Tag Archives: Missouri

Other Business

Branson, MO – Early morning fire at theater contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A Branson police officer heard popping sounds coming from the back of the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway overnight and when fire crews arrived, they found flames shooting out of the backstage area. Branson Fire Chief Ted Martin tells KTTS News the call came in around 2 a.m. and three fire departments responded.

He says the fire started stage left in a 12 by 12 area where there’s a lot of support equipment, including radios, battery chargers, power strips and extension cords. Martin says the sprinkler system kept the fire contained.

There’s smoke throughout the building, and crews have spent the morning trying to ventilate the smoke and they’ll be working with restoration companies to use dehumidifiers to get the moisture out of the stage props and the stage deck, and remove the smoke odor. Martin says the theatre should be able to re-open in a few days.   The fire is accidental, and Martin says they haven’t been able to rule out an electrical short.  No one was hurt.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

De Soto, MO – Overnight fire at residential care facility extinguished by sprinkler system

A small fire Wednesday night (May 17) at the Villas residential care facility in De Soto led to the evacuation of about 35 residents, the De Soto Fire Department reported. At 11:32 p.m., the fire department got a call about an alarm sounding at the facility, 1550 Villa Drive, Fire Chief Craig Block said.  When firefighters arrived at 11:40 p.m., they found light smoke showing in the building, he said.

“Upon further investigation, they found there was a fire in a storage room, but the sprinkler system had put it out,” Block said. “We have an updated sprinkler system and a current digital alarm,” said Beverly Rector, administrator for the Villas.

Because of the fire and smoke, a second alarm was struck and firefighters from the De Soto Rural, Hematite, Hillsboro, Festus and R-7 fire protection districts responded to the scene and helped with the evacuation. They also were joined by emergency medical personnel from Valle, North Jefferson, Joachim-Plattin and Rock Township ambulance districts, Block said. Rector said people were already being evacuated when emergency responders arrived at the facility.

“We evacuated the entire campus to safe zones on the property,” she said. Residents were evacuated to the parking lot of the facility.  Meanwhile, firefighters ventilated the building to remove the smoke, Block said.  One patient, who complained about being injured during the evacuation, was transported to an area hospital, Block said.  The state Fire Marshal’s Office was called in and determined the fire was accidental, Block said.  “We still don’t have a report on the cause of the fire,” he said.

Residents were back in their rooms at about 12:45 a.m., Block said. He said safeguards in the building stopped the situation from becoming worse.  “Luckily, the sprinkler system did its job,” Block said.  Rector said staff at the Villas were grateful to the emergency responders.  “The fire department and EMS should be commended,” she said. “They have our gratitude. They were quick and helpful and efficient in the process.”

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hannibal, MO – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in early morning fire at rubber plant

An early Monday morning fire at Buckhorn Rubber Plant in Hannibal was ruled accidental in nature, according to Hannibal fire investigators. Hannibal Fire Department said crews were called to the plant at 3:39 a.m. for a report of a machine on fire.  HFD Investigator Mark Kempker said when firefighters arrived workers were outside the building and the fire had set off the building’s sprinkler system.  Kempker said it took firefighters about 10 minutes to put the fire out completely.  Crews stayed on scene for about an hour.  Following an investigation, Kempker said the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction in the control panel of a machine. 

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

St. Charles, MO – Overnight restaurant fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

An overnight fire caused damage to a popular restaurant in St. Charles.  Fire officials were called to Lewis and Clark’s Restaurant on South Main Street after a fire started in the kitchen just after midnight Wednesday.

St. Charles Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Casey said the building’s sprinkler system played a role in keeping the fire under control, but left behind water damage.

“Fire alarm system and sprinkler system really saved this building,” said Chief Casey. “Saved this restaurant, saved this business for the folks down here on South Main.”

The chief also said the concern with the old building was that the wood could burn fast.  “These old buildings, we have a three-story masonry building, been here for years, little worried about fire in void spaces, so we went ahead and called for a second alarm,” Chief Casey said.

The owner of the restaurant told News 4’s Paige Hulsey they plan to reopen the restaurant, but are still assessing damage and a timeline.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No one was injured during the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Jefferson City, MO – Apartment fire suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries and damage limited

No injuries were reported in a structure fire in the 200 block of North Ventura Avenue early Thursday afternoon. The Jefferson City Fire Department responded to the fire at 12:28 p.m., arriving to find smoke from a single apartment in the 18-unit apartment building, according to a JCFD news release.  Fire crews found the fire controlled by sprinkler activation. The sprinkler system controlled the fire’s spread and limited damage to the apartment’s kitchen area.  Personnel from the Jefferson City Police Department, Cole County Emergency Medical Services and the American Red Cross also assisted.  Four residents were displaced from the apartment. The structural damage was estimated at approximately $15,000.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Lee’s Summit, MO – Early morning fire in semi-conductor manufacturing facility held in check by sprinkler system

The fire originated in the piece of manufacturing equipment. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Columbia, MO – Fire at Boone County Jail kept in check by sprinkler; No injuries

A fire that broke out in a commercial dryer Monday night at the Boone County Jail was ruled accidental and caused by bedding materials that overheated in the unit.

Crews from the Columbia Fire Department and Boone County Fire Protection District were sent to the jail, 2121 County Drive, at 10:54 p.m. Monday and found neither smoke nor fire visible from the outside, according to a news release.

Fire district personnel arrived first and were taken to the laundry area, where there was light smoke and fire coming from the unit. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. One sprinkler activated before crews arrived, helping contain the fire to the single unit, the release said.

No injuries were reported.

Boone County sheriff’s Detective Tom O’Sullivan said the dryer is a loss, and damage to it and some light smoke damage in the building is estimated to cost about $6,000. The dryer was left on too long, and the heat setting was too high, he said.

Other - Retail, Retail

Camdenton, MO – Bathroom fire at consignment store controlled by sprinkler system

Firefighters made entry into Bear Market to find a fire burning in the bathroom in the center of the business which was being controlled by the building’s fire sprinkler system.   The Camdenton business suffered minor smoke damage as a result of the fire Sunday night.  According to a press release from the Camdenton Fire Department, the CFD responded to a fire alarm at 625 West US Highway 54 at Camdenton Post Office and Bear Market at 8:26 p.m. Aug. 21.  A water flow alarm was also sounding at Bear Market Consignment Store. 

Camdenton Fire Department arrived to find significant smoke inside Bear Market.  The incident was upgraded to a working fire and Mid County Fire Protection District responded to the scene to assist.

Firefighters made entry into Bear Market to find a fire burning in the bathroom in the center of the business which was being controlled by the building’s fire sprinkler system.  Firefighters checked for fire extension and found there was no fire extension, according to the press release, and the fire sprinkler system was shut off.

The fire damage was contained to the ceiling area above the bathroom. The center section of Bear Market around the bathroom suffered minor water damage. All of Bear Market suffered minor smoke damage. Damage was contained to Bear Market.

Investigation revealed that the fire originated in the ceiling of the bathroom in the area of the ventilation fan and light fixture, according to the CFD.  The Camdenton Fire Department was also assisted on scene by the Camdenton Police Department, Camden County Ambulance District / Mercy Ambulance, Camden County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Laclede Electric. Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District moved an engine and personnel to Mid County Fire Protection District Station #2 for coverage.

Bear Market commented on their Facebook page, “Tonight August 21, 2016 our store has survived a small fire above the out house!! We will be closed until the fire Marshal approves everything. Restroom will be closed for a few weeks probably. Thanks for your patience.”

No further posts have been made to indicate they have reopened yet.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Marshall, MO – Sprinklers help extinguish bedroom fire at home for developmentally disabled

A bedroom fire at Northwest Community Services — previously known as the Marshall Habilitation Center — Saturday, June 25, could have resulted in more damage than was done.

According to the Marshall Fire Department, firefighters arrived to a call at NCS shortly before 6 p.m., seeing light smoke. The incident occurred in unit 221, and the unit’s sprinkler system had activated by the time MFD arrived.

“We were there for a while, because of the water damage,” Marshall Fire Chief Tony Day said, indicating there was more water damage than fire damage because the sprinklers “did their job.” MFD started ventilation, removed burnt clothing from the residential unit and turned the scene over to maintenance once they confirmed the fire was out.

After further investigation into the cause of the fire, one of the residents admitted to setting her clothes on fire and flushing the lighter down a toilet, Day said. In addition to destroying clothes, the fire burned the armoire they were stored in and scorched the walls, but not badly. MFD left the scene at 7:15 p.m.

There was an estimated property loss of $10,000, and content loss was estimated at $3,000.

Northwest Community Services, a developmental disability facility, is located at 700 E. Slater Street, in north Marshall.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Lee’s Summit, MO – Fire in ductwork at semi-conductor facility controlled by sprinkler system

On Saturday, April 30, 2016, at 8:02 p.m., the Lee’s Summit Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at Diodes/Fabtech, 777 NW Blue Parkway, in the north building of the Summit Technology Campus. An employee called 911 to report a fire on the roof and smoke in their chemical/gas storage room.

When the fire department arrived, a small fire was visible on the roof of the 540,000 square foot, mixed use facility. The building was in the process of being evacuated.   The fire was located on the roof and in the gas scrubber room, on the north side of the building. The gasses are used for the manufacturing of semi-conductors for the electronics industry and the scrubbers process the gasses after they have been used. 

After consulting with facility staff to determine the types of hazardous materials involved, crews made an initial investigation inside of the scrubber room and found a piece of ductwork from a scrubber unit burning in a pipe chase near the deck of the roof. A sprinkler head near the fire had activated and controlled the fire in the chase.

Fire crews finished extinguishing that fire as other crews attacked the fire involving the ductwork on the roof. On the roof, a portion of the ductwork going to an exhaust fan had burned and fallen away leaving burning gasses coming from two scrubber exhaust pipes. Fire crews applied foam and water from the ladder truck to control the fires and protect the exposures around them as the fire department worked with Diodes staff to shut down all of the gasses going into the scrubber.

After the gasses were shut off, both of the fires were extinguished. The fire was under control at 9:37 p.m. Crews monitored the air around area for hazardous materials throughout the incident.

Fire damage was contained to the exhaust duct on the roof and in the pipe chase from the scrubber room to the roof. After the fire was out and air monitoring was complete, all of the buildings tenants were allowed to reoccupy the building.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.