Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Tewksbury, MA – Sprinklers control overnight fire at pre-school building

A two-alarm fire broke out at a local pre-school late Friday night, leaving the building closed Monday. The fire happened at Knowledge Beginnings at 200 Old Main St., according to Fire Chief Michael Hazel. The building was not occupied at the time.

The blaze, which started in a second floor bathroom, was likely caused by an electrical problem, Hazel said. The fire then spread into the attic above that bathroom, and was contained by the activated sprinkler system. Fire crews then arrived on scene and extinguished the blaze.

The Billerica Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Wilmington and Andover departments helped to provide station coverage. Power was shut down to the whole building over the weekend as a precaution and the school was closed Monday.

Other - Residential, Residential

Framingham, MA – Cooking fire in rooming house contained by single sprinkler

Damage from a fire in a 12-unit rooming house in Framingham Wednesday was minimized due to sprinklers, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Framingham Fire Chief.

A cooking fire occurred in a 12-unit rooming house at 260 Union Avenue in Framingham, just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. Fortunately, the building is equipped with residential sprinklers and a single sprinkler head contained the fire, said Framingham Fire Chief Gary Daughtery. “Fire sprinklers minimized the damage to the building, used less water to control the fire than we would have, and minimized the time these residents were displaced from their home,” said Daughtery.

The resident panicked and instead of putting a lid on the pan tried to put the grease fire out with water, which quickly spread the fire onto the counter and cabinets, according to the state’s fire marshal’s office. The 12 occupants were temporarily displaced while, repairs were made to the kitchen and will be moving back home today, April 16, said a release from the state fire marshal’s office.  Damage was confined to a small area around the stove and no one was injured in the fire.

“Residential fire sprinklers are the future of fire,“ said Daughtery. “They keep fires smaller and cooler so they are less dangerous for both the people inside the home and responding firefighters.”

Other-Government/Military

Agawam, MA – Sprinklers help put out fire at Department of Public Works garage

A fire broke out Saturday morning at the Department of Public Works building on Suffield Street.  Agawam Fire Chief Alan Sirois told WGGB that one of the trucks caught fire, but firefighters extinguished the blaze within 15 minutes.  Sirois said damage to the building at 1000 Suffield Street was minimal.

Sirois told the news station that the building’s sprinkler system averted what could have amounted to millions of dollars in damage. The truck was a total loss, he added.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation but the building will be open on Monday morning.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Mansfield, MA – Sprinklers contain fire that started in tool room at lumber warehouse

The blaze was reported about 9 p.m. Saturday at National Lumber at 245 Oakland St., tying up local and area town firefighters for several hours. “The sprinkler system held the fire from spreading,” Deputy Fire Chief James Puleo said. That sprinkler system had to be shut off and the lumberyard hired a “fire watch” overnight.

“The cause is still under investigation, but we are leaning toward accidental,” Chief Puleo said, adding the town’s electrical inspector has ruled out an electrical cause. The fire was confined to a tool room inside the warehouse, Puleo said. The deputy fire chief estimated damage at a minimum of $20,000.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Chelsea, MA – Sprinklers help contain late night restaurant fire

On Saturday, March 7, at 12:06 a.m., the fire department responded to the report of a building fire at 17 Fifth St., above the Isla Tropical Restaurant. Crews reported the sprinkler system had activated on the second floor and located the fire inside one of the residential units. Items left on top of the stove ignited and the flames quickly spread to the cabinets above. Crews extinguished the fire and remained on scene checking for extension until approximately 3:30 a.m. Damage is estimated at $30,000. No occupants were injured.

Manufacturing

Marlborough, MA – Sprinklers limit spread of machinery fire; Business spared from more significant damage

Shortly before 8 p.m., a rolling machine, which turns flat cardboard into boxes, caught fire. The building’s sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading to other machines or sections of the warehouse, said Fire Capt. Bill Pappas.

 Fire crews were able to extinguish the blaze in about 15 minutes, said Pappas. “It was a small fire,” he said. Pappas is unsure what sparked the fire in the machine and said crews are investigating. A few employees were inside the building at the time of the blaze and were evacuated. There were allowed to return inside about an hour after the fire was extinguished. No one was injured, said Pappas.

Government Office, Government/Military

Norfolk, MA – Fire from gas explosion at District Attorney’s office contained with help from sprinklers

A gas explosion and fire early Sunday at Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey’s Canton offices was “held in check by outside master streams and operating sprinkler heads,” Canton fire Chief Charles Doody said.

Doody said firefighters secured vital records and evidence once they were able to stabilize the office building, which shares the Shawmut Industrial Park with the separately housed Norfolk Probate and Family Court.

Doody said the office building’s roof was recently cleared off, leaving gas meters buried “under several feet of snow.”  Around 1:50 a.m. yesterday, gas backed into a mechanical room, ignited and exploded, 
severely damaging a wall shared by the first and second floors.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Brockton, MA – Single sprinkler helps extinguish fire on 10th floor of high rise for seniors and disabled

(NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported)Monday in Brockton apparatus responded to a master box in a 10 story residential high-rise housing the elderly/ disabled. The result was a mattress fire in a bedroom on the 10th floor. One Sprinkler Head extinguished fire and held it until FD arrival.  Address 1380 Main Street, Brockton, MA

Apartment Building, Residential

Westford, MA – Sprinkler system does its job in afternoon apartment fire

Fire officials are investigating whether an icicle that fell from a condominium rooftop punctured and ignited a gas meter, sparking a three-alarm fire at the complex Wednesday.

Four local families were displaced by the midday blaze, which scorched parts of the exterior walls of their condominium building on Bandon Circle. There were no reports of injuries.

What kept the fire from causing further damage was the sprinkler system that activated inside the condos, according to Westford fire Lt. Donald Parsons.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Worcester, MA – Cardboard fire at recycling center held in check by sprinkler system

With mutual aid from the Sutton Fire Department, the Worcester Fire Department easily contained and knocked down a smoldering fire in a huge pile of cardboard Tuesday at Rand-Whitney Recycling, 2 Pullman St.

Deputy Fire Chief John Sullivan credited Sutton Fire Department’s Mobile Ventilation Unit-LD, a hydraulic blower capable of pushing up to 150,000 cubic feet per minute from its blades, with greatly assisting Worcester Fire in taking control of the scene.

In addition, Mr. Sullivan said the building’s sprinkler system did its job and held the fire in check.