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.
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.
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.
Sarasota Battalion Chief Christopher Davis said flames broke out in the jail’s first floor kitchen just after 7 a.m. The victim was transported to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital. At this time, it is unclear if the victim was an employee or an inmate.
He said the sprinkler system inside the building helped put out much of the fire before crews arrived. While no evacuations were made, Davis explained that jail staff kept a close eye on inmates while first responders checked out all portions of the building to make certain the fire was completely out.
The SCFD stated that the State Fire Marshal’s office was notified about the blaze inside of the jail. The fire was out before they were on the scene.
The fire was an accidental cooking fire caused by grease, according to Sarasota County’s communications director.
This is an ongoing investigation.
About 50 firefighters arrived to St. Joseph Residence, off Northwest 30th Street, to help evacuate nearly 30 residents, a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) news release said.
Just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters were met with smoke and a small fire in a room on the third floor of the facility. The flame was apparently caused by an unattended candle, but the sprinkler system inside the building kept it at bay.
The news release said most of the evacuated residents live on the second, third and fourth floors and were experiencing smoke and water damage from the sprinklers.
Only two residents needed medical transport, but their conditions were stable as of last night, per BSFR.
Officials say the fire was contained with the help of a sprinkler system inside the kitchen.
One employee received minor injuries related to smoke inhalation. The business will be closed for the remainder of the day.
TIFR is working with the restaurant to assist them in opening back up on Saturday.
On Saturday, March 18, units from the Maitland Fire Rescue responded to Lake Shadow Circle in the Visconti neighborhood after reports of a fire.
According to officials, the fire broke out in the kitchen and quickly triggered the interior sprinkler system.
The sprinkler system contained the fire to the interior kitchen area.
No injuries were reported by authorities.
The Coral Gables Fire Department responded to a blaze on the campus of the University of Miami.
It happened Sunday afternoon after officials said a fire sparked in a science classroom.
According to Coral Gables Fire, the building sprinkler system was able to put out the flames and contain it to its room of origin.
Firefighters said chemicals were involved, so a City of Miami Hazmat team was deployed to monitor air quality as an additional precaution.
Hazmat officials gave an all clear, indicating that the chemicals in the fire were contained and did not spread, and they are no longer present.
No injuries were reported.
These firefighters saved the day in more ways than one.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to a report of a fire at a hair salon in South Florida on Friday.
The building had to be evacuated after a dryer caught fire, setting off the fire alarm and sprinkler system.
But for one client in the hair salon, time was of the essence, firefighters said.
“She had chemicals in her hair that had to be washed out on time,” the fire department wrote.
Once firefighters determined that the situation was under control, they ran a hose from the water in their fire engine to make sure the hairstylist could properly rinse her client’s hair.
“This is a first! What you have to do when the building catches on fire and clients have color in their hair,” one woman from the salon can be heard saying in the video on the agency’s Facebook page. “Thank you, Palm Beach County Fire Department!”
Firefighters said the building’s sprinkler system put out the dryer fire, and no one was injured.
An investigation is underway after a fire broke out inside a Miami apartment building.
It happened along 79th Street and Northeast Bayshore Court, at around 8 p.m., Monday.
Miami Fire Rescue and Police discovered illegal drugs once they got inside the unit.
They also said the building’s sprinkler system put out the flames before they arrived.
No injuries were reported.
There is no word on any arrests made.
