Tag Archives: Minnesota

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

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At around 3:30 a.m. Monday morning, Rochester Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm with reports of sprinkler flow at Century Heights Apartments.

The first unit on scene, E4, arrived to find the apartment building being evacuated.

No smoke or fire conditions were visible outside the building, but RFD crews proceeded to apartment #308 where according to RFD, “a slight haze and odor of burnt food was noticeable.”

In the apartment, RFD identified a cooking fire that had been extinguished by the activation of the sprinkler system. Crews ventilated the apartment and worked to remove water from the building.

No injuries occurred, and there was moderate water damage in the affected apartment.

RFD says sprinkler systems are exceptionally reliable, such that the chance of dying in a fire is reduced by 90% when sprinklers are installed in a building. According to the NFPA, property damage in dollars is reduced by up to two-thirds depending on occupancy type when sprinklers are present.

Other - Retail, Retail

Moorhead, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Menards; No injuries reported

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Menards in Moorhead is open for business as usual despite a fire in the store early this morning.

According to Moorhead Fire Department, the fire started in the electrical section of the store.

Fire crews reported fire, smoke, and water damage to store displays and merchandise.

Crews could be seen cleaning up water from the store’s sprinkler system, which received the credit for extinguishing the fire.

“That ignition started about 4:30 and sprinkler heads activated at 4:45. So it just sort of sat there and kind of didn’t get the heat all the way yet until it became a bigger fire,” said James Garvey, Moorhead Fire Marshal.

No one was hurt in the fire. A damage estimate is not currently available.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Paul, MN – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight apartment fire

Fire crews in St. Paul say a small fire inside an apartment early Thursday was put out by a sprinkler system in the building.

The St. Paul Fire Department was called to the apartment on the 2200 block of Hillcrest Avenue around 3:00 a.m.

When crews arrived, they found smoke in a first-floor apartment and evidence of a fire in a closet.

The fire department said the fire was already extinguished by a sprinkler system before they arrived.

As a precaution, the fire department searched the building to make sure all occupants had been able to evacuate safely and ventilated it.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the fire department said a working sprinkler system and smoke detectors prevented a much larger incident.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Virginia, MN – Sprinkler system contained fire at mall; No injuries reported

Fire broke out at the Uptown Mall in Virginia Thursday afternoon.

Pictures from the Northland Fire Wire showed dark, black smoke coming from the building.

The Fire Wire reported that the flames were contained to a storage area thanks to the mall’s sprinkler system.

Multiple area fire departments responded.

Nobody was injured.

The cause is being investigated by the Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office.

Uptown Mall was formerly known as the Thunderbird Mall.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Salvation Army

A fire at St. Cloud Salvation Army’s emergency shelter forced dozens of people out of the place they were calling home for the holidays.

According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, the fire started around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Fire damage was limited to one room because of the sprinkler system.

Lt. Nathan North of the St. Cloud Salvation Army feels fortunate the fire didn’t spread but says the water damage left most of their space needing full renovations.

“In that moment, it just, it fell off, and my heart sank,” North said about getting the phone call about the fire.

“Unfortunately, our shelter [became] unsafe to be in until we can assess everything,” North said. “So unfortunately, it displaces all of our residents that are here with us.”

That’s around 40 people, many of whom are now with Place of Home Ministries.

“It’s terrible for the people,” Pastor Carol Smith, with Place of Home Ministries, said.

“We were able to get [a floor at] our facility ready that we were not occupying at the moment, miraculously,” Smith said.

She adds pillows, blankets, and bedding would be warmly welcomed and that donations can be dropped off at 511 9th Ave. N. in St. Cloud.

“We’re just trying to provide what we can for support and all that this holiday season,” Smith said.

As for the St. Cloud Salvation Army, North is asking people not to share physical donations with them as they work to clean up their facility. He added that donating to the Salvation Army’s red kettles is the best way to help.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Fire forced the evacuation of a hotel Tuesday night.

The Rochester Fire Department says it was called to Candlewood Suites – Rochester Mayo Clinic Area just after 7:30 pm.  Firefighters arrived to find an evacuation underway due to a fire alarm and encountered smoke in a hallway.

The Fire Department says the hotel’s sprinkler system had extinguished flames in a single room.  No one was injured in this incident but the hotel room suffered smoke and water damage.

The Rochester Police Department and the Red Cross assisted at the scene.

The Fire Department responded to this incident with units E16, E5, BC1, E1, E2, E3, T12, and Fire Marshal 4.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Bemidji, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school

Bemidji Firefighters are crediting a sprinkler system for helping contain a fire at the Bemidji High School.

The fire department was dispatched to Bemidji High school just after 11:30 p.m. on Friday, October 20, for a report of a smoke alarm activation.

As crews entered the building and searched for the cause of the alarm, they found a smoke-filled hallway with water flowing on the south side of the building. Using a thermal imaging camera and water can extinguisher, firefighters were able to extinguish a fire in a custodian closet.

Firefighters were on the scene for approximately three hours and it took 14 firefighters to help with water removal and clean up. The room where the fire started suffered moderate smoke and water damage, while adjacent classrooms and hallways sustained water damage.

The fire is under investigation, but appears to be electrical in nature.

Bemidji Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Bemidji Area Schools, Bemidji Police Department, Bemidji Ambulance Service and Minnesota State Fire Marshal.

Other - Residential, Residential, Sorority / Fraternity

Winona, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire in historic mansion; No injuries reported

Twelve residents of the historic Huff-Lamberton mansion in Winona are displaced after a fire broke out around 2:31 a.m. Friday.

The fire was confined to a common area near the entrance to the mansion, according to the Winona Police Department.

The fire, which required off-duty firefighters to be called for assistance, resulted in minor fire, smoke and water damage to the building.

The fire did not result in any injuries, but the department reported one resident had to be assisted in evacuating the building by firefighters.

The residents of the mansion are being assisted by the Red Cross to find new housing.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The mansion was sold earlier this year to the Kappa Chi Fraternity for $1.85 million, over double the estimated market value of the mansion, according to Winona County’s commercial sale records.

Kappa Chi chapter president Creighton Butler said that the fraternity has not moved into the mansion yet and the residents had leases from before the purchase of the property.

He said the sprinkler system activated and helped contain the fire to the common space. The building’s fire alarm system automatically reported the blaze to the Winona Fire Department.

Butler said there was “a lot to be figured out still” for the fraternity regarding its plans to move into the mansion.

The mansion, built in 1857 by one of Winona’s founders, Henry Huff, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Owatonna, MN – Sprinkler system controls fire at business; No injuries reported

Authorities are investigating a fire at a business in Owatonna.

It happened just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at Nelson Decorating Center, located at 121 Oakdale Street SW.

According to the Owatonna Fire Department (OFD), the sprinkler system at the business controlled the blaze until crews arrived to put out the remaining flames.

Firefighters stayed on scene for roughly two hours to help ventilate the building.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Damages are estimated at $350,000.

The neighboring business, Sherwin Williams, had minor smoke and water damage.

OFD said no one was hurt.

“Having a working sprinkler system helped prevent more extensive damage to the business,” said Ed Hoffman, the Owatonna Fire Chief. “This is a great reminder for other businesses that have sprinkler and fire alarm systems to have them inspected regularly to ensure they are working properly.”

The Owatonna Police Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted OFD at the scene.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Chaska, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school; No injuries reported

A small fire started on a ceiling light fixture at Chaska High School the early morning of Wednesday, March 29, while the district was on spring break.

The sprinklers triggered a water flow alarm and the alarm company called the Chaska Fire Department.

“Thanks to the sprinkler system and the fast response of the fire department the fire was put out quickly,” a Facebook post from Eastern Carver County Schools stated. “We are grateful for their support. No one was harmed but staff are working to assess damage.”

Most of the damage from the incident was from the water, according to Celi Haga, the district’s director of communications and community engagement.

Haga said that the school would “be ready to welcome back students and staff on Monday.”

Chaska’s Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Gravalin said that the fire was “nothing major because of the sprinklers. It was controlled. But without the sprinklers he said it “could have been catastrophic, so definitely very lucky to have the sprinkler system.”

Gravalin said that the insurance company is investigating the other lights in the building. “The message from us was to make sure that they have somebody take a look at it,” he added.

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