Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Hugo, MN – Sprinklers credited with containing fire to one room of townhome April 16, 2015 viking210 No one was injured after a fire broke out at a group of townhomes in Hugo on Thursday morning. The fire was reported at 4625 Victor Path when a woman awakened to the smell of smoke and called the fire department. Crews from Hugo, White Bear Lake and Forest Lake all responded. Firefighters say the fire started on the deck and moved into the unit. A sprinkler system is credited with confining the fire to one room of the house, which was the main living room. No other units were damaged. The woman was the only person home at the time and escaped uninjured.
Government Office, Government/Military Minneapolis, MN – Fire at City Hall extinguished by sprinklers April 15, 2015 viking210 A fire broke out at Minneapolis City Hall overnight, forcing 911 dispatchers to evacuate. The fire started in a Minneapolis police evidence room around 1 a.m. Monday. The city hall sprinkler system put out the fire, but also caused some water damage. City hall offices will be open for business as usual Monday, but the police evidence room will remain closed. The 911 dispatch center is located near the evidence room, so workers were moved to the third precinct headquarters to continue handling calls. By 5:30 a.m. Monday, all 911 staff returned to the call center at city hall, with services operating normally.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Mankato, MN – Sprinkler system activates to help control lunch-time restaurant fire March 29, 2015 viking210 Investigators have determined the cause of Wednesday’s fire at Asiana Buffet in Mankato. Fire officials say the fire originated in a wok in the kitchen. The fire then spread to the restaurants ceiling. The fire started over the noon hour and officials say firefighters were notified of the fire by a sprinkler alarm. When firefighters arrived, lunch-hour diners and staff were still in the restaurant, most unaware that a fire was spreading in the ceiling and rafters. Staff was apparently trying to fight the fire and it eventually triggered a sprinkler system that alerted the fire department. Damages are estimated at $1.75 million.There were no injuries.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Merrifield, MN – Sprinklers contain fire at metal stamping business to front entry March 25, 2015 viking210 Five fire departments quickly mobilized Tuesday night to tackle what could have been a commercial structure nightmare, but a sprinkler system did its work. Flames were visible out the front entrance of a two-story vestibule at Clow Stamping. The fire was reported at 9:04 p.m. Tuesday. Twyla Flaws, Clow Stamping personnel manager, said at least 70 employees were working in the plant at the time and evacuated without incident. The fire call came between shifts as another crew comes in for the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift. Flaws said it’s not unusual for the 10 p.m. crew members to arrive early and she thought one of those early arrivals may have been the one to spot the fire.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Minneapolis, MN – Overnight fire in high school chemistry lab contained by sprinkler system March 23, 2015 viking210 Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis is expected to open again Friday after a fire early Thursday morning caused damage to parts of the building. The fire broke out just after 2 a.m. in a chemistry lab. School district officials say no injuries were reported. With help from the sprinkler system, the fire was contained to one classroom. The closure affects all Patrick Henry events, including community education classes, athletic events and extracurricular activities. All other district schools will remain open. Officials also asked Patrick Henry staff members not to report to work Thursday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Other Business St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system controls fire at laundry business until crews arrive March 6, 2015 viking210 The St. Cloud Fire Department responded to a fire call at Ameripride early Friday morning. A fire was found in a pile of laundry. The fire was being controlled by the fire sprinkler system when crews arrived. A fire suppression systems alerted the department just after midnight at the textile rental services and supply company at 6500 Sauk View Drive, Battalion Chief Jerry Raymond said. Crews ventilated smoke from the building and extinguished the fire. Damage is estimated to be about $2,000 for the pile of linen and the smoke that filled the building. No one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries. The cause was determined to be accidental from overheating of a pile of cloths, according to the fire department. Crews were on the scene for about an hour and a half.
Apartment Building, Residential Rochester, MN – Officials credit sprinkler system with saving apartment building February 9, 2015 viking210 Officials believe a sprinkler system in an apartment building “definitely saved” the complex from more serious damage after a fire late Saturday. A general flow alarm — which indicates the sprinkler system has been activated — came in about 10:40 p.m. Firefighters responded to 875 21st Ave. SE, where they found there had been an active fire in one of the apartments on the third floor. They found a frying pan with oil in it, unattended on the stove, said Larry Mueller, assistant fire marshal. The initial flare-up triggered the overhead sprinkler, which eventually extinguished the flames.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Stillwater, MN – Townhouse fire controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported February 3, 2015 viking210 Just before 10 p.m. Jan. 30, firefighters were called to a townhouse fire in the 2800 block of Brewers Lane. When firefighters arrived, smoke was coming from the eight-unit townhouse complex. Crews entered the unoccupied townhome, and found a sprinkler-controlled fire on the first floor. Firefighters extinguished the fire and ventilated the building. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. “The fire sprinkler in this building prevented significant fire damage to the complex and allowed the residents of the attached units to escape without injury,” a post on the Stillwater Fire Department’s Facebook page reads.
Apartment Building, Residential Edina, MN – Fire department confirms December fire in multi-family dwelling extinguished by sprinkler system January 17, 2015 viking210 Dec. 10 – An arc from an electrical appliance reportedly ignited fumes from flammable paint thinner used in remodeling on the 3200 block of Galleria. Fire sprinkler heads extinguished fire.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Hastings, MN – Sprinklers make the difference in challenging fire at container manufacturer December 20, 2014 viking210 All employees evacuated safely after a fire at Twin City Container in Hastings Thursday afternoon. The fire activated the building’s sprinkler system, which helped firefighters control the blaze. “The sprinkler system made a big difference in the result of this fire,” Schutt said. The thick black smoke was caused by some of the products within the building. “Any time you have anything petroleum or oil based you’re going to get that thick black smoke,” Schutt said. Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, firefighters took a defensive strategy at first, fighting the fire from the outside. Firefighters were lifted to the structure’s roof, where they created a vent hole, while the fire was fought on the ground. Once the fire was under control, crews moved inside to finish the work. Twin City Container takes 55-gallon drums and tanker trucks and cleans them for reuse. Hastings utility crews inspected the sanitary sewer system to make sure none of the hazardous materials on site made it into the sewer system. No hazards were found, Schutt said. An area of origin has been identified, but Schutt said the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. He said the fire was located in the center of the largest part of the building and spread through the exhaust ductwork.
