Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Fort Wayne, IN – Fire sprinklers keep fire at elementary school from spreading on Christmas day

Firefighters are looking into the cause of a fire that broke out in a classroom Christmas Day.

Firefighters respond to a classroom fire at Horace Mann Elementary School in Huntington.

The flames sparked Wednesday morning at Horace Mann Elementary School on Waterworks Road.

Huntington Fire Chief Tony Johnson told our journalist on the scene that the flames were contained to one classroom. The sprinkler system activated and kept the fire from spreading. However, there is significant water and smoke damage to the classroom.

Due to the holiday break, there were no students or teachers in the building at the time.

Other - Residential, Residential

Grand Forks, ND – Kitchen fire put out by fire sprinklers at group home; No injuries reported

Six people have been forced out of their homes after a kitchen fire broke out in a Grand Forks REM house, how long is uncertain.

Fire broke out this morning around 9 at 415 N. 51 St.

By the time crews got to the scene, a sprinkler system had put out the bulk of the fire.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the fire.

The kitchen has moderate smoke and fire damage.

No one was hurt.

Apartment Building, Residential

Boise, ID – Dryer fire at apartment quickly put out by fire sprinklers

A sprinkler system in the Fowler apartments in downtown Boise was triggered early Friday morning by a dryer fire, according to Boise Fire Department officials.  

The fire occurred shortly after 9 a.m. and was put out quickly by the sprinklers. However, several apartments on four floors incurred water damage, Boise firefighters said. 

One lane was closed on Myrtle Street while crews responded to the incident.

The Fowler located on West Broad Street between Trader Joe’s and WinCo Foods in Boise is one of the more recent housing developments in the past few years.  

The side of the apartment that faces Myrtle Street displays one of Idaho’s largest murals painted by David Carmack Lewis. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Oklahoma City, OK – Sprinkler system immediately puts out second floor apartment fire

Firefighters responded to an apartment fire Thursday morning in northeast Oklahoma City. 

According to authorities, the fire was near North Kelley Avenue and Northeast 23rd Street. 

Fire officials said it was a small fire that started on the second story of the apartment. The Sprinkler system immediately put out the fire. 

There is small smoke damage on the inside of the apartment, firefighters said. There is also some sprinkler damage on the inside of a first story apartment.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Wenatchee, WA – Single sprinkler head controls commercial fire between two businesses

Chelan County Fire District 1 was dispatched to a commercial fire a little after 9 a.m. at the corner of 5th and Mission. Locals may know the area as the strip of businesses such as Garlinis, Jimmy Johns and others.

“Crews arrived to find light smoke coming from a vacant occupancy as well as the EarthWise pet store,” said Chief Brian Brett. “We were able to make access, get in and locate the fire.”

According to Chief Brett, the sprinkler system had been activated and one head was controlling the fire. The sprinkler pretty much extinguished it and crews may have had to use one water can to complete the job.

“Now we’re just clearing out the smoke and to get the water mitigated so we can get these businesses on both sides back open,” said Chief Brett.

The cause is still under investigation. Nobody was inside at the time of the fire. Douglas Fire District 2 also responded with an engine.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Moline, IL – Fire caused by incense left burning in shopping mall put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Incense that was left burning inside a store at SouthPark Mall has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, according to Moline’s fire marshal.

The fire started just after 11 a.m. on Monday, December 16.  The mall was evacuated as the halls filled with smoke.

According to Fire Marshal Jerry Spiegel, the fire started inside the Fig Tree bookstore.  He said incense had been left burning with the ashes falling into a cardboard box; that’s what ultimately caused the fire.

Spiegel said the fire was contained within minutes.  Four sprinklers went off and helped put out most of the flames before crews arrived, but smoke continued to filter through the mall hallways.

Damage to the Fig Tree has been estimated at about $50,000, said Spiegel.  That combined with the smoke damage to other stores adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Spiegel said the biggest challenge for crews was getting the smoke out of the building.  TMI came to help activate the mall’s ventilation system to get the smoke out.

There were no injuries.

The inside of the mall was set to remain closed for Monday.  The anchor stores, JCPenney, Dillards and Von Maur opened from the outside, according to mall management.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Easton, MA – Fire sprinklers keep fire at bay after candles set advent wreath on fire; No injuries reported

A candle-lit wreath caught fire Monday morning, triggering an evacuation at the Museum of Family Prayer at the Father Peyton Center.

An evergreen Advent wreath, which was inside the museum’s chapel, ignited shortly after multiple candles were lit on candle holders within the center of the wreath, Fire Chief Kevin Partridge said in a press release. The wreath was located near the altar and three people were inside the chapel at the time of the fire.

The Easton Fire Department received an alarm around 11:15 a.m. and a 911 call reporting a fire inside the chapel at the museum at 518 Washington St.

Upon arrival of firefighters, the building had been evacuated and the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system and a maintenance worker who used a fire extinguisher, according to Partridge.

No injuries were reported.

Once the fire started, the sprinkler system in the chapel activated and a maintenance worker heard people yelling about a fire and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher to help put out the flames, Partridge said.

Firefighters arrived minutes later and shut down the sprinkler system and helped to carry wet furniture and other items out of the chapel.

The fire was contained to the wreath, but the chapel had a significant amount of water inside from the sprinkler, Partridge said. Firefighters used wet-vacs to remove as much of the water from the floor as they could before clearing the scene at approximately 12:20 p.m.

The chapel will be closed temporarily until the water can be completely dried.

“Thankfully the sprinkler system activated and kept the fire at bay and the maintenance worker sprung into action prior to our arrival,” Partridge said, “We are glad that no one was hurt and this incident should serve as a reminder that evergreen is extremely flammable and should never be kept near an open flame. Many churches use Advent wreaths this time of year, but we recommend that they use fake wreaths and keep a close eye on any candles with open flames.”

Partridge also reminded residents to regularly water their Christmas trees and to keep them away from any heat sources or open flames.

In addition, Chief Partridge would like to share some candle safety tips from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services:

Burn candles within a 1 foot circle free of anything that can burn.

Before you leave a room or the house, blow out candles. Never leave candles burning unattended.

Always extinguish candles after use.

Use a non-combustible saucer or candle holder.

Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.

To be safe, consider using flameless candles. Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage instead of candles.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Glendale, WI – Fire contained to maintenance closet on third floor of motel thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A Motel 6 in Glendale caught fire Tuesday morning, Dec. 17. Thankfully, the building’s fire sprinklers did their job. 

The alarm came at about 11 a.m., sending the North Shore Fire Department to the motel on Port Washington Road. 

Everybody inside the building was evacuated; some of them elderly and some in wheelchairs. 

The fire was confined to a maintenance closet on the third floor and the sprinkler system helped crews control the fire quickly. 

“Unfortunately one of the things that comes with fire sprinklers is a lot of water, because they’re doing their job to put the fire out. So we’re dealing with a lot of water damage. Not a ton of fire damage, it’s just primarily contained to that affected room,” said Capt. Dan Tyk, North Shore Fire and Rescue. 

One occupant of the hotel reported a minor injury that occurred while evacuating the building. She was evaluated by paramedics on scene and declined transportation to a hospital. There were no other injuries reported.

Fire and smoke damage is minimal, but there is extensive water damage on all three floors due to the activation of the fire sprinkler system.  

The preliminary damage is estimated around $100,000. 

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by North Shore Fire/Rescue and the Glendale Police Department.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Bismarck, ND – Damage limited to superstore after fire sprinklers help contain fire in garden center; No injuries reported

A fire caused the evacuation and temporary closure of a Walmart store in north Bismarck on Friday and city officials say early signs indicate the fire may have been set intentionally.

Authorities say the fire was reported around 8 AM. Crews extinguished the fire in the garden center, which sustained fire and smoke damage, but damage was limited because of the building’s sprinkler system.

A Walmart employee said the store should re-open on Saturday.

Eighteen firefighters were on the scene. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Farmers Branch, TX – (no media coverage) Cooking fire put out thanks to fire sprinklers

On November 27, 2019, at approximately 11:08 am,  the Farmers Branch Fire Department and Addison Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm – water flow alarm at Jefferson Landmark Apartments, located at 14650 Landmark Blvd.  Farmers Branch Medic 132, Addison Battalion 101, and Addison Engine 101 arrived on scene at 11:13 am with nothing showing from the exterior.  Crews were directed to apartment #1209.  Occupant stated that she was heating food on the stove and she had turned away for a brief minute.  Later she observed the pan of food on fire.  Occupant grabbed the pan to carry to the sink to put the fire out.  During this time, the single station smoke alarm  activated in the apartment and startled her.  Occupant dropped the pan on the floor and the fire increased in size.  The heat activated one sprinkler head above the sink and stove.  The fire was extinguished.  Sprinkler floor control valve was shut off and water was removed out of the unit. Fire loss was estimated to be $10,000.   Units cleared the scene at 11:54 am.