Apartment Building, Residential Bethesda, MD – Sprinkler system keeps fire away from residents in overnight apartment blaze February 2, 2015 viking210 Firefighters were called to the Bethesda Hill Apartment building at 5114 Dudley Lane shortly after 3 a.m. by a guest at the Bethesda Marriott located across the street. All occupants quickly got out of the building, but the fire had spread considerably through void and empty spaces, MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer said Piringer said the building’s sprinkler system effectively prevented the fire from spreading to the building’s living spaces. Piringer said it appears to have started with a dryer and nearby combustible material before quickly spreading to duct work in the walls, ceilings and floors between the second and third floors.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Annapolis, MD – Sprinklers extinguish fire at senior apartment complex; No injuries reported February 2, 2015 viking210 Crews were called to an apartment fire at the Morris A. Blum Senior apartments in Annapolis around 7 p.m. last Wednesday. Arriving crews found a small fire in a wicker cabinet that was extinguished by two sprinklers that were activated by the fire. Officials said in addition to the apartment where the fire happened, several units along the corridor and the first floor recreation area were affected. Officials said damage estimates are still being evaluated. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Glen Echo Park, MD – Fire in art studio at historic property extinguished by sprinkler system January 30, 2015 viking210 An electrical fire in an art studio and classroom space at historic Glen Echo Park has that part of the facility closed on Friday. The fire was caused by an electrical problem related to a thermostat installed in the wall, according to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer. Firefighers were called to the scene at about 3:15 a.m. Friday. It happened in the Park’s Yellow Barn Studio. Piringer said a sprinkler system put out the fire and damage was valued at less than $10,000. Glen Echo Park said later that Friday morning that all classes in the Yellow Barn Studio are canceled today. The SilverWorks studio is also closed as Park officials wait until power is restored to the buildings.
Department Store, Retail Glen Burnie, MD – Fire at Toys ‘R’ Us impeded by sprinkler system January 16, 2015 viking210 Anne Arundel fire investigators are searching for two people in connection with an arson at a Glen Burnie Toys R Us on Thursday morning. When firefighters responded to the store at 6711 Ritchie Highway shortly before noon, they found heavy smoke coming from the roof. After entering the building and encountering heavy smoke and high heat, firefighters requested a second alarm. The fire originated on a merchandise rack. The store’s sprinkler system impeded the spread of the blaze until firefighters were able to extinguish it. All occupants safely exited the building and no one was injured.
Apartment Building, Residential Bel Air, MD – Apartment fire doused by sprinkler system, no injuries reported December 30, 2014 viking210 Before 9 p.m. Monday night, crews responded to a reported apartment fire and found a “smoldering mattress” in an apartment in the 200 block of Kings Crossing Circle, said Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association. The sprinkler system contained the fire, and there were no injuries as a result, Gardiner said.
Residential, Residential High Rise Silver Spring, MD – Residential high-rise fire contained by sprinkler system December 30, 2014 viking210 A residential apartment fire at 1220 East West Highway was contained by a sprinkler system on Dec. 29 in Silver Spring. That’s the word from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Spokesperson Pete Piringer who said the fire in a 7th floor apartment of the 16-story building caused an estimated $5,000 in damage. No one was home at the time of the fire, Piringer said. According to Piringer, the cause of the fire was a computer overheating or electrical in nature.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Lexington Park, MD – Townhouse fire caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials put out by sprinkler system December 29, 2014 viking210 What authorities are calling “carelessly discarded smoking materials” sparked a fire in a St. Mary’s County home early Sunday morning, Dec. 28. The home’s sprinkler system activated quickly and extinguished the fire. According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the blaze occurred at a two-story, middle unit townhouse on F. Radford Lane in Lexington Park and was reported shortly after 7 a.m. “No one was home at the time of the fire,” stated Dfm. Caryn McMahon. “A neighbor smelled the odor of smoke and called 911. The fire originated in a small trashcan in the upstairs bedroom. The family has been temporarily displaced and is being assisted by the American Red Cross.” Fifteen firefighters from Bay District and Patuxent Naval Air Station were dispatched to the one-alarm blaze. No injuries were reported.
Other - Retail, Retail California, MD – Christmas day fire at Lowes store put out by sprinkler system December 28, 2014 viking210 On Thursday, December 25, 2014, at approximately 12:45 p.m., firefighters from Bay District VFD, Hollywood VFD and the Naval District Patuxent River Fire Department were alerted to report of a commercial fire at 45075 Worth Avenue, in California. Crews arrived on scene at Lowes Home Improvement to discover an audible fire alarm and heavy smoke inside the building. The firefighter’s made entry to the building and discovered the damage. The accidental fire began in a trash container located in an aisle of the store. The fire extended to nearby foam sheets and plywood which resulted in the activation of the sprinkler system which quickly extinguished the fire. There was no structural damage to the building and the damage was limited to approximately $10,000 worth of merchandise. No injuries were reported. Maryland State Fire Marshall’s were called to the scene and continue to investigate.
Government/Military, Other-Government/Military Baltimore, MD – Fire at Maryland State Police data center contained by sprinklers December 27, 2014 viking210 State troopers in barracks across Maryland were left without access to central crime databases on Friday morning temporarily after a small fire in a generator room at Maryland State Police headquarters caused a power outage and knocked the data center offline. When the fire occurred, a sprinkler system turned on, the main generator stopped functioning and power was cut off, Russo said. The data center computers are housed in a separate building from the generators, and were not damaged, she said. No foul play was expected. Individual barracks did not lose power and retained access to their own computer systems, said Elena Russo, a police spokeswoman. The state police website was not accessible for several hours. Power had been restored as of Friday afternoon.
Apartment Building, Residential Salisbury, MD – Laundry fire in apartment complex doused by sprinkler system November 30, 2014 viking210 A clothes dryer was blamed for an early Saturday fire that damaged an apartment unit at Riverside Court and displaced the occupant, the Salisbury Fire Department has reported. A sprinkler system kicked on, controlling the blaze until a dozen firefighters arrived, said Salisbury Assistant Chief Bryan Records. No one was reported injured, and six other apartment units in the immediate vicinity were not condemned, he said. The fire was confined to a laundry area inside a unit at 720 A Riverside Road.