Firefighters were dispatched at 7:16 a.m. to Prudential Overall Supply, 6997 Jurupa Ave., and reported a working fire in the warehouse held in check by the fire sprinkler system, Riverside Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said.
“The fire is knocked down and crews are on scene overhauling,” Vanderhorst said. “Crews are working on ventilating, shutting down the sprinkler system and extensive mop up.”
Damage to the former school, now a residential apartment building called Laurel Flats, was limited to the door itself and did not spread, Fire Chief Scott Busenbark said.
“It just damaged the door that was leaning on it,” Busenbark said. “We had Station 1 and Station 2 on the scene … an alarm like that always gets a full response.”
The fire threatened the gymnasium section of the 110-year-old building, which was added as an expansion to the original building in 1941.
No injuries were reported and the entryway suffered only minor damage due to the sprinkler system.
“It put it out on its own,” Busenbark said.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Officers from the Crawfordsville Police Department assisted at the scene.
Public Information Officer Captain Sam Armstrong said Provo Fire and Rescue received a call from BYU at 10:53 a.m. saying hydrogen was on fire.
Armstrong said the department sent firefighters from multiple stations in case of the fire being a catastrophic event. “We would rather be prepared and send everybody than be behind the ball and try and play catch up.”
Armstrong was unable to confirm exactly what it was that had caught on fire, but he said the fire was contained in a storage cabinet that had a fire suppression sprinkler inside it.
When Provo Fire and Rescue arrived, it found the fire suppression sprinkler had already put the fire out. Firefighters then worked with BYU Engineering to help shut down the water system so the water didn’t cause damage.
According to an AFD press release, the department was called around 9:15 a.m. to the scene of the fire at a multi-storey residential complex located in the 100 block of Mackenzie Way SW.
“Upon arrival, fire crews found a partial evacuation had taken place and those residents and their pets had safely gathered in the building’s parking lot,” the release stated.
Upon entering the apartment building, firefighters discovered a small fire was burning on an exterior deck of the apartment complex. The fire was being held in check by the residential fire sprinkler system.
Firefighters extinguished what remained of the fire and proceeded to check apartments above, below and adjacent to ensure they had not been damaged.
“Due to the timely activation of the exterior fire sprinkler system, damage was limited to the exterior deck of the apartment of origin,” the release stated.
The cause of the fire was determined to be the ignition of combustible materials that were stored close to a barbecue. Damages are estimated to be $2000.
“The AFD reminds the public to remain safe and attentive when using a barbecue,” the release stated. “Ensure that the barbecue is located in a well-ventilated area and a safe distance from combustible materials, windows and doors. Never leave a lit grill unattended. Barbecues should be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.”
The blaze caused an estimated $3 million in damage and endangered more than 300 people who were in the store at the time, Kitsap County sheriff’s officials said.
Crews responded to the blaze, in the 6700 block of State Route 303, at about 10:30 a.m. after receiving several calls about clothing on fire inside the store.
The blaze set off the sprinkler system, and employees took quick action to try and limit the spread of the flames. Firefighters also worked to contain the flames to the clothing section before extinguishing the fire.
There were no reports of injuries.
Sheriff’s officials say the suspect entered the store wearing dark cothing, changed clothes after the fire and rode away on a bicycle.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or who knows of his whereabouts is urged to call Kitsap County Sheriff’s Detective T. Dobbins at (360) 509-1026 or at (360) 337-5614. They may also contact Detective Sgt. Birkenfeld at (360) 340-5647.
Crews from numerous area fire companies were dispatched to Zober Industries on Coventry Avenue at 11:08 a.m. for the fire.
The blaze was in an industrial machine at Zober Industries that separated antifreeze and oil. The blaze was held in check by the building’s sprinkler system, Croydon Fire Company Chief Tom Tryon and Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said.
Tryon explained that some of the antifreeze and oil was pushed by water from the fire suppression system into nearby storm drains. The chief said environmental protection officials and the U.S. Coast Guard were alerted of the spill.
No injuries were reported, Dippolito said.
Zober Industries has been a stable in Croydon since the mid-1970s and serves as a vendor that offers custom manufacturing.
The site also had a fire May 24 that didn’t spread beyond a single room.
The building at 3020 Blanshard St. offers accommodation to people who were previously living in tents in Topaz Park or along a stretch of Pandora Avenue, a transition made possible after the provincial government bought the facility last month for $18.5 million.
Residents are supported by Our Place Society and the Victoria Cool Aid Society.
Atkinson said the first 911 call was received about 8:20 a.m. and crews were able to put the fire out quickly. One occupant had been in the unit but got out safely.
“It was a room-and-contents fire and it did activate the sprinkler system,” he said. “The sprinkler system did a really good job of not allowing it to spread too radically.”
Remediation in the other rooms could range from pulling up the carpet and bringing in fans to working on drywall and paint.
He said there is bound to be a fair bit of damage, “being that it was on the fourth floor and water runs downhill.”
Firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the home, Nick Hill of the RBC Fire Department said in a press release, and while en route, they received an update that a heat/smoke alarm and a sprinkler system at the home had activated.
Rainbow City Dispatch told firefighters a caller said grease had boiled out of a pot onto a stove, starting the fire.
“Upon arriving on scene we found smoke exiting the structure,” Hill said. Crews went to work to locate anyone who might be in the structure and to battle the blaze, he said.
“Search and Rescue crews found that there was a bed-bound subject within the home,” Hill said. That person was safely brought out of the home.
Fire fighting crews found a small fire on the stove in the kitchen, he said, but thanks to the activation of the sprinkler system, there was minimal damage.
“What fire remained was still burning due to the stove hood blocking the water from the sprinkler,” Hill explained. The fire was extinguished with a dry chemical extinguisher, and crews checked for fire extension into the walls and cabinets.
They found no evidence the fire had spread further.
All occupants in the residence were accounted for and safe, Hill said. Property owners and managers were looking into finding a place to move the occupants until the residence was repaired.
The outcome of this incident, Hill said, can be greatly attributed to the working smoke/heat alarms and the properly working sprinkler system.
Rainbow City Fire Rescue has a smoke alarm installation program to install smoke alarms in the homes in Rainbow City at no charge to the residential property owner, he said.
“This is a program provided by anonymous donors at a state level, ‘Get Alarmed Alabama!’ and ‘The Alabama Fire College,’” he explained.
For any questions about the smoke alarm installation program contact Rainbow City Fire Rescue at (256) 442-2511.
Gainesville Fire Rescue crews say when they arrived smoke was coming from the building.
The building’s sprinkler system was also running. Crews say this held the fire at bay until firefighters arrived and contained it.
No one was injured.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether others were involved, Lt. Earl Smith said.
The call began as a burglar alarm early Wednesday. Smith said officers found evidence of forced entry and fire inside the building. Since they didn’t know if suspects were inside, law enforcement provided cover to fire crews as they battled the blaze.
South Kitsap Fire and Rescue was aided by fire crews from Bremerton, Central Kitsap and Navy Region Northwest and officers from the Port Orchard Police Department, SKFR said in a post on social media. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also has taken part in the investigation.
“Thankfully, there were no injuries,” said Amy Miller, spokeswoman for South Kitsap School District.
Smith said damage to the building was “significant.” A photo posted on social media by the sheriff’s office shows scores of ceiling tiles on the floor near the school’s entryway. South Kitsap Fire & Rescue reported that the fire was contained to the room of origin by the sprinkler system.
The school has been closed since March 16 along with all other schools in Washington state to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Detectives arrested the suspect with the help of a K-9 tracking team shortly before noon on suspicion of first degree arson and second degree burglary. He was interviewed Wednesday afternoon at the Kitsap County Juvenile Detention Center regarding whether he had accomplices, Smith said.
