Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Whitman, MA – (no media coverage) Sprinkler system extinguishes garage fire caused by cigarette

Chief Timothy J. Grenno reports that the Whitman Fire Department
extinguished a fire inside a condominium garage Monday morning.

At approximately 11:10 a.m., Whitman firefighters were dispatched to 877 Auburnville Way, inside the Village at Auburnville community for residents age 55 and older.

Upon arrival firefighters located a fire inside of the garage with the sprinkler system suppressing the flames and keeping the fire from spreading rapidly throughout the building.

Firefighters quickly used a hose line to extinguish the fire and overhauled the area to ensure that the flames had not spread elsewhere.

A female resident, who is wheelchair bound, had been evacuated by her home health aide to the first floor porch and was then moved from the porch away from the home by bystanders and responding firefighters. The woman was uninjured but was evaluated by a Halifax Fire ambulance crew on scene as a precaution.

The fire and smoke caused approximately $50,000 in damage to the garage. The home itself had minimal smoke and odor damage.

The resident will be able to return to her home once the fire alarm and sprinkler system is repaired, which is expected to be done today.


The incident was the second fire that Whitman firefighters responded to recently in which a sprinkler system helped to prevent potentially devastating damage. On July 24, the department extinguished a fire at the Bostonian Loft Apartments, 7 Marble St.


“The unit where this fire occurred was one of four attached condos in same building,” Chief Grenno said. “If it weren’t for the sprinkler system suppressing the fire until we arrived, the fire could have spread far more quickly and done a lot more damage. This is the second fire we’ve had in less than a month where a sprinkler system helped to keep a fire at bay until firefighters could arrive on scene. Having a properly functioning and regularly maintained sprinkler system can and does save lives.”


The fire was caused by careless disposal of a cigarette into a trash barrel in the garage.

View full press release here

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Vineyard Haven, MA – Sprinkler system activation keeps kitchen fire under control at local restaurant; No injuries reported

A small cooking explosion at Vineyard Carribbean Cuisine drew a full emergency response on Tuesday afternoon, snarling traffic at the Five Corners intersection in Vineyard Haven for an hour.

Tisbury fire chief John Schilling said the explosion happened when a butane single-burner appliance malfunctioned. No one was injured, and damage to the building was minimal.

“The small explosion of the fuel source caught the unit on fire, and the fire extended to surrounding materials on counter top and traveled up the wall,” Chief Schilling said. He added, “The sprinkler system activated and did its job.”

The incident happened near the intersection at about 3:55 p.m. on Tuesday, “on a rainy afternoon in August while the boat’s unloading,” Mr. Schilling said. Tisbury fire, police and EMS responded and staged equipment on the Beach street extension.

Apartment Building, Residential

Whitman, MA – Grease fire at apartment contained to kitchen by fire sprinklers, avoiding widespread damage; No injuries reported

A grease fire inside an apartment building was minimized by a sprinkler system Wednesday night, averting possible widespread damage.

The Fire Department responded to the Bostonian Loft Apartments, at 7 Marble St., about 10:20 p.m. after receiving a sprinkler water flow alarm for a first-floor apartment.

Firefighters learned there was a grease fire on the stove inside an apartment and quickly extinguished the flames after arriving on scene.

Fire Chief Timothy Grenno said investigators later learned that a resident of the apartment had attempted to extinguish the grease fire with water, which caused the fire to “rapidly intensify” and extend to the kitchen cabinets.

That caused the sprinkler system inside the kitchen to activate, which helped keep the fire from spreading before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters used smoke ejectors to clear heavy smoke from the building and residents were allowed to return to their apartments about 11:30 p.m.

The family living in the apartment – a husband, wife and their two children – were displaced due to the fire, as well as water and smoke damage inside the apartment. The fire is estimated to have caused about $30,000 worth of damage, Grenno said.

No one was injured as a result of the fire and the Red Cross responded to assist the displaced family.

Hanson firefighters provided mutual aid by covering the station in town during the incident.

Grenno said it is important to never use water to attempt to extinguish a grease fire. The reaction causes the fire to intensify and spread faster, he said. Grease fires should be covered with a metal lid or smothered with baking soda or salt, Grenno said.

The fire chief also said that several of the building’s residents did not immediately evacuate when the alarms were sounding and said people should always leave a building when alarms sound.

“Thankfully the sprinkler system activated and was able to contain the fire to the kitchen area,” Grenno said. “I want to commend our firefighters for quickly putting out the flames. This is a very large building with several apartments and we were able to successfully contain it to the one unit.”

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hopedale, MA – Fire sprinkler system stops fire at concrete business from spreading; No injuries reported

A fire early Thursday morning at a concrete business on Rosenfeld Drive caused an unknown amount of damage and prompted the response of a Tier 1 Hazardous Materials Team, according to fire officials.

In a Facebook post, fire officials said rapid response to a central station alarm and a working sprinkler system at Marguerite Concrete Inc. saved it from getting worse.

Fire Chief Thomas Daige could not be reached for comment on Saturday. There was no report of any injuries.

But according to the Facebook post, firefighters received a call at 3:13 a.m. Thursday from an alarm company reporting a central station alarm at Marguerite Concrete at 11 Rosenfeld Drive. While en route to the scene, firefighters received word that two vehicles at the site were engulfed in flames, fire officials reported.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered the two fiery vehicles parked near a cage of propane tanks, fire officials reported.

Mutual aid from the Bellingham, Hopkinton and Milford departments was called to the scene after further investigation revealed that smoke was billowing from an overhead door, said fire officials. Upton provided station coverage for Hopedale.

Because the building was equipped with a sprinkler system, it prevented the fire from extending further into the building, fire officials said, adding that after the blaze came into contact with several 55-gallon drums, an odor began seeping from the drums, along with an oil leak.

At this time, a Tier 1 hazmat team – which responds to incidents presenting little risk to the environment or to public health, according to the National Fire Protection Association, was requested to respond to the scene, said fire officials. After an investigation, the team determined there was no further health or fire risk.

James Marguerite, president of the concrete construction company, was then notified to request a hazmat cleanup company to respond to check out the 55-gallon drums. A call placed to Marguerite on Saturday was not immediately returned.

The Department of Environmental Protection was also notified, said fire officials.

At the time of the alarm, only two firefighters were on duty at the Hopedale Fire Department’s headquarters, according to fire officials. As a result, multiple off-duty personnel were called in from home, and arrived on-scene 10 to 14 minutes after the on-duty crew to assist with the fire. In all, 24 firefighters responded to the fire.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Amherst, MA – Fire from an oven malfunction at college science center quickly put out by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

No one was hurt after an oven malfunctioned and caused a fire inside one of the labs at Amherst College’s Science Center Friday evening.

The college’s spokeswoman Caroline Hanna described the fire at the Science Center as small and was quickly put out by the building’s sprinkler system.

Amherst Fire Chief Tim Nelson told 22News firefighters and police were alerted after alarms activated at the Science Center located at 25 East Drive shortly after 7 p.m.

“There were no injuries and property damage was minimized. The fire started when a piece of equipment in one of the biology labs on the third floor overheated. The lab sustained some smoke damage, and there is some water damage in the spaces below the lab. No other portion of the building was affected.”

 CAROLINE HANNA, AMHERST COLLEGE SPOKESWOMAN

The Science Center was unoccupied at the time. Chief Nelson explained that the building’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading throughout the rest of the building.

The building will be cleaned and systems will be restored before opening on Saturday, Hanna told 22News.

All off-duty Amherst firefighters were called in to assist as well as officials from the Hadley Fire Department and ambulance services from Belchertown, Northampton, and South County.

The South Hadley Fire Department covered the Amherst fire station while crews assisted with the fire at the Science Center.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Haverhill, MA – Restaurant basement fire kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A basement fire in the Roma Restaurant interrupted dinner for several dozen customers Thursday evening.

The sprinkler system did its job and kept the blaze from causing more extensive damage, according to Deputy Fire Chief Eric Tarpy. Employees and diners left the 29 Middlesex St. restaurant quickly and there were no injuries, Tarpy said.

It was too soon Thursday night to say whether the popular restaurant, a fixture in Haverhill for more than 50 years that specializes in Italian cuisine, would be able to reopen, Tarpy said. City inspectors will assess the situation, he said.

The fire was reported at 7:33 p.m. Engine 3, from the main station on Water Street, was the first to arrive and firefighters encountered heavy smoke in the kitchen, Tarpy said. A thermal imaging camera helped firefighters get to the source of the fire in the basement, he said.

They hooked up a line to a hydrant located in front of the Roma and doused the fire. Firefighters then went to work ventilating the building.

An alarm at the restaurant alerted the Fire Department, Tarpy said. Telephone callers also reported the fire, he said. The single-alarm blaze brought a full response from the city’s firefighting force. Besides Engine 3, Engines 2, 4 and 5, Ladder 1 went to the scene. Three Trinity ambulances also responded.

Companies from Groveland, Lawrence and Methuen provided coverage at the 16th Street, High Street and Water Street stations while Haverhill firefighters were deployed to the Roma. Salem, New Hampshire sent its ladder truck.

Many of the diners and employees went to the parking lot across the street from the restaurant. Daniel Stanford, who has been a cook at the Roma for six years, said it appeared the compressor on an ice machine in the basement caught fire.

The sprinklers activated quickly and doused the fire, he said, but it still produced thick, black smoke.

Sharyn Linzey, of Haverhill, a regular customer at the Roma, said she had just finished eating a pizza when the smoke alarms went off. Employees ordered “everybody out!” she said.

“I didn’t get to finish my soda,” she said. “I hope they reopen tomorrow (Friday) because they have karaoke at 9.”

Terry Connolly and his wife Peggy were sitting at the bar sipping wine, waiting for dinner.

“Her salad had just come out. Next thing I know, the alarms go off,” Terry said. He never did get to enjoy his garden salad with chicken, he added.

The Connollys, of Haverhill, have been regular customers at the Roma for many years. They generally eat there once a week, they said.

“Everybody was good about getting out,” Terry said.

Fire engines began leaving the scene by around 9 p.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brockton, MA – Single sprinkler extinguishes fire at high rise building

A sprinkler system helped avert potential widespread damage Friday night by quickly extinguishing a fire.

Engine 2, Engine 4 and Ladder 2 of the Brockton Fire Department, along with a deputy chief, responded to the Campello High Rise, a Brockton Housing Authority property at 1380 Main St., about 8:57 p.m. The department had received a box alarm for the building.

There was no smoke coming from the building when firefighters arrived, but they quickly learned sprinklers had activated on the second floor. They determined there was a fire in the trash chute.

“Last evening, a fire in a trash chute was extinguished by a sprinkler at a 10-story high rise building,” the Brockton Fire Department wrote in a tweet on Saturday morning.

Apartment Building, Residential

Middleborough, MA – Sprinkler system controls fire caused by unattended cooking

Just after 7:00am Tuesday morning, the Middleborough Fire Department received an automatic alarm at the Central Fire Station indicating a heat detector activation, immediately followed by another alarm indicating a sprinkler activation at the Shoe Shop Place, 151 Peirce Street.

Car 91 (Shift Commander), Car 93 (Code Enforcement) and Engine 1 were dispatched from Central Fire Station and Engine 6 from South Station. Upon arrival firefighters encountered a kitchen fire in a first floor apartment that was mostly extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire, made sure it did not extend beyond the apartment of origin, and secured the sprinkler system keeping the damage to a minimum.

The five occupants were alerted of the fire from the alarm system and quickly evacuated.

“It appears the fire was due to unattended cooking,” said Middleborough Fire Chief Lance Benjamino. The alarm system and the sprinkler system did their job and the firefighters did a tremendous job at controlling this fire and the damag.”

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, the chief added, and offered a few cooking safety tips.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Nantucket, MA – Landfill fire held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

It took Nantucket firefighters about two and a half hours early Saturday morning to extinguish a blaze that started in a pile of debris in the construction and demolition waste building at the Madaket landfill.

No one was injured and no equipment damaged in the fire, which was reported via alarm at about 4 a.m., fire chief Steve Murphy said.

“The duty crew was already attending to an ambulance call and fire alarm (at the time),” Murphy said. “Deputy chief Robert Bates responded, finding heavy smoke in the C&D building with sprinkler-system activation. After clearing the previous fire alarm the duty crew responded with the engine, as well as off-duty personnel responding from home. Crews extinguished the remaining fire with the help of machinery on site used to pull the pile apart to reach the buried fire.”

Firefighters were on the scene until approximately 6:30 a.m. The fire is believed to be accidental in origin, Murphy said. The three-headed sprinkler system inside the building activated and worked as intended to hold the fire in check until their crew could respond, he added.

“No equipment was damaged and the building appeared to sustain only minor damage,” Murphy said. “We are very grateful the sprinkler system did its job.”

Landfill operations will not be impacted by the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Hingham, MA – Classroom electrical fire kept in check by fire sprinklers

Classes at Hingham High were cancelled today after a fire broke out in a classroom cabinet full of electronics early Friday morning.

The fire was put out by 7 a.m., but Deputy Fire Chief William Powers said there is smoke and water damage throughout the building. He said fire, cleanup and alarm crews on scene are hoping the school can reopen Monday morning, Wicked Local reported.

“On scene we had a heavy smoke condition and a water flow, which meant the sprinklers had fused,” Powers said.

The deputy chief said the fire started in a classroom cabinet that held a TV, VCR and several computers.

“Something obviously overheated and caused an electrical fire,” he said. “The sprinkler head directly above the cabinet kept the fire in check, but it continued burning in the cabinet until we got there.”

Firefighters cut off power to the building.

“There is a need for cleanup and we cannot occupy the building today,” Superintendent Dorothy Galo said in a message Friday morning. “We will appreciate everyone’s cooperation in staying away from the HS building to allow the needed cleanup.”

All classes and Advanced Placement exams have been cancelled. Galo said students who were scheduled to take an AP exam will be contacted individually.

High School administrators are working from Town Hall. Classes in Hingham’s other five schools will still take place.

Weymouth, Hull and Cohasset firefighters responded to the school when the second alarm sounded, and Rockland and Scituate covered the station.

Powers said the school is about 800 feet from the Hingham fire headquarters, which prompted quick response from firefighters. He said there were no injuries.

The fire is being investigated by Hingham police and fire, the Hinghal building inspector and the state fire marshal’s office.