Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Los Alamos, NM – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Leave a comment

A fire broke out this morning in a kitchen shared by Los Alamos Cantina at 157 Central Park Square and the Pyramid Cafe at 155 Central Park Square. There were no injuries to firefighters on scene and the building was searched concurrent to fire control assignments and no occupants were found, the building was empty at the time.

Los Alamos Deputy Fire Chief Wendy Servey explained that at approximately 8:17 a.m. today the Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a report of a structure fire at 157 Central Park Square. A fire detection system had alerted dispatch and a sprinkler system activated prior to LAFD’s arrival, she said, adding that within 40 minutes crews had thoroughly ensured there was no fire extension into adjacent businesses or the attic/roof area and reported “loss stopped” as the situation was under control.

Deputy Chief Servey said that Engine Company crews from Station 6 and Station 1 quickly forced entry and contained the fire found in the kitchen area. Due to the quick and coordinated fire attack along with the sprinkler system the fire was quickly controlled with minor to moderate damage to the interior to include smoke damage throughout both businesses. Structural/foundations and roofs/attic spaces appear not to be compromised, she said. Units dispatched to the scene were Battalion 1, Engine 6, Medic 6, Engine 1, Truck 1, Medic 1 and Rescue 1.

The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by fire investigators from LAFD.

The Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce and the MainStreet programs are working with the owner and manager of these eateries to explore ways the community can support them during this difficult time. More information will be shared soon.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Cudahy, WI – Sprinkler system contains fire at food processing plant

Leave a comment

A fire at Smithfield Foods’ legacy Patrick Cudahy plant in Cudahy, Wis., on Saturday, Jan. 4, resulted in one person being taken to a hospital and minor damage, according to local reports.

The fire department was called when smoke was discovered on the plant’s third and fourth floors Saturday morning. A sprinkler system contained the fire, and firefighters extinguished the fire after finding smoke coming from a piece of machinery on the fourth floor.

One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Although the fire caused minor damage, the news reports said it had little impact on facility operations.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Fairfield, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at food plant; No injuries reported

A fire at the Koch Foods plant in Fairfield, Ohio, caused about $50,000 worth of damage.

The Fairfield Fire Department (FFD) received the first call about the fire at approximately 7:10 a.m. on December 31, reported WLWT. Upon arrival, responders found the fire in a mechanical room on the second floor of the main part of the plant.

According to the fire department, the facility’s sprinkler system had automatically activated when the fire started, which helped prevent further spread of the fire, which was extinguished in about 20 minutes.

The cause of the fire is believed to be a malfunctioning motor in the mechanical room.

No injuries related to the fire were reported.

The FFD received assistance from several nearby fire departments.

The Fairfield plant underwent an expansion in 2022, adding to the company’s existing workforce.

Koch Foods, according to information from the WATTPoultry.com Top Poultry Companies Database, is the sixth largest poultry producer in the United States, having processed 62.10 million pounds of ready to cook chicken during the past year.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Bridgeport, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at mall; No injuries reported

Multiple fire departments responded to a fire at Meadowbrook Mall on Sunday morning.

Harrison County 911 received reports of smoke and flames coming from Exotic Nails, located near the food court, at approximately 7:50 a.m. Fire crews initially found no signs of fire but discovered smoke and an active sprinkler system during a more thorough investigation.

No injuries were reported, and the extent of the damage to the affected areas is under assessment. It’s believed that the mall’s food court and several stores suffered some water damage.

Bridgeport Fire, Anmoore Fire & EMS, Nutter Fort Fire, Shinnston Fire, and Spelter Fire responded to the call.

Animal Shelter / Animal Care Center

Milpitas, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at animal shelter; No injuries reported

One of the major animal shelters in the South Bay is working to reopen after a fire forced staff and animals to evacuate.

The fire that broke out at Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas on Monday morning forced the center to close and discontinue all services while repairs are underway.

There were no injuries, but it has put pet adoptions on hold during one of the busiest times of the year.

On Tuesday afternoon, crews worked outside the complex to clean up what was primarily water damage, according to officials at the shelter.

On Monday morning, a fire inside the ceiling of the center’s laundry room triggered the fire suppression sprinkler system, which caused most of the damage.

It “caused a lot of water damage in our medical clinic as well as in our operations area which is adjacent to the laundry room and has left about half of our building unusable,’ said Nancy Willis, the vice president of strategic growth at the shelter.

Willis said there were just under 100 animals in the shelter at the time of the fire. The Humane Society called in its team of foster families to get many of them offsite and into stable environments while repairs are made to the building.

“Of course, all of the animals were evacuated out of the shelter because we did not know what was going to happen,” Willis said.

The news of the closure came as a surprise to some people who arrived hoping to adopt pets.

“I came today to get a dog for my children,” said Milpitas resident Nico Afuola.

Afuola stopped by the shelter on his lunch hour to try to adopt a dog as a Christmas gift for his family.

“I mean I was kind of bummed out, you know, I wanted to get a dog, but it is OK I will go take a look somewhere else. But this is my first choice,” Afuola said.

The fire also damaged the shelter’s computer servers, interrupting the ability to show online animals available for adoption.

The center plans to reopen its adoption services on Wednesday and believes the community will respond.

“Folks will come in, adopt the animals that we have on our adoption floor now, and we will be able to continue to bring animals in and find loving homes for them,” Willis said.

Milpitas Fire Chief Jason Schoonover said in a statement on Tuesday, “Additional investigation found that the fire appeared to have started in a portion of the building utilized for utility and laundry purposes, prior to spreading to the attic and activating the automatic fire sprinkler protection system.”

He added that while the sprinkler system minimized fire spread, the facility sustained substantial smoke and water damage.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

North Bethesda, MD – Sprinkler system activated for fire on fifth floor apartment unit; No injuries reported

Several families are likely to be displaced after a Tuesday morning fire at Arrowwood Apartments in North Bethesda, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) spokesperson Pete Piringer.

According to radio transmissions, a report of a fire on the fifth floor of an apartment building at 5410 McGrath Blvd. came in at roughly 10:02 a.m. The fire activated sprinklers and fire alarms and residents of the building were evacuated.

Responding MCFRS crews reported there was light smoke throughout the fifth floor at roughly 10:15 a.m. but the fire had been extinguished by sprinklers. According to transmissions, a small pile of combustibles caught fire.

According to Piringer, the fire was controlled and extinguished by the sprinkler system by roughly 10:40 a.m.

Piringer said there were no injuries, but there was some water damage in the building.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hartford, CT – Sprinkler system contains fire at fifth floor apartment unit; No injuries reported

The Hartford Fire Department received reports of smoke in an apartment building in the Clay Arsenal neighborhood Saturday morning.  

Officials say the multiunit apartment’s fifth floor sprinkler system contained the fire before crews arrived at the scene, located at 1630 Main Street.

Crews said the fire was contained to one apartment and they made sure the fire was promptly extinguished.

The fire displaced two families who were given temporary shelter by a CT Transit bus. The American Red Cross is working to assist the displaced families.

Officials say no one was injured and the incident is under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Perris, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes stovetop fire

One person was taken to a hospital for evaluation following a stovetop fire at a three-story, multifamily building in Perris Tuesday.

The fire in the 20 block of South D Street was reported at 8:05 a.m. Tuesday and extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system before firefighters arrived, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The Red Cross was requested to provide assistance for eight adults displaced in the fire, the fire department reported.

No firefighter injuries were reported.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Ottumwa, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel

Monday morning, crews in Ottumwa responded to a report of a fire alarm with sprinkler activation.

The call came in just before 11:30 a.m. at the AmericInn hotel.

When firefighters arrived, no smoke or fire was seen on the outside of the building, but smoke was observed upon entry.

One person was found in a hotel room bathroom on the second floor.

The person was conscious, combative and refused to leave.

Officers were called to the scene to assist with removing the person.

A chair was found in the same room that had been on fire and it was removed from the building.

Fans were used to remove smoke from the building.

The fire is currently under investigation and the Health Department.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Glenview, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school woodshop

Classes at a suburban Glenview high school were canceled Monday and students and staff were sent home after a fire alarm triggered a sprinkler system to be set off in the building, according to an announcement.

About 9:23 a.m., fire alarms were triggered near the woodshop of Glenbrook South High School, leading the building’s fire suppression and sprinkler system to be activated, the school posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

While the school initially said that students and staff were being allowed back into the building after being evacuated, it later said students would be dismissed after a “large amount of water” in the building had impacted school events.

“School is canceled for the rest of the day and students will be dismissed using a tiered system,” the school said.

In a 11:16 a.m. Facebook post, the school confirmed that all students had been dismissed.

According to the school, Monday morning’s fire alarm took place during “School Emergency Preparedness Week.”

No further details surrounding the circumstances of the incident were released. Glenbrook South High School did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment.