Tag Archives: Maryland

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Hagerstown, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes blaze at Villa Italian Kitchen

A cooking fire Thursday afternoon caused about $2,500 in damages to Villa Italian Kitchen at Premium Outlets, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

A sprinkler system activated when the 2:20 p.m. fire broke out and the system extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived, according to a news release.

The fire was discovered by Jeffrey A. Bohrer, general manager of the eatery, the release said.

The blaze caused $1,000 in damages to contents in the shop, the release said.

Residential, Single Family Home

Joppa, MD – Residential sprinkler system keeps kitchen fire from spreading; No injuries

Crews were called to a kitchen fire in Joppa Saturday night. The sprinkler system that was in place had put out the blaze by the time crews arrived, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

Firefighters were dispatched at 6:19 p.m. to a house in the 800 block of Wingsail Court, officials said.

The residential sprinkler system had stopped the fire from spreading, according to the fire company, which reported the damage was contained to the kitchen.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, Joppa-Magnolia said.

Other - Storage / Warehouse

Frederick, MD – Sprinkler system keeps exterior fire at UPS facility from spreading inside

An overnight fire at a UPS center in Maryland has sent a yet undetermined number of packages up in smoke during this holiday season. WUSA-TV reports Frederick County Fire Department spokesman Kevin Fox says the fire was reported about 11:40 p.m. Monday. News outlets report responding crews found 10 trucks and a package loading structure ablaze. Fox says it took firefighter around 45 minutes to bring the blaze under control. He says the building suffered mostly exterior damage since a sprinkler system activated inside the main structure. The Fire Marshal is investigating the fire’s cause. A representative for UPS says the company is working to identify and notify shippers of the damaged packages, as well as reroute packages that would have gone out on the damaged trucks.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rockville, MD – Sprinkler system activates to help contain apartment fire

A Thursday night fire in the walls of a Rockville apartment building was likely an accidental fire caused by smoking materials, said Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.  The fire, at the Galvan apartments in the 1800 block of Chapman Avenue, started sometime before 5:30 p.m. Smoke on the third floor activated the sprinkler system, according to Piringer.  No one was injured by the fire.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Jessup, MD – Shopping center blaze snuffed out by sprinkler system

A building fire broke out in Jessup on Sunday, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.  Firefighters responded to the shopping center where MOM’s Organic Market and Ollie’s are located; the blaze occurred in a commercial space in the 7300 block of Assateague Drive before 6 p.m., officials said.  A sprinkler system put out the fire, which consequently did not spread, according to authorities.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Abingdon, MD – Fire officials credit sprinkler system with containing townhouse fire to room of origin

State fire investigators credit a functioning smoke alarm and sprinkler system with alerting an Abingdon woman to a fire Friday afternoon and minimizing damage to the townhouse where she lives with other family members. The fire was reported shortly after 4 p.m. in the middle of a group townhouse in the 200 block of Ferring Court, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association. Twenty firefighters responded from the Abingdon, Bel Air and Joppa-Magnolia volunteer fire companies, according to a notice of investigation from the Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire was brought under control in approximately 20 minutes and no injuries were reported.

The fire originated in a second floor, front bedroom, investigators said. The cause had not been determined as of Monday. According to the notice of investigation, Anna Stewart, a grandmother who lives in the house with Ashley and Rafael Ramon and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, was alone in the townhouse and in the basement when she heard a strange sound. Upon investigating, she saw water coming through the living room ceiling and smoke coming from the second floor.

It was later determined the sprinkler had contained the fire to the bedroom where it originated, investigators said. “Deputy state fire marshals credit the fire sprinkler for containing the fire and allowing Ms. Stewart to safely escape,” the notice of investigation states. “Fire sprinklers also help firefighters by containing the fire to the area of origin, reducing the chance of injuries and/or death.” Investigators estimate the fire caused $5,000 damage to the dwelling and a $15,000 loss to contents. The family was displaced is being assisted by Red Cross, according to the notice of investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Elkridge, MD – Single sprinkler helps prevent apartment balcony fire from spreading inside

Howard County fire department’s Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of an apartment fire Aug. 21 at Penniman Park in Elkridge. A top-floor apartment fire last Monday afternoon in Elkridge ended after 65 firefighters and paramedics from Howard, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties extinguished the blaze within 15 minutes.

First responders were called to the 6200 block of Greenfield Road around noon, Howard fire officials said, where they found flames engulfing a fourth-floor balcony at the Penniman Park apartments. The fire extended from the apartment’s exterior into its interior and roof, but was under control by 12:15 p.m. Other apartments were affected by residual smoke; however, fire officials said residents evacuated the building before they arrived. No resident or firefighter injuries were reported.

Fire officials said the sprinkler head between the balcony and apartment’s living area was activated and limited the damage. Howard County fire department’s Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating the origin and cause of Monday’s fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Gaithersburg, MD – Residential sprinkler system contains kitchen fire in first floor apartment

Firefighters responded to two fires in Gaithersburg Wednesday, one in a townhouse and another in a three-story apartment building, according to rescue officials.

A teenager suffered nonlife-threatening injuries in an apartment fire on McCausland Place, while there were no injuries in the townhouse fire on Autumn Hill Way, said Pete Piringer, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service spokesman.

The Autumn Hill Way fire broke out in a second-floor bedroom at about 9:30 a.m., according to Piringer. About 60 firefighters arrived on the scene and extinguished the bulk of the fire by 9:45 a.m. Several adjoining townhouses were evacuated and a few people were displaced. The blaze caused about $80,000 in damage.

At about 2:30 p.m., firefighters came to McCausland Place to investigate smoke coming from an apartment building, Piringer said.

They discovered that there had been a kitchen fire on the first floor and that the residential sprinkler system had helped to control the flames. A teen was transported to the hospital. The fire caused about $10,000 in damage.

The cause of both fires is under investigation, according to Piringer.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hagerstown, MD – Sprinkler system activates in overnight apartment fire giving residents opportunity to escape

A Monday morning fire that displaced 46 residents at Cortland Apartments in the North End of Hagerstown started on the balcony of one of the apartments, according to Hagerstown Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven. DeHaven said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that the fire traveled up the exterior of the the building and into an attic area.  Although fire walls in the attic and between the apartments contained most of the damage to one corner of the building, the blaze caused significant damage to apartments Nos. 2, 6 and 10, he said.

An investigation determined that the building had functional sprinkler, fire-alarm and smoke-alarm systems, the release said. The sprinkler system was activated when balcony windows cracked from the heat, allowing the fire to extend into the apartments, DeHaven said.  But the activation of the sprinkler system, along with the fire alarm, gave residents enough time to escape, he said.

Bob Rhodes, the complex’s manager, said that three of the 12 units in the building sustained heavy damage. It is too early to determine whether the structure will be razed or rebuilt because fire and insurance inspectors were still assessing the damage, he said.  All 61 of the residents and pets who were displaced by the fire at the apartments at 12911 Little Elliott Drive have been given places to stay until they find more permanent accommodations.  Korri Faria, disaster program manager for the Red Cross of Western Maryland, said the 46 residents who were displaced by the fire are staying in hotels, or with family or friends.  “We were on scene to make sure everyone has a place to stay for a few days,” she said.

Faria said all of the hotel rooms are being paid for by the Red Cross, which also provided the victims with cards to buy food, clothing and other essentials they might need. The Red Cross also helped to replace medications that were destroyed in the fire, which was reported shortly after 5 a.m.  In addition to the residents, the two-alarm blaze displaced 15 pets.  Crystal Mowery, field service director for the Humane Society of Washington County, said a majority of the pets stayed with their owners, but one cat and one dog were taken to the humane society shortly after the fire.  Another dog was taken there later that day.  “We are housing the animals at no charge until (the victims) find a place for them,” she said.  To her knowledge, Mowery said none of the pets perished in the fire. A single cat escaped, but it has not been accounted found.