Tag Archives: Georgia

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Duluth, GA – Cooking fire at Extended Stay America hotel extinguished by sprinkler system

A Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said firefighters were called to the Extended Stay America at 3390 Venture Parkway at 3:38 p.m. to respond to a fire on the third floor, only to find a second fire had also broken out on the hotel’s sixth floor.

“Crews made their way up to the third floor to find that a fire had occurred inside the room and that an occupant had extinguished the fire prior to (the fire department’s) arrival,” Lt. Jerrod Barrett said. “During the firefighter’s investigation, one of the occupants of the sixth floor told (the fire department) that she may have left food on the stove inside their room.

“Crews made their way up to the sixth floor room and found a small fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system,” he added. Barrett said the fires did not spread to any walls or the ceilings of the rooms where they occurred. Damage in the building was mostly caused by water emitted by the hotel’s sprinkler system, he added. Investigators have not determined a cause for the fire and it remains under investigation, the spokesman said.

People who were staying on the first through fourth floors were allowed to return to their rooms, except for the occupants of one room that was damaged. Barrett said people who stayed on the fifth and sixth floors will be displaced because of the damage, however.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Valdosta, GA – Sprinkler system knocks down kitchen fire at restaurant

Fire crews responded to a kitchen fire at the Beijing Cafe restaurant just before 12:00 noon on August 17, 2015.  Fire crews say they arrived five minutes after the call came in at 11:39am, to find smoke and heavy fire in the kitchen area. They say some of the fire was knocked down by the activation of the sprinkler system.  According to the Valdosta Fire Department, the 18 firefighters who arrived were able to contain the fire to the kitchen in just 12 minutes.  No injuries were reported.  Firefighters believe the fire was an accident and was caused by cooking.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Dallas, GA – Sprinklers help douse fire in high school chemistry lab

A small fire occurred in a chemistry lab at Paulding County High School Thursday, the school district said on Facebook.

The Paulding County School District said in a post to parents that students were evacuated into gymnasium areas. No injuries were reported. No fire damage was reported, but water from the sprinkler system did cause some damage.

Here’s the school district’s Facebook post:

Parents of PCHS students: There was a small fire in one of PCHS’s chem labs today. Students were evacuated and moved into the gyms due to a severe weather alerts. The fire did not cause any damage, but there is some water damage from the overhead sprinkler system. We are working quickly to make the necessary repairs.

Thanks to Paulding County Fire & EMA and our district maintenance department who responded quickly to the incident.

Our safety procedures were followed and there were no injuries from the fire. Thanks to all involved for their cooperation and quick thinking during this situation.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

LaGrange, GA – Fire at Piggly Wiggly grocery store controlled by sprinkler system

Police and fire personnel responded to a fire about 6 a.m. Tuesday at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store at 1861 Roanoke Road. No one was injured in the blaze, which triggered the evacuation of the store’s employees. No customers were inside the building at the time, according to Chris Taylor, a public information officer for the LaGrange Fire Department.

LaGrange fire and police, along with the Troup County Sheriff’s deputies, responded to the scene. Initially, emergency dispatchers received calls that someone was possibly trapped in the room, but those reports turned out to be false, Taylor said. Taylor said the fire started in the back portion of the store in a utility area.

“There was a problem with the backup generator in the mechanical room,” he said. The fire was controlled by an automatic sprinkler system that activated, but firefighters still had to use hoses and water to extinguish secondary fires that also burned.

Officials with Georgia Power also responded to the scene, Taylor said. The LaGrange Fire Department is investigating the fire, but Taylor said no foul play is suspected and the preliminary cause of the blaze is expected to be either mechanical or electrical. Taylor expected a full report and information to be released by LFD this afternoon.

Taylor said the fire did not burn anywhere but the utility room. “We’re glad that the store wasn’t in regular operation when the fire occurred,” Taylor said. The Daily News attempted to call Piggly Wiggly several times this morning for comment, but its phone lines were busy.

 

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Newnan, GA – Potential arson fire at pilates studio controlled by sprinkler system

Authorities with the Newnan Fire Department and the Newnan Police Department are investigating a suspicious fire that severely damaged a Newnan business early Tuesday.

The fire started about 4:20 a.m., shortly after someone was seen banging on the door of The Pilates Loft on Field Street, located in the historic cotton mill, witnesses told detectives. According to Sgt. Brent Blankenship with the police department, witnesses said they saw a Caucasian person carrying a red container, possibly a gasoline can, and they thought they saw the person pour the can around the business. The person then fled in a white vehicle, and flames soon appeared inside the building.

The fire inside The Pilates Loft did not last very long because the sprinkler system in the building kicked on quickly from the heat. By the time the Newnan Fire Department arrived, the fire was mostly contained and firefighters were able to quickly control the fire, but the business sustained heat and smoke damage.

During the investigation, detectives found one of The Pilates Loft’s windows had been shattered, which is possibly where the suspect poured the can into the building, Blankenship said. Because of this, authorities are treating the fire as an arson investigation. According to Blankenship, witnesses said the person may have been a man, but detectives are not certain of that at this time.

Evidence gathered by authorities is also being sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab to determine if an accelerant was used to start the fire, Blankenship said. If so, the crime will be considered arson.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Murrieta, CA – Sprinkler system helps keep fire from spreading at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant

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A fire that triggered the sprinkler system at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Murrieta caused enough water damage to force the closure of the restaurant this weekend. The fire, at 40484 Murrieta Hot Springs Road, was reported early last week around 4:45 a.m., according to the Murrieta Fire Department. It appeared to have been sparked by the deep fryer, which may have been left on overnight. A sign on the building says the restaurant is closed because of water damage. Callers to the restaurant can hear a brief phone message that says the location is closed because of a fire.

Hospital/Care Facility, Other - Hospital/Medical

Valdosta, GA – Laundry fire at health care facility suppressed by sprinkler system

Laundry which overheated in a commercial dryer caused a fire at Pruitt Health at Crestwood at 415 Pendleton Place on Sunday about 6:30. VFD Captain James Clinkscales said that fire personnel responded to a structure fire with sprinkler activation, and the small laundry room fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system. Fire crews assisted with the evacuation and water removal.

Fourteen firefighters responded to the scene and were able to control the incident quickly, and no one in the facility was displaced by this incident, and no injuries were reported. 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Valdosta, GA – Sprinklers contain hotel fire caused by suspected meth lab

A man and woman have been arrested after a fire broke out in a room of a Valdosta motel Wednesday, and police are saying the pair was attempting to make methamphetamine.  At 12:02 p.m., the Valdosta Fire Department responded to the InTown Suites located at 1558 Baytree Road after receiving a fire call from Lowndes 911.

Firefighters on the scene located and extinguished a fire located in the bathroom of room 243. The fire was contained by the building’s sprinkler system, and no one was injured.  Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, investigation of the incident was turned over to the Valdosta Police Department, according to VFD Captain James Clinkscales.

Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, the motel was evacuated. The Lowndes/Valdosta Convention Center, the Wood Valley Community Center and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel provided shelter and refreshments to more than 30 evacuees. Residents were allowed to return to the motel later Wednesday afternoon, with officials saying the damage was isolated to the one room.

The Lowndes County Narcotics Unit assisted the Valdosta Police Department with the removal and disposal of chemicals found in the room.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Evans, GA – Tractor fire at construction business doused by sprinkler system

A tractor fire at Flint Construction & Forestry, just off William Few Parkway, was out pretty quickly.  In fact, according to fire crews, the sprinkler system did most of their work before they even arrived.  There was only one employee in the building and they alerted the alarm company, which then called for firefighters.  They don’t know what caused the tractor to catch fire but believe it may have been some sort of electrical short.  There were no injuries or significant damage to report.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Albany, GA – Sprinklers control fire at bedding manufacturer; Fire started in stored bales of cardboard

Firefighters responded to the call of a structure around 9:15 Monday morning at Jamison Bedding Manufacturing building.  Battalion Chief Keith Ambrose says the first arriving unit noticed smoke coming from vents in the building.

Ambrose says stored bales of cardboard were on fire and that crews were able to put the fire out within five minutes. “The sprinkler system activated, which saved us a lot of work and kept the fire in check until we could get here and extinguish it,” said Ambrose.

No injuries were reported. Foul play is not suspected but the cause of fire is under investigation.