation at 4200 East Highway 30. The smoke was coming from the roof and exterior doors of the west side of facility. Employees were evacuating when fire crews arrived.

One crew found the fire and extinguished it while another gained access to the roof to ensure the fire had not extended to the roof.

Fire command verified with Eaton’s management that all employees were accounted for and had been evacuated.

Power was shut down in the impacted area along with the sprinkler system which was activated by the fire.

Two Eaton’s employees were evaluated by Good Samaritan EMS for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

The fire origin and cause are still under investigation, but the original investigation showed that the fire started in a seat grinder and spread to a mist collector. The fire was mostly contained to the area of these two machines, according to KVFD.

Other - Retail, Retail

Yarmouth, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at marketplace; No injuries reported

A fire at a Route 1 mall in Yarmouth on Monday night was contained before it could spread to a dozen or so adjoining businesses.

Yarmouth Fire Chief Mike Robitaille credited the sprinkler system at the Sherwin Williams paint store, 438 Route 1, for preventing a much larger fire that he said could have caused significant damage to other businesses at Yarmouth Marketplace.

Robitaille said the fire started just after 6 p.m. in a ceiling dormer above Sherwin Williams. It did not reach any of the paint products stored at the business, but the store sustained significant water damage.

“The fire was quickly contained, but in all honesty, it was the sprinkler system that did the job,” Robitaille said. “If the fire had spread, it could have been a significant dollar loss.”

Some of the adjoining addresses in the mall, which include Romeo’s Pizza, Enterprise Rent a Car, an AT&T store, P&P Screen Printing and Royal River Baptist Church, sustained smoke damage.

Mutual aid was provided by Cumberland, Freeport and Falmouth. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Honolulu, HI – Fire at sixth-floor apartment unit extinguished by sprinkler system

On Saturday, April 22, the Honolulu Fire Department said they responded to a 911 call at 8:14 p.m.

The call indicated that there was a building fire at the location of the Country Club Village complex in the Moanalua area.

When fire personnel arrived on the scene at 8:18 p.m., they discovered water flowing out from a sixth-floor apartment of a 30-story building.

HPD personnel noticed that while the water was running out of the apartment, there did not seem to be fire or smoke emanating from the building.

Fire personnel made their way to the sixth-floor apartment. When they identified which apartment, they were able to gain access.

HPD confirmed that there were no occupants and proceeded to locate the fire.

However, what they found was not a fire because the sprinkler system had fully extinguished the fire prior to their arrival, according to HPD.

A portion of the fire personnel crew dispatched to cover the fire remained on the scene to secure the sprinklers and prevent more water from flowing into the apartment and the building.

Fire personnel also went the extra mile to assist with removing water from the building so that residents could return to their homes.

HPD did report that the elevator shaft became flooded due to the sprinkler system’s response to the fire, and the building was without elevator car service until the elevator company can repair the water damage and place them back into service.

HPD reported that they closed this case by 11:45 p.m.

HFD fully endorses the use of fire sprinklers to help mitigate the damages that fires can cause, and they have provided a few safety tips to help protect you and your family from a fire.

Ensure that your home has an adequate number of smoke alarms. These are essential for early warning detection of smoke related to fires. Having a warning system is the best way to increase the chances that you and your family have enough time to evacuate.

The HFD link for information on smoke alarms provides detailed information on how to maximize your smoke alarms.

The informational site also provides details on the various types of smoke alarms and the different ways to use them.

Simple Share Buttons