Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Corpus Christi, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at transportation facility

An early morning fire caused some damage to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) building at N. Staples St., Mike Rendon with CCRTA told 3NEWS.

The fire was reported just after 8 a.m. in a second floor storage room. RTA officials were preparing for a board meeting when the fire began, Rendon said.

Corpus Christi Fire Department crews were on scene within five minutes, Rendon said, and had the fire put out shortly after.

The water sprinkler system did cause some damage to the building and it will be closed for the rest of the day Wednesday, Rendon said. All RTA employees have been told to work from home today.

There is no word on the cause of the fire at this time. 

The Veterans Services and Social Services Offices within the building will be closed to walk-in clients until further notice. 

College/University (on campus), School / University

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at historic university building

Engine Co. 4 was called to Memorial Union for a fire alarm activation. While on scene, firefighters noticed smoke in the first floor kitchen that was getting thicker. Engine 4 prompted a full structure fire response, summoning multiple additional fire crews to the scene.

Engine Co. 4 located a custodial room where an automatic fire sprinkler had activated. There, firefighters found piles of oily kitchen rags smoldering. Memorial Union staff confirmed there was a bag of wet rags with oil mixed in them stored inside the room. The rags are believed to have spontaneously combusted, resulting in fire that triggered the automatic fire suppression system. Ladder Co. 1 remained on scene with Engine Co. 4 to ventilate the smoke and help overhaul the rags.

The Memorial Union was retrofitted with automatic fire sprinklers in recent years during remodeling projects that took place between 2012 and 2017. Without the presence of automatic sprinklers, this incident may have grown much larger before being noticed, and significant damage could have occurred to this historic building.

Following this incident on August 21, damage was contained to the room of origin and an adjacent office. The Memorial Union was re-opened to the public by 12:30 p.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The building’s sprinkler system did its job and the fire department handled the rest after a fire sparked in an apartment in central Kelowna this morning.

The Kelowna Fire Department was called to the scene in the 1700 block of Ethel Street around 10:30 am and found the fire in a unit on the first floor of the four-storey building.

According to Platoon Captain Scott Clarke, the sprinkler system had activated and suppressed the fire to the stove top of the unit.

“Firefighters entered the unit and completed extinguishment,” he said.

The fire has been deemed accidental in nature.

While there was no one home in the unit affected by the minor blaze, the rest of the building was evacuated and Clarke said no injuries were reported.

There was some fire and water damage to the single unit and some general water damage to the first floor.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Franklin, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at restaurant

Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King ruled the fire that significantly damaged the Red Pony restaurant in downtown Franklin Saturday morning was accidental.  

The cause is still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. 

King said Franklin Fire Department investigators are working with private investigators hired by the property insurer. Due to structural instability, they haven’t yet been able to access all areas of the building to complete their investigation. He said they hope to have more answers later this week. 

The fire started on the lower level in the rear of the historic two-story building, located at 408 Main Street. King estimated damage at $300,000.  

“While this was a big loss to our community, the damage could have been much worse,” he said. “A combination of early detection and notification, a quick response and solid tactical decisions by firefighters, and the automatic fire sprinklers led to a positive outcome.”  

King said more fire sprinkler heads activated than investigators originally thought.  

“At least four or five fire sprinkler heads activated on the first and second floors of the building, which helped to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings,” he said.

To learn more about how to equip your building with fire sprinklers and take advantage of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act, contact King at andyk@franklintn.gov or 615-550- 6752.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fast-food restaurant fire; No injuries reported

Firefighters arrived on scene within four minutes to find people evacuating a fast-food restaurant located inside a grocery store. A fire was found coming from the commercial deep fryer controls and oil tanks. A sprinkler head had been activated as well. The firefighters completed extinguished the fire and shut the sprinkler system off. Although the fire was contained to the appliance, most of the restaurant surfaces and items were damaged or wet. As a precaution, crews turned off most of the circuit breakers. The Health Department was also requested and notified. Firefighters from Stations 26, 35, 46 and 40 responded to this incident.

Residential, Single Family Home

Alpharetta, GA – Sprinkler system extinguishes house fire; No injuries reported

A Monday morning house fire in Alpharetta was caused by a power strip that was placed on top of a blanket, firefighters say.

Fortunately, the home was equipped with a sprinkler system and the fire was extinguished before fire crews arrived.

According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety at about 11:45 a.m. Monday, Alpharetta firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire on Calypso Drive. As crews arrived on scene and made contact with the homeowner, they found that one of the residents had placed a power strip on top of a blanket on the couch, located on the second level of the townhome.

The resident had then gone downstairs to check on the food in the oven and, in the time that they were gone, the blanket and then the couch caught on fire.

The heat from the flames activated the fire sprinklers directly above the couch and extinguished the fire before fire crews arrived on scene.

Firefighters confirmed that the fire was out and made sure that the fire had not extended to other areas.

No injuries were reported from the incident. Smoke was evacuated from the structure and firefighters performed salvage and overhaul to reduce water damage from the fire sprinkler activation.

According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, in homes equipped with fire sprinkler systems, 97% of house fires never leave the room of origin.

Residential, Single Family Home

Fallston, MD – Residential sprinkler system activated for fire in home; No injuries reported

Deputy State Fire Marshals are crediting a smoke alarm and a home fire sprinkler system for saving an infant’s life and reducing significant property damage at a Fallston home over the weekend.

Fallston Volunteer Fire Company and mutual-aid departments were dispatched at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday for a reported dwelling in the 2000-block of Arden Drive after the owner, who was outside at the time, heard a smoke alarm sounding. Upon arrival, the fire department discovered a fire in the kitchen with one activated fire sprinkler.

Fire investigators concluded the fire started in the kitchen, and the cause was accidental due to an unattended candle. The investigation determined that the activation of only one automatic fire sprinkler prevented the fire from spreading from the kitchen into the remainder of the home. Damage was limited to an estimated $20,000, and no injuries were reported.

State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci stated, “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries and protect property and valuables. The best home fire safety practice is combining a smoke alarm, an escape plan, and a residential fire sprinkler. Today we saw the effects of this winning combination;”.

Maryland requires a residential fire sprinkler in all new one- or two-family homes across the state. Maryland law also prohibits local governments from weakening the sprinkler requirement in their jurisdiction’s building codes.

Apartment Building, Residential

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

An interior sprinkler system helped to douse a Monday morning fire at an apartment complex, according to Roanoke County emergency services.

Firefighters were summoned to the Ridgeview Apartments on Hawthorne Road around 10 a.m. by E-911 reports of smoke and water being emitted from a second-story apartment. There they found unattended cooking materials in a unit whose resident was not present.

The apartment’s sprinkler system had already contained the fire. The incident caused water damage to four units in the multistory residential complex and smoke damage to the apartment where the fire originated.

The Roanoke County fire marshal estimated damages at $25,000. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Stove fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire that broke out in a Mayo Drive apartment while no one was home was caught quickly and extinguished by an automatic fire sprinkler.

Engine Co. 7 responded to the building to investigate the fire alarm that was sounding. Residents told firefighters there may have been a fire in one of the units. Crews went inside and found water leaking out from under one of the apartment doors. Upon entry to the unit, Engine Co. 7 found a box of napkins on the stovetop that was charred due to the electrical burner being turned on. Firefighters removed the napkins and turned off the burner. The apartment was ventilated to clear the air.

Firefighters located the occupant, who stated she remembers placing the box of napkins on the stove before leaving home. The burner may have been accidentally bumped prior to her leaving the apartment.