Tag Archives: Florida

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Stuart, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at manufacturing facility

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The State Marshal is investigating after a business caught fire in Martin County Saturday night.

Martin County Fire Rescue responded to a fire alarm going off at Paradigm Precision on SE Commerce Ave. in Stuart shortly after 7:30 p.m.

Five stations aided at the scene after the first crews that arrived noticed a smell of light smoke.

Inside the building, they discovered a small fire near a table.

Fire rescue reports the sprinkler system was a critical aid in keeping the tableside fire in check.

They also praise the working fire alarm and sprinkler system as “critical in reducing damage in this incident.”

Other Business, Place of Worship

Lehigh Acres, FL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at church

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The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a fire at Victory Church in Lehigh Acres early Thursday morning.

Crews responded to the scene on Taylor Lane around 3:55 a.m.

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Once crews arrived, they said the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire in the sanctuary.

Firefighters said there is smoke damage throughout the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The state’s Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives is assisting in the investigation.

The church staff is working to notify families that their daycare and school will be closed on Thursday.

Apartment Building, Residential

Jacksonville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire inside 4-story apartment building; No injuries reported

St. Johns County Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Grand Cypress apartments Sunday night.

Fire rescue said the fire happened inside a bathroom at a 4-story apartment in the 300 block of Grand Cypress Drive.

The fire was already partially extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system once fire rescue arrived on the scene. Firefighters extinguished what was left of the fire.

No victims were located and no injuries have been reported, fire rescue said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Sandestin, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at resort and spa; No injuries reported

A fire broke out Monday at a local resort and spa in Sandestin.

South Walton Fire District officials say around midnight, crews arrived on-scene to an electrical fire at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa, on the 6th floor of the Spa tower.

The fire suppression system in the room had reportedly contained the fire, but smoke was still present on several floors.

Firefighters say the fire’s room of origin was accessed with the help of resort staff, securing the sprinkler system, evacuating guests, and extinguishing any other signs of the fire.

SWFD says no firefighters or civilians were injured, but the fire caused damage to the tower’s electrical system, and water damage was sustained from the sprinklers.

Guests staying in the damaged tower were reportedly relocated to other rooms for safety as the tower needed to be repaired.

Fire officials would also like to urge any business owners who want to learn about fire suppression systems or request an inspection in the area to contact SWFD Fire and Life Safety Division via email at lifesafety@swfd.org.

Apartment Building, Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Gainesville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for two separate residential fires

Early this morning, Monday, March 4, 2024, Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) firefighters were called for two working building fires back to back.

Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the area of 6000 NW 26th Street, just before 6:04 a.m.  Firefighters arrived on scene in just under five minutes and immediately began extinguishing the fire and searching for victims. The 27 firefighters who responded had the fire extinguished within 4 minutes of arrival. Building damage was limited mostly to the apartment of origin. Damage to an adjacent apartment was minimal. No civilian or firefighter injuries resulted from this fire. Two neighbors were displaced. The fire is under investigation.

While firefighters were finishing up at the first fire, a second multi-family residential building fire was reported at 6:23 a.m. near the 3000 block of NE 28th Drive (GRACE Marketplace). Firefighters arrived on scene in six minutes to find the building full of smoke and immediately began efforts to locate the fire and search for victims.

Prior to the arrival of firefighters, the building’s fire sprinkler system controlled fire growth, allowing occupants time to escape and limiting building damage. The 27 firefighters who responded completed extinguishing the fire within 10 minutes of arrival. The fire caused minimal damage to the building. One civilian suffered a very minor injury, and no firefighter injuries were reported. Ten neighbors were displaced.

The fire appears to have been caused by several charging battery packs.  Fires caused by batteries and battery chargers are a growing problem. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you avoid charging a device under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch, and do not keep charging the device or battery once it is fully charged.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Gainesville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for dumpster fire in garage; No injuries reported

There are no injuries after a building fire in Gainesville early Tuesday morning.

Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to the Hub at 1258 Northwest 3rd Avenue. First arriving crews reported smoke coming from the parking garage.

The fire was located in a dumpster on the first floor of the garage. The building sprinkler system held the fire in place until crews extinguished it.

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

Police are questioning one person of interest.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Lake Worth Beach, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-family residential building; No injuries reported

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said it responded to the 6300 block of Pinestead Drive at 10:50 a.m. after a report of a high-rise structure fire.

Firefighters found a three-story multi-family residential building with smoke showing from the first floor.

The fire department said once its personnel entered the building, the fire sprinkler system in the building prevented the fire from going beyond the room where it was started.

Fire personnel brought the flames under control and reported no injuries because of the incident.

The Red Cross said it is providing emergency financial assistance, health services and other resources to people affected.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Riviera Beach, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at elementary school; No injuries reported

An overheated kiln in an art room at Lincoln Elementary School set off a fire sprinkler in the classroom just as students lined up for dismissal, the School District of Palm Beach County said.

All students and staff were evacuated safely out of the building, while Riviera Beach Fire Rescue responded and gave the all clear, the district said in a message to parents.

The evacuation delayed dismissal by up to 20 minutes and some some classrooms sustained water damage, this district said.

As a result, the school’s open house that was scheduled for Wednesday evening has been postponed.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Ocala, FL – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hotel

A 16-year-old girl has been arrested after setting a couch on fire at a hotel and causing guests to be evacuated early in the morning following a fight with her mother, police say.

Ocala Fire Rescue in Ocala, Florida — located some 80 miles northwest of Orlando — received a call Tuesday at approximately 3:24 a.m. to reports of a structure fire at the Hilton Ocala hotel located on 3600 SW 36th Ave.

“Units arrived at the nine-story hotel to find audible and visual alarms, an active sprinkler system, and Ocala Police Department members assisting guests in evacuating the premises,” Ocala Fire Rescue said in a statement on social media.

Firefighters encountered “moderate smoke” as they entered the lobby of the hotel and began to make their way down a first-floor hallway near the banquet rooms to try and find the source of the fire which was worsening as they approached, authorities said.

“Using a thermal imaging camera, crews located the seat of the fire,” Ocala Fire Rescue said. “In conjunction with the sprinkler system, crews used a water can to smother the flames, which consumed a couch and scorched an adjacent wall.”

The fire was extinguished entirely within seven minutes of arrival, officials said, but given the deliberate nature of the blaze, the Ocala Police Department treated the fire as arson.

Following a brief investigation, Ocala Police ended up arresting a 16-year-old girl who was visiting from Peoria, Illinois. Police said she allegedly started the fire after fighting with her mother, though authorities did not say what caused the fight and what could have led her to allegedly set a sofa on fire in the building because of it.

“The damage to the hotel is estimated to be a couple hundred thousand dollars,” Ocala Police said. “Thankfully, no one was injured … and hotel guests were able to return to their rooms the same morning.”

Authorities credited an effective evacuation plan carried out by hotel staff in the early hours of the morning for helping to keep the situation under control and the estimated 320 guests safe.

The teenage girl has been charged with arson and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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.

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