Tag Archives: Indiana

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Evansville, IN – Sprinkler system contains early morning warehouse fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters in Evansville have gotten an early morning warehouse fire under control.

According to Central Dispatch, eight fire units were called to the 100 block of North Kentucky Avenue for a Commercial Structure Fire just after 7 Sunday morning.

They say the sprinkler system kept the fire contained until crews arrived.

Dispatch says that the fire has been tapped out as of 8 a.m., and EFD says they were able to put the fire out around 45 minutes after the 911 call.

Evansville EMA says the fire crews quick work was able to keep the building from being destroyed.

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

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Seymour, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at assisted living facility; No injuries reported

The Seymour Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched to an assisted living facility after reports of a structure fire on Monday at around 12:30 a.m.

Upon arrival, fire crews advanced an attack line while simultaneously executing a room-to-room search of the building to evacuate the residents. Many occupants had already been evacuated by the facility’s staff before SFD arrived. Firefighters and Jackson County EMS helped evacuate one bedridden patient.

Seymour Community Schools Transportation Director Tim Fosbrink provided a bus to transport the residents to a hotel where they were checked into rooms.

Upon investigation, the fire was contained to one room at the facility, and the point of origin was a wall-mounted heat/AC unit that experienced an electrical/mechanical failure. The unit was taken to the Seymour Fire Department for further examination.

The facility’s sprinkler system was activated, and the centralized alarm performed appropriately. There were no reports of injuries, and all residents were accounted for.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Newburgh, IN – Sprinkler system controls fire at business

Fire officials say a Newburgh business fire was controlled by their sprinkler system.

They say it broke out on Monday night around 9:45 p.m. on Prospect Drive.

Officials say the business is InTerraChem LLC.

Ohio Township Fire officials say they were on scene until just after midnight to overhaul and ventilate the building.

They say the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Officials say they were helped by the Boonville Fire Department, Newburgh Volunteer Fire Department, Chandler Volunteer Fire Department, and Warrick County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Terre Haute, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at college; No injuries reported

Crews were called to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology over the weekend for a small fire.

On Sunday, the Terre Haute Fire Department responded to the college and found light smoke coming from a building on campus.

Fire officials said by the time crews made it inside, students had already used three fire extinguishers and the building’s sprinkler system to put out the flames.

The fire started in a grinding and sanding booth and was ruled accidental. No one was hurt.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fort Wayne, IN – Sprinkler system activated for electric bike fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

An electric bike fire contained to a closet set off the sprinkler system in a Fort Wayne apartment building Monday.

The five-story building on Westbrook Drive was occupied at the time of the fire, but no people or pets were injured.

The first Fort Wayne Fire Department unit to respond was directed to a third-floor bicycle closet where they found that an electric bike battery caught fire. It was contained to the closet because of the sprinkler system.

There was minor fire and smoke damage to the building, as well as moderate water damage.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Michigan City, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire in administrative section of hospital; No injuries reported

A fire broke out in an administrative section of a hospital in Michigan City on Wednesday morning.

Because of the fire, there could be a disruption in services at Franciscan Health Michigan City, which is located just outside Michigan City.

The damage wasn’t enough to close the hospital in the area of U.S. 421 and Interstate 94.

“We ask for patience and understanding as some outpatient appointments or procedures may be rescheduled or transferred to other Franciscan locations as we continue to assess the situation and clean up,” said Dean Mazzoni, President and CEO of Franciscan Health Michigan City.

Just after 4 a.m. CST, Michigan City firefighters were first to arrive and later assisted by members of the Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Coolspring Township Assistant Fire Chief Warren Smith said the fire was out in about 10 to 15 minutes with help from an automatic overhead sprinkler system.

Smith said a desk with a surface made of wood caught fire in an office on the 5th floor on the east side of the building.

Mazzoni said that area of the hospital is an administrative area of the outpatient tower.

The flames spread to other furnishings like a metal filing cabinet and chair.

Smith said extinguishers were used to put out the flames but not until water gushing from the sprinkler heads ran down to the fourth and third floors where some of the ceiling tiles absorbing the moisture were sagging

“Those sprinklers can put out a lot of water,” he said.

Mazzoni described the smoke and water damage to the outpatient tower as “significant.”

No structure damage was reported.

Smith said the cause of the fire is not yet known but it could be electrical since there were computers and other electrical devices on and near the desk.

Despite the hospital being outside the city limits in Coolspring Township, Michigan City firefighters also respond to calls from the hospital since they can get there quicker from being a full-time, constantly manned department, according to Smith

Smith said the faster response made a difference in limiting the damage.

“They’re probably there 15 minutes before we can get there,” he said.

Mazzoni said no patients were injured or evacuated as a result of the fire.

Other - Residential, Residential

Evansville, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at shelter

A Thursday night fire at Albion Fellows Bacon Center damaged the shelter and left one employee with smoke inhalation, the organization said.

According to a Friday afternoon news release, “residents have been safely relocated and alternate plans for providing services have been enacted.” Albion has long housed people who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse.

Ashley McReynolds, Albion’s director of advancement, said the fire started around 10:30 p.m. The damage primarily occurred in the kitchen, but there’s also water damage to “several communal living spaces” after the Evansville Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

“We are unsure how long it will take for the shelter to reopen as insurance adjusters, fire department, etc., are still evaluating,” she told the Courier & Press. “But all other services, including our crisis lines and response service, are still operating normally.”

McReynolds provided security camera images that show a thick coil of fire rising from what appears to be a stove. The photo doesn’t show anyone in the room at the time.

The damage was limited thanks to a sprinkler system the organization recently installed after receiving grant funding from the West Side Nut Club, the City of Evansville Endowment fund, and the Brave Heart Foundation, Albion said in a subsequent news release.

The injured employee, who Albion didn’t name, also played a huge role in attempting to put out the fire, as well as evacuating residents and their pets to safety.

The employee is recovering from their injuries and is “being hailed as acting calmly and heroically,” the release states.

Albion will work with the YWCA, Holly’s House and others to continue to provide shelter to women and men in need while restoration efforts are underway. All other services are still up and running.

Apartment Building, Residential

Columbus, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A residential sprinkler system limited fire damage at a Columbus apartment complex on Monday night.

Columbus Fire Department investigators said that the fire was caused by an improperly discarded cigarette, said Capt. Mike Wilson, fire department spokesman.

At about 6:47 p.m., Columbus firefighters were called to the St. Barts Apartments, 745 Sycamore St., for a fire alarm activation. When the first arriving firefighters arrived on the scene, they reported water flowing from a third floor balcony.

Firefighters used a ground ladder to gain access to the balcony and found an activated sprinkler head, smoldering cardboard boxes and minor fire damage on the exterior of the apartment. Firefighters moved the charred debris to allow water from the sprinkler to extinguish hot spots located within the empty cardboard boxes. When firefighters were sure that hot embers were fully extinguished, firefighters stopped the flow of water from the sprinkler system.

Columbus Fire Department investigators spoke to the apartment’s tenant, who shared that he had been smoking on the balcony approximately 30 minutes prior to the sprinkler system activation. The apartment’s tenant told fire investigators the he was storing empty cardboard boxes on the patio from a recent move.

Fire investigators determined that the tenant had been using an empty cardboard box to discard used cigarettes. The tenant told investigators that he believed he had fully extinguished the cigarette before discarding the cigarette in one of the empty boxes. Investigators have classified the fire as accidental in nature as a result of the improper disposal of smoking materials. Damage to the property is estimated at less than $5,000. No injuries were reported.

The fire incident commander, Capt. Dave Dwyer, said that the sprinkler system operated appropriately and helped to avert a more significant fire. “ With plenty of fuel and oxygen, the fire could have easily spread to other combustible materials or potentially entered the living space, if not for the sprinkler system,” said Dwyer said. The Columbus Fire Department has responded to two fire incidents in the past week that were extinguished by automatic sprinkler systems.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Indianapolis, IN – Sprinkler system contains fire at shopping center; No injuries reported

Investigators are looking into the cause of a fire early Tuesday morning at a shopping center on Indianapolis’ north side. 

Shortly after 4 a.m. Jan. 9, firefighters responded to the Glendale Town Center, near North Keystone Avenue and East 62nd Street, for a fire alarm.

Crews found smoke and eventually discovered a small fire in a utility room inside a hallway that connects the Glendale branch of the Indianapolis Public Library and a Staples store.

The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire to the room, and the fire was brought under control around 5:15 a.m., IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith told 13News.

Significant smoke was found inside the Staples store and the library.

“It is unclear what time Target, Staples or the Library will open for the day,” Reith said in a statement. “None of the businesses sustained damage other than some water damage.”

No injuries were reported.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Vincennes, IN – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at school; No injuries reported

An electrical issue with a dishwasher reportedly led to a fire Tuesday evening at Vincennes Lincoln High School.

The fire caused officials to activate an e-learning day for students Wednesday while crews worked to clean up the incident.

According to a release from the Vincennes Community School Corporation, thanks to the hard work of a number of staff members and partner organizations the school will return to in-person instruction on Thursday.

VCSC officials said the kitchen will take a week or so to get back up and running, in the meantime, food preparation will take place in a temporary satellite kitchen. Students will receive their breakfast and lunches in sack format until the kitchen is returned to normal operations.

No injuries were reported due to the fire, and officials said they take satisfaction in knowing the sprinkler system in place had most of the fire out by the time firefighters arrived on scene.

Evening activities will take place at Lincoln High School as scheduled Wednesday evening. The Knox County Health Department has given the organization the all-clear to return to the building.

“Please also know that the facility is safe and free of any smoke or water damage. If the facility were not safe, we would not return students, staff, and patrons to the building. But again, we thank the Knox County Health Department for doing their due diligence that allows us to return to the facility,” the release reads.

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