Tag Archives: Iowa

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant, Retail, Shopping Mall

Ottumwa, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire in strip mall

A fire alarm and the smell of smoke kicked the Ottumwa Fire Department into action. They arrived at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at 1111 N. Quincy Ave. in Quincy Plaza.

However, a press release from the city says that when firefighters arrived on scene, they found no active fire or smoke being emitted from the structure. Due to the age of the fire suppression system, it didn’t show exactly where the alarm was coming from.

Firefighters used their key system to gain access to the shops of the strip mall in attempts to locate the source of the smoke smell. That’s how they found the source, which was located at the Little Caesars Pizza section of the strip mall.

Yet the fire suppression system was sufficient to extinguish the fire by itself: Firefighters located an active sprinkler head which had suppressed a small fire in the kitchen area of the business.

According to the city statement, the damage to the entire complex would have been much greater without a properly working fire sprinkler system.

The business suffered water, smoke and fire damage.

The cause, the OFD says, looks to have been spontaneous combustion of oily rags kept in a container in the back of the kitchen.

The Ottumwa Fire Department was assisted by the Ottumwa Police Departments dispatchers to gain communications with the building owner and tenants.

Apartment Building, Residential

Altoona, IA – Couch fire at apartment complex controlled with help from sprinkler system

Crews were called to a fire at an Altoona apartment complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters responded to the Venbury Trail apartments on 8th Street SW after a resident said their couch was on fire. When crews arrived, they found the unit fully engulfed in flames. Luckily, the building’s sprinkler system was activated, which helped firefighters knock down the flames.

“Very fortunate, the sprinkler did its job. Engineered correctly, in this type of building the sprinkler system probably saved a lot of lives today,” said Chief Jared Ogbourne of the Altoona Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Fire crews say only those in the unit where the fire started will be displaced, and most residents will be allowed back into their homes on Tuesday.

Restaurant

Des Moines, IA – Evening restaurant fire suppressed with help from sprinkler system

Des Moines fire captain Randy Jones said the grease fire began once a hot pan was transferred from a stovetop to a sink. Sprinklers installed in the ceiling put out the flames, but the eatery, located at 310 Court Ave., had to be evacuated and closed for the day — about three hours earlier than usual. The sprinklers went off at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday.

“We had quite a bit of water to remove,” Jones said. “The fire was out — it’s more or less just water damage. They need to have the sprinkler system activated again and they also need to have the health department come out and inspect everything before they reopen.”

A couple dozen people were standing outside the more than 30-year-old Court Avenue fixture when the fire department arrived. Officials say they’re not sure how many customers were in the restaurant at the time of the fire.

Spaghetti Works managers said they plan to reopen the restaurant Friday.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Des Moines, IA – Fire in restaurant on 2nd floor of high rise limited by sprinkler system

Des Moines firefighters quickly extinguished a kitchen fire at 801 Grand Ave. early Thursday morning.  The Des Moines Fire Department got the call at 5:55 a.m. for a kitchen fire at the 801 Chophouse restaurant on the second floor of the 44-story Principal Building, said Capt. Randy Jones.  When firefighters arrived, there was no smoke or flames showing from the high rise, he said.  The source of the fire was a pot that was burning on the stove. Jones said building employees told him the restaurant typically leaves a pot warming overnight.

The building’s sprinkler system had activated, but it did not reach the pot because the pot was under a shelf, Jones said. Firefighters put a lid on the pot to slow it down and used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze in about 10 minutes.  Jones said he’s not sure what was burning in the pot.  “I don’t know. It’s burned up beyond recognition,” he said.

While firefighters briefly closed part of Grand Avenue, it has since reopened. Jones said there was “quite a bit of smoke” on the second floor that firefighters were ventilating Thursday morning, but the rest of the building would be open as usual.  Damon Murphy, 801 Chophouse’s general manager, said there wasn’t any damage to the restaurant, just some cleanup that was required.  Murphy said he expected the restaurant to be open as normal Thursday evening, pending an inspection.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Sioux City, IA – Arson fire at hospital ER contained with help from sprinkler system

A SIOUX CITY MAN TAKEN TO ST. LUKE’S UNITY POINT HOSPITAL TUESDAY NIGHT IS FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY STARTING A FIRE IN THE MEDICAL CENTER.  34-YEAR-OLD DAVID WARNER IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE ARSON AND CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. COURT DOCUMENTS STATE THAT WARNER WAS BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR AN EVALUATION THAT HE REQUESTED SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

WHILE THERE, POLICE SAY HE SET A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER ON FIRE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM EXAM WARD. WHEN THE SPRINKLER ACTIVATED IN THE ROOM, WARNER ALLEGEDLY BROKE THE SPRINKLER HEAD, CAUSING A CONSTANT FLOW OF WATER WHICH FLOODED THE E.R. FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY, AMBULANCE ENTRANCE AND LOWER LEVEL KITCHEN.

WARNER FLED THE HOSPITAL BUT WAS ARRESTED AT 27TH AND JACKSON STREETS. HE WAS BOOKED INTO THE WOODBURY COUNTY JAIL ON TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Clearfield, IA – Sprinkler system limits spread of nursing home fire;

Residents of a Taylor County nursing home were evacuated after fire broke out early Thursday morning. Firefighters from four area departments responded to the fire at the Clearview Homes at 202 Jefferson Street. Clearfield Assistant Fire Chief Clifford Briggs tells KMA News the fire was reported shortly before 6:15 a.m.

“We’re a rural fire department,” said Briggs. “We already had arrangements made with other surrounding departments to come. Lenox actually made it up here, and had already entered before we got here. At the time they made entry, we had smoke and sprinklers going. It was kind of smoky.”

Up to 40 residents were in the nursing home at the time of the fire. Briggs says the fire was located in a resident’s room inside the facility’s western portion. “All the residents had made it out at this time,” he said. “They made it out prior to us even making entry. They were all safe and across the street at a local funeral home. Once we did an overhaul of the room, we found an area that was on fire. We pulled the ceiling down out of the resident room, and extinguished all flames.”

Briggs credits the home’s sprinkler system for preventing the fire’s spread. Firefighters from Sharpsburg, Diagonal and Lenox assisted Clearfield’s department at the scene. Corning’s department was also on standby. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Briggs says the State Fire Marshal has been notified of the incident.

Other Business

Muscatine, IA – Sprinkler systems keeps banquet hall fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A Muscatine banquet hall was damaged when a fire started in the ceiling.  Firefighters responded to Rendezvous Banquet Hall and Catering on Lucas Street around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 6th.  Fire crews saw smoke coming from the ceiling area, as well as fire and smoke coming from the roof. The building’s fire sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading.  Crews were able to knock down the main fire within a few minutes of arrival, and another crew worked on the roof.  According to Fire Captain Gary Ronzheimer, the fire caused significant damage to a rooftop HVAC system and a portion of the inside of the building. Losses are estimated at $20,000.  No one was injured.

Apartment Building, Residential

Iowa City, IA – Fire at off campus apartment contained to room of origin by sprinkler system

The Iowa City Fire Department is investigating a Saturday morning fire that caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to an Iowa City apartment. According to a press release, firefighters responded to a report of an oven fire at 427 North Dubuque Street at 7:35 a.m., Saturday. The arriving crew found a working fire in an apartment on the 4th floor. The building sprinkler system contained the fire to the room of origin and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in approximately 20 minutes, the release stated.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Cedar Rapids, IA – No injuries after sprinkler system puts out nursing home laundry fire

A fire in the laundry room of a Cedar Rapids nursing home was quickly extinguished Saturday night.The fire was reported at 10:37 p.m. at Living Center East, 1220 Fifth Ave. SE. When fire crews arrived, they found the building’s sprinkler system already had extinguished a fire in a basket in the laundry room. Firefighters determined the fire had not spread beyond the laundry basket and turned off the sprinkler system.  No one was hurt and no residents were displaced, fire officials said.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

North Liberty, IA – Sprinkler system assists fire crews in controlling supermarket fire

A fire was reported at an eastern Iowa Fareway on Sunday morning.  Sunday, September 10, at 10:30 a.m. the North Liberty Fire Department was called to Fareway for alarms going off and smoke coming from the roof.  When crews arrived, they saw smoke from the roof, and the inside  full of smoke. They found the fire in a refrigerator unit, they believe motor sparks started the fire. Fire crews were able to put out the fire with help from the sprinkler system. 

Fareway was closed at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.  The North Liberty Fire Department was assisted by Solon, Coralville, and Tiffin Fire Departments. Johnson County Ambulance Service, Iowa State Patrol, Mid America Energy and Johnson County Joint Communication Center were also on scene.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.