Tag Archives: Iowa

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Clear Lake, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel

A Clear Lake hotel was evacuated Saturday after a trash can fire caused smoke to fill the second floor and fire alarms to sound.

According to the Clear Lake Police Department, At approximately 12:19 PM on Saturday, the Clear Lake Police Department received an automatic fire alarm call at Fairfield Inn Hotel at 1401 Bayou Road in Clear Lake.

CLPD said moments later, employees reported a fire in a trash container on a housekeeping custodial cart in the hallway of the 2nd floor at the hotel.

As the alarms were sounding, staff at the Fairfield Inn began evacuating the hotel. When Clear Lake Fire Department arrived, firefighters searched the 2nd floor, and encountered the smoke-filled hallway. CLFD personnel found a trash container on the custodial cart used by the hotel housekeeping staff had burned out.  The cart was located directly under the hotel sprinkler system. The fire activated the sprinkler head helping to put the fire out prior to CLFD’s arrival.

According to CLFD Captain Tom Hartwig, Jr. the sprinkler system did its job, quickly stopping the spread of the fire.

Crews worked to check for fire extension in the ceiling and clear the 2nd floor of smoke. Once cleared, the hotel staff and guests were allowed to return inside.

CLFD responded with one ladder company, two engine companies along with two ambulances and one command truck for a total of 14 CLFD personnel. The CLFD was assisted on scene by the Clear Lake Police Department. The fire remains under investigation. Damage was contained to the 2nd floor with smoke and water damage from the sprinkler activation.  Estimated damages are $5000.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Waukee, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at movie theater

Crews responded to a fire Thursday morning at The Palms Theatres & IMAX in Waukee.

Fire chief Clint Robinson told KCCI towels caught on fire in a mechanical room around 8 a.m. and triggered sprinklers at the complex, located at 200 NE Westgate Dr.

An employee on the scene said they don’t believe the fire caused any structural damage, but there is some smoke and water damage. They expected to reopen Thursday afternoon.

Apartment Building, Residential

Cedar Rapids, IA – Fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department is investigating into the cause of an apartment fire.

Emergency crews arrived at the complex on 59 Miller Ave SE Friday at around 7:00 p.m. to see the fire already put out from the building’s sprinkler system.

The firefighters say the sprinkler system was crucial in preventing the flames from spreading.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Department Store, Retail

West Des Moines, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Kohl’s Department Store; No injuries reported

Two teens have been charged in connection to a fire at the Kohl’s Department Store over the weekend.

At around 2:04 p.m. Saturday firefighters with the West Des Moines Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at the Kohl’s in the 6500 block of Mills Civic Parkway. When firefighters arrived on scene they found a merchandise rack had caught fire, but was extinguished by the sprinkler system. No injuries were reported.

A joint investigation between the fire department and the West Des Moines Police Department was launched after the cause of the fire was deemed suspicious. As a result of the investigation, two 15-year-old boys have been charged with first degree arson.

The fire department said the store sustained smoke and water damage.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Cedar Rapids, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in warehouse; No injuries reported

Firefighters responded to a fire at a warehouse in Cedar Rapids on Sunday evening.

In a press release, crews said they were alerted to the fire by a sprinkler alarm at about 7:30 p.m. at a multi-unit commercial warehouse, located in the 800 block of 33rd Avenue Southwest.

Crews forced entry through the door and found significant smoke. Water was also flowing from the building.

After extinguishing the fire, crews worked to ventilate the building.

There was fire and water damage to the contents of one of the units in the building, along with smoke damage to that unit and the adjacent units.

No one was in the building at the time of the fire.

Firefighters did not say what may have caused the fire. It remains under investigation.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Bettendorf, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at manufacturing company

The Bettendorf Fire Department responded to a fire Monday afternoon at a manufacturing company that left one person injured.

Crews say they responded to Greystone Logistics, 2600 Shoreline Drive, for a fire that was contained to a piece of manufacturing equipment and was extinguished primarily by the sprinkler system while firefighters checked for extension in and around the equipment.

Crews also said they performed search and rescue operations for the entire building because the fire and heat were significant enough to cause flow from eight sprinkler heads in the area.

All employees were evacuated to the outside where accountability was provided by management and confirmed by fire personnel through search operations, according to a media release. One employee was injured in the fire and was taken to a local hospital. No additional information on their condition is being provided at this time.

Crews say the factory is shut down from any manufacturing until the sprinkler system is restored to normal working conditions. Restoration efforts are underway.

According to the media release, Rock Island Arsenal Fire Department, Riverdale Fire Department, Local Restoration Company, and Local Sprinkler Company responded to the incident.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Davenport, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in commercial building; No injuries reported

The Davenport Fire Department is investigating a fire that broke out in a commercial building Monday.

Davenport firefighters responded at 1:27 p.m. to the 2600 block of Research Parkway.

The caller was an employee of the business who said a semi-trailer was on fire inside the building, fire officials said.

Firefighters noted heavy smoke coming from several overhead doors in the large commercial building.

Crews got the fire under control in about 15 minutes and stayed on the scene for a couple of hours to shut down the sprinkler system and remove smoke from the building, fire officials said.

A large portion of the building sustained heavy heat, smoke, and water damage. The building was open for business at the time of the fire but all occupants made it out safely before the fire department arrived, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fort Dodge, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system extinguished a fire in a downtown Fort Dodge apartment building Tuesday morning. No one was injured.

A report of a fire alarm activated at Central Place Apartments, 629 Central Ave., was received at 9:17 a.m.

Police officers who were first on the scene reported smoke on the second floor of the six-story building.

Fire Department Capt. Jeff Hill said the source of the smoke was determined to be apartment 202. There, he said, three sprinkler heads activated and extinguished a fire that was burning a chair and some cushions.

Firefighters searched the apartment for people and put out a couple of hot spots. They also ventilated smoke from the apartment.

Police officers helped to evacuate residents of the other apartments. Those residents were allowed to go inside next door at Citizens Central.

Hill said the occupant of the apartment was home when the fire started, but was able to get out into the hallway.

Apartment 202 sustained smoke, fire and water damage, while the apartment below it sustained water damage.

The American Red Cross is assisting the resident of the fire-damaged apartment, Hill said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Emergency personnel were on the scene until 11 a.m.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Waterloo, IA – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at distribution facility

Firefighters extinguished a blaze at a Waterloo warehouse company on Wednesday evening.

The blaze at Standard Distribution’s facility at 2251 Westfield Ave. broke out shortly before 5 p.m. when an outlet used to charge forklifts apparently overheated, according to Waterloo Fire Rescue officials.

The fire started to burn into a wall. An employee noticed the fire and attempted to douse it with an extinguisher, officials said. The facility was evacuated.

The fire triggered the building’s sprinkler system, which held it in check until firefighters finished it off.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Muscatine, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at nursing facility; No injuries reported

No one was injured after firefighters were called to a nursing facility in Muscatine on Monday night, according to a news release.

The Muscatine Joint Communications Center (MUSCOM) received a 911 call about 6:30 p.m. Monday for a possible electrical fire in a room at Addington Place, 3515 Diana Queen Drive, a nursing facility in Muscatine, the release says.

“All of our first responders did a great job,” Battalion Chief Ted Hillard said. “I just cannot say enough about them along with the great support we received from the Fruitland firefighters especially since we had to break off some of our crew to answer other calls.”

Upon arrival at Addington Place, fire crews found smoke in a resident’s room with smoke starting to fill up the hallway. The fire sprinkler system activated when fire crews entered the room and the fire was extinguished. The resident was checked for any injuries and the firefighters on scene ensured that the fire was completely out.

All residents were evacuated and accounted for during the fire suppression effort, a news release says.

The sprinkler system for that hallway of the facility was shut down until the sprinkler company was able to respond and make needed repairs to the system. A recovery company was on scene to mitigate water damage. The fire was contained to a heating unit and the area directly above. 

Because the sprinkler system responded exactly as designed there were no injuries and the damage was limited to the one residential unit.

The on-scene investigation is complete. A final cause has yet to be determined but it does appear to be an accidental fire, the release says. The initial fire loss estimate is $10,000. The resident in that room was moved to another room in the facility and “was not externally displaced,” the release says.

The Muscatine Police Department and Muscatine County EMA responded with the initial call. The Muscatine Fire Department was also assisted by fire crews from the Fruitland Fire Department. Approximately 20 firefighters responded to the fire. There were no injuries to any of the responders.

It was a busy evening for the fire department starting with a medical call before the response to Addington Place, the release says. Just 20 minutes after arriving at the fire scene, the Muscatine Station Two engine and firefighters were cut loose from Addington Place to a vehicle fire in the 2100 block of Hershey Avenue, according to the release.

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