Tag Archives: Iowa

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Davenport, IA – Overnight fire at memory care center put out by sprinkler system

A fire was sparked inside a resident’s room at the Country Manor Memory Care in Davenport on West 46th Street. It happened around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14, Fire Chief Paul Hartman said. The fire was contained and put out quickly by the building’s sprinkler system. Everyone in the building is safe. It’s unclear what started the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Waterloo, IA – Apartment fire put out by sprinkler system while woman and infant were asleep in bedroom

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An automatic alarm that alerted firefighters to an apartment fire likely saved the lives of a Waterloo woman and her infant child, according to fire officials. Waterloo Fire Rescue was called to 3855 Pineview Place in Waterloo on Thursday evening for an automatic alarm going off. They found a woman and baby asleep in the bedroom of the apartment when they arrived. Fire crews also found a stove-top fire had been put out by the apartment’s kitchen sprinkler, which activated and extinguished the fire before it could spread, according to Waterloo Fire Marshal Chris Ferguson. The woman and baby were treated for unspecified injuries. The cause of the fire was a burner that had accidentally been left on, according to Ferguson.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Spencer, IA – Sprinkler system extinguished fire sparks at hospital; No injuries reported

Staff were cleaning areas of Spencer Hospital Tuesday impacted by smoke damage from a small equipment fire Monday night.

Hospital officials said they hope to reopen the surgical center, the area of the hospital where the fire broke out, later this week. Scheduled procedures were canceled Tuesday and Wednesday. All other hospital services were available Tuesday.

“Caring for our patients is always our number one priority and today we also had team members busy cleaning areas within the hospital which were impacted by smoke damage, sterilizing equipment and replacing linens,” Spencer Hospital President Bill Bumgarner said in a statement Tuesday.

Bumgarner said the surgical center will reopen once a deep-cleaning process is completed and approval is received from the state fire marshal’s office and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which oversees healthcare facilities in the state.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, a hospital staff member in the surgical equipment sterilization area smelled smoke and noticed sparks escaping from one of the washer units. A fire alarm was pulled and the sparks were extinguished by the sprinkler system by the time firefighters arrived. Due to the spread of smoke in other areas of the hospital, 16 patients were transferred to neighboring facilities. No one was injured as a result of the fire.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Burlington, IA – Oven fire in food processing facility controlled by sprinkler system

The Burlington Fire Department responded to an oven fire at Shearer’s Foods at 11:38 p.m. Thursday.

Fire Marshal Mark Crooks said firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from the building and found cracker dough burning on a conveyor inside one of the large commercial ovens.

According to a press release, the fire was caused by “a malfunction of the conveyor system.”

A sprinkler had already activated above the oven, and firefighters and employees worked together to put out the rest of the fire.

Employees were evacuated during the fire, and no one was injured. The building was not damaged.

Firefighters stayed on scene until a little after 2 a.m.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Waterloo, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at plastic recycling business

Firefighters extinguished a fire at a Waterloo plastic recycling business and vented smoke from the building Tuesday night.

About 25 people were working at Green Line Polymers, 300 Ansborough Ave., when the fire broke out in a bale of plastics around 5:55 p.m.

The business was evacuated, and the building’s sprinkler system held the fire in check until Waterloo firefighters arrived and finished it off.

No injuries were reported.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fort Dodge, IA – Paint booth fire at manufacturing plant contained by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire ignited inside a paint booth at the Josephson Manufacturing Co. plant in Fort Dodge late Wednesday night. A sprinkler system confined the flames to the booth. No one was injured. Police and firefighters were called to the plant at 216 Central Ave. at about 11 p.m. because the fire alarm, burglar alarm and sprinkler system all activated. Smoke was coming out of the building in several places when firefighters arrived, according to Fire Department Capt. Jeff Hill. He said firefighters forced open the front door and pulled a hoseline inside.

“The sprinkler system kept the fire contained in the paint booth until we could get a crew inside to extinguish what was burning,“ Hill said. “It was pretty thick smoke. They had zero visibility going in there.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Marshalltown, IA – Early morning fire at manufacturing facility contained by sprinkler system

The Marshalltown Fire Department responded to a manufacturing facility filled with smoke early Tuesday morning. Around 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Marshalltown Fire Department was dispatched to Bruin Manufacturing located at 607 N 4th Avenue for an automatic fire alarm. Upon arrival, fire crews found nothing visible from the exterior and water flowing from a sprinkler drain on the front of the building. Upon entry to the building, it was found to be charged with smoke.

Once suppression equipment was in place, the entry team found a single machine on fire with a sprinkler head activated above the fire keeping the fire contained. Fire personnel extinguished the remaining fire with a single attack line without incident. The fire was caused by a hydraulic line failure and ignition of the petroleum based hydraulic fluid. The building was not occupied at the time of the fire, there were no injuries associated with the incident. Marshalltown Police, Unity Point EMS, and Alliant Energy assisted at the scene. Fire Department units were at the scene for approximately 90 minutes

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Clear Lake, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire in condominium; No injuries reported

A stove top grease fire at a condominium complex was put out before firefighters could arrive Monday night. The Clear Lake Fire Department was called to The Harborage Pilot House on North Shore Drive around 8:44 pm. Three engine companies, 18 firefighters, and one ambulance responded, with another engine company and five firefighters from Ventura being sent for mutual aid.

When they arrived at the scene, fire department officials determined a pot of grease on a stove had ignited. The heat activated the sprinkler system and extinguished the flames.

An estimated $5,000 in water, smoke, and heat damage was done to one condo, with some water damaged to that floor and the floors below. All residents were able to evacuate and no one was injured.

The Clear Lake Police Department also assisted at the scene.

Other - Manufacturing

Sioux City, IA – Fire at Cargill facility caused by discarded cigarette contained with help from sprinkler system

It was a discarded cigarette that started a fire at Cargill Tuesday evening.  But, that fire never made it inside. However, there is heavy smoke damage to the outside of the building.  This all happened just before six o’clock Tuesday evening. A truck driver noticed smoke and activated the fire alarm.  The sprinklers activated – No one was hurt.

We talked to fire officials who tell us a discarded cigarette in a disposal container started on fire spreading to a nearby bench. But, they say it could’ve much worse.  “A truck driver just leaving the mill out on the South end of the building is the one that discovered the fire. He ran into the building, activated the alarm and notified the staff inside the building,” said Fire Captain Ryan Collins.  The sprinkler system was restored and everything is back in operation. No injuries to Cargill staff, or the 20 firefighters who responded, were reported.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Ames, IA – Sprinkler system activated at Resource Recovery plant

The Ames Fire Department responded to a fire on Friday morning at the Resource Recovery refuse derived fuel (RDF) bin, located at the corner of East Third Street and East Avenue.

An Ames electric services employee saw smoke and fire coming from the top of the bin and contacted emergency services. Fire crews arrived and extinguished the fire within the bin. Crews remained onsite on Friday to assist with clean up and to monitor hot spots. No injuries were reported.

While the cause of the fire hadn’t been determined Friday, it was reported by electric service employees that the fire was on top of the bin, meaning there was likely a hot material that was transferred to the RDF bin. Materials are transferred to the bin from items dropped off at Resource Recovery System, such as batteries, car tires, hazardous waste and other chemicals.

Paul Sandoval, Ames Deputy Fire Chief, said it does not appear the fire was caused by a mechanical issue.

Sprinkler systems within the bin were activated when the fire started. According to Ames Electrical Services Director Don Kom, the fire department was contacted for additional water and to completely soak the bin. At this time, known damage includes electrical components within the bin, according to Sandoval. Other possible damage is still being investigated.

“We’re now going back in and checking systems to see what’s working and not working. We are making sure that beyond the electrical system, the equipment — especially the augers — are functioning. It will just take us a little while to work through that process,” Kom said in a news release.

Electric services employees were assessing the damage on Friday.