Tag Archives: Minnesota

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Single sprinkler head extinguishes unattended apartment cooking fire; No injuries reported

A cooking fire at an apartment building displaced two families with children Sunday night.

The Rochester Fire Department was called to a fire alarm around 8:20 p.m. Sunday at 920 40th St. NW, according to a news release from the department. Firefighters arrived to find smoke in the building. The sprinkler systems were on.

“When crews arrived at the apartment unit with the fire, they discovered an unattended cooking fire that had been extinguished by an activated sprinkler head,” the statement said.

The fire had been completely extinguished. Crews turned off the sprinkler system to limit the amount of water damage to the building and then ventilated the building to remove smoke and other toxic gases.

No one was injured, but the fire damaged the apartment’s stove, microwave and cabinets, while smoke and water damaged other parts of the building.

“Cooking is by far the leading cause of structure fires in Minnesota; almost half of all structure fires are due to cooking, which is over 4 times more than the next cause according to a 2017 report by the MN State Fire Marshall,” the statement said. “The top three factors in cooking fires is unattended cooking, combustibles too close to cooking equipment, and cooking equipment accidentally turned on.”

Staff from the American Red Cross said Sunday night that the organization was helping the two families secure a place to stay after the incident.

Dry Cleaner, Retail

Eden Prairie, MN – Fire at dry cleaners contained by fire sprinklers

On Feb. 13, Eden Prairie firefighters responded to a small fire which was contained by the building’s sprinklers before the firefighters arrived, the assistant chief told Eden Prairie News.

Two fire trucks went to 6205 Dell Road at 8:12 p.m. in response to a water flow alarm after sprinklers went off in Best Cleaners, assistant chief Kurt Buchanan said. A bin of laundry had caught fire, but nothing else in the building burned and the responders’ main tasks were to ensure the bin was extinguished and clear the building of smoke and burnt materials, he said.

“It’s a good story, that sprinklers make a difference,” Buchanan said. “They’re designed to keep fires at bay.”

The fire department contacted Best Cleaners and the owner of the strip mall, which also houses Venice Nails and a Holiday gas station, Buchanan said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Buchanan said.

Uncategorized

Mankato, MN – Sprinkler system stops commercial dryer fire; No injuries reported

Mankato authorities investigate the cause of a fire early Sunday morning.

The city says a commercial dryer fire started near 6:00 a.m. at 100 Raintree Road. The building’s internal sprinkler system was able to extinguish the fire by the time responders arrived.

The estimated damage cost is around $25,000.

According to the city, all occupants of the building got out safely with no reported injuries.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system credited for containing fire at local nail salon

Firefighters credit sprinkler system containing fire at a business in Northwest Rochester on Saturday.

The Rochester Fire Department said in a statement, they responded to a call for a general fire alarm at 3780 Marketplace Dr. NW around 7:16 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived at the scene, firefighters say they heard alarms sounding outside the building and found heavy smoke in Suite 107 where Polished Nail Salon is located. Crews say they found a small fire at one of the workstations inside the nail salon that was being held in check by a single sprinkler head. Firefighters put out the flames using a fire extinguisher and the building was completely ventilated. 

The sprinkler system was shut off until the sprinkler head could be replaced and the water that had accumulated was removed. A Rochester Fire Marshal was called to investigate the cause and origin of the fire, which is standard procedure. 

Fire damage can be seen to a workstation and smoke damage throughout the business suite. No smoke, flames, or water extended beyond the original business affected.   

RFD says “this is another excellent example of a sprinkler system keeping a fire at bay before it could do further damage or cause potential harm to humans. Quick notification of the fire department through on-site monitoring as well as the early activation of a sprinkler head was what kept this fire as minimal as it was.”

Experts say a fire doubles in size every 60 seconds and that sprinklers have been proven to effectively control fires where they are installled.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Rochester, MN – Single fire sprinkler keeps fire at Rochester’s oldest hotel confined to break room kitchen

A high-rise fire broke out Sunday at Rochester’s oldest hotel.

The blaze was reported around 8:45 AM on the 11th floor of the Kahler Grand Hotel.

The Rochester Fire Dept. says firefighters “encountered floor to ceiling smoke” when they reached the 11th level of the downtown hotel. The fire was found in a staff kitchen area and RFD says a single sprinkler head kept the flames confined to that room.

No monetary estimate was given but damage may have been extensive. According to the RFD report, there was “damage to the breakroom kitchen on the 11th floor including cabinets, appliances, and other furnishings. Smoke damage in the common hallways on the 11th floor along with water damage on the 11th floor and 10th floor from the sprinkler system.”

One resident was treated on scene for minor injuries.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Faribault, MN – Fire at Petsmart in local mall extinguished by fire sprinklers

Faribault Fire Chief Dustin Dienst meets this morning with a investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office to go over the results of a fire that started in the bathroom at PetsMart in the Faribo West Mall.  The call was received 4:59 p.m. Tuesday with the Faribault Fire Department, Faribault Police Department, Rice County Sheriff’s Office and North Ambulance all responding to the scene.

People were evacuated from the building. Chief Dienst says, “Light smoke could be seen in the back of the business.  Police officers made entry to locate the fire, evacuate animals and give the fire department a size up.”

When the fire department got there it was determined the fire was located in a bathroom and the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire.  The sprinkler system was shut down.  Firefighters used squeegees to clean up the water on the floor by pushing it down a drain.

Faribault Police also did on scene investigation and it was decided to call in the State Fire Marshal’s Office because the fire was determined to be suspicious.

Chief Dienst noted the Discover School had a fire late Sunday night where the sprinkler system also did it’s job.  That fire was reported 11:17 p.m. Sunday.  When the fire department arrived alarms were sounding.

Fire crews located the fire on the 3rd floor and made a quick knock down of the fire with the help from the sprinkler system in the building.  The majority of the fire was contained to the 3rd floor ceiling.  A small fire started on the wood floor below the ceiling fire from burning materials falling from the ceiling.  That fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short in a wire that was covered with cellulose insulation in the 3rd floor ceiling.

Chief Dienst commented, “The building’s sprinkler system and alarm system operated correctly and alerted the fire department while the fire was still small.  Firefighters made entry, located and extinguished the fire quickly.  Without those systems this fire had the potential to destroy the building.”

Chief Dienst also commended the employees of PetsMart for, “Doing a good job of evacuating the customers so that no one was in danger.”

Other - Retail, Retail

Duluth, MN – Sprinkler system helps contain pallet fire at Goodwill store; No injuries reported

In Duluth, firefighters responded to an automatic alarm at the Goodwill Store at 700 Garfield Avenue on Friday afternoon. They found smoke coming from the rear of the building where pallets of assorted goods were on fire. Fire containment was assisted by an activated sprinkler head. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

St Cloud, MN – Fire extinguished by fire sprinklers in apartment kitchen; No injuries reported

 A grease fire is estimated to have caused $4,000 in damages at Westwood Village Apartments on Monday, according to St. Cloud Fire Department. 

All units responded to a kitchen fire at about 12:05 p.m. Monday at 770 Savanna Ave. 

The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system before firefighters arrived. 

No one was injured. 

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Red Wing, MN – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at ice arena; No injuries reported

Smoke from a fire filled the ice arena next to Red Wing High School, authorities said.

An alarm sounded about 3:25 p.m. Wednesday at Prairie Island Arena, and emergency dispatch was soon alert to a fire in the refrigeration room of the School District-owned facility, according to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Warner.

Firefighters soon arrived to the home rink for the high school’s boys and girls teams and had the fire under control within 15 minutes, Warner said. The building’s sprinkler system spewed water and helped contain the flames to its originating location, he added.

Smoke from a fire filled the ice arena next to Red Wing High School, authorities said.

An alarm sounded about 3:25 p.m. Wednesday at Prairie Island Arena, and emergency dispatch was soon alert to a fire in the refrigeration room of the School District-owned facility, according to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Warner.

Firefighters soon arrived to the home rink for the high school’s boys and girls teams and had the fire under control within 15 minutes, Warner said. The building’s sprinkler system spewed water and helped contain the flames to its originating location, he added.

Even so, “smoke was found throughout the building,” Warner said.

There were no injuries reported, and what ignited the fire remains under investigation.

District Superintendent Karsten Anderson said that an electrical motor that is part of the refrigeration system caught fire. Anderson said she hopes repairs can be started as soon as possible.

Warner said that the quick response by his department and the brief time the fire burned showed “the importance on maintaining a working sprinkler system and having a monitored fire alarm system.”

Retail, Shopping Mall

Eden Prairie, MN – Fire at shopping mall quickly put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Moviegoers were forced to evacuate Wednesday evening after a small fire broke out near the AMC Theater at Eden Prairie Center.

According to the Eden Prairie Fire Department, the fire occurred around 7:45 p.m. in a back hallway behind the AMC theater, where it was quickly controlled by the sprinkler system installed inside the mall.

The fire caused light smoke in the mall, but heavy smoke in the back hallway.

Authorities say there were no injuries and no other businesses in the mall were evacuated. The theater is expected to reopen Thursday.