Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Calgary, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for cigarette fire on condo balcony; No injuries reported

A condo building in northwest Calgary had to be fully evacuated on Wednesday morning due to a balcony fire.

The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) says crews were called to a four-story residential building on Royal Oak Plaza NW near Country Hills Boulevard NW and Royal Birch Boulevard NW around 7:50 a.m.

Fire crews arrived to find a fire on a south facing balcony on the fourth floor. Officials say an outdoor balcony sprinkler activated and contained most of the fire.

The fire department says flames made their way into the attic space of the unit. The resident of the unit made attempts to extinguish the blaze but found it was too large.

“Fire crews hit the fire quickly with a master stream from a deck gun and then also deployed other apparatus including a ladder truck to continue firefighting efforts,” reads a release from CFD.

The entire 120 unit building was evacuated. The resident in the unit that caught fire escaped without injuries. Officials say no other injuries were reported.

Officials say one resident slept through the entire incident because he was wearing noise cancelling headphones.

“This is an important reminder that if people choose to use devices that significantly diminish their senses, this can put them at significant risk of missing lifesaving signals that there is an emergency and that they need to evacuate the building immediately,” reads the release.

CFD says most residents were being allowed back into their units by Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators determined the fire was unintentional and was cause by a cigarette butt being put in a planter pot. The fire department is reminding smokers to adhere to the following guidelines when disposing of smoking materials:

  • Use a deep, wide, sturdy metal container with a lid, filled part way with sand or water that should be emptied regularly.
  • Ensure all butts and ash are out by soaking them with water prior to putting in the trash.
  • Never put out cigarettes or smoking material in flower planter, peat moss, your lawn or garden.
  • Extreme caution should be used in the city’s natural areas and green spaces where extremely dry vegetation covering the ground provides readily combustible fuel if an ignition source is applied.
Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Otay Mesa, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion storage facility fire

A flare-up at a lithium-ion energy storage facility in Otay Mesa has prompted authorities to re-issue evacuation orders.

The fire first erupted at the Gateway Energy Storage in the 600 block of Camino De La Fuente late Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. It took crews roughly 24 hours to get the blaze under control and evacuation orders were lifted. But by Friday, the fire had re-ignited and evacuation orders were once again put in place for those in the surrounding area.

By Saturday morning, the fire had spread into other parts of the building and burned a portion of the roof but had not affected any other buildings, according to CalFire. The lithium-ion batteries at the warehouse “continue to experience thermal runaway,” which is when a battery goes into an uncontrollable self-heating state, according to a report released Saturday morning.

Cal Fire said the evacuation orders were issued as people in the area could be affected due to potential poisonous vapors and potential explosions. A shelter-in-place order was, at one point, issued for nearby Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.

Due to the hazardous fumes filling the energy-storage complex, firefighters used streams of water from powerful hoses to subdue the blaze from outside, supplementing an internal sprinkler system at the business, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said.

A hazardous materials team was at the scene to ensure air quality and water runoff is not polluted, Cal Fire said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, Cornette said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Moscow, ID – Sprinkler system activated for fire at theater; No injuries reported

This morning, May 10, 2024, at approximately 8:00 am, the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department responded to a reported fire at Hartung Theater, located on the 600 block of Stadium Drive on the University of Idaho campus.

The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:00 am after reports of visible smoke and flames from the theater’s loading dock and an adjacent box truck.

The first responding officer arrived within five minutes and confirmed an active fire, with smoke and flames showing from the loading dock area and the box truck. The building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system had activated, helping to control the spread of the fire.

The first fire engine arrived within six minutes, quickly establishing a water supply and extinguishing the main body of the fire at the loading dock. Subsequent units checked for any fire extension inside the building. The investigation determined that the fire was primarily outside but smoke had entered the building. A single sprinkler head activated inside helped to keep the fire contained to the exterior.

The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted to investigate the fire, as the building is located on state property. No injuries were reported, and the scene was managed with cooperation from University of Idaho staff.

Response to the incident included units from Moscow Fire, Moscow Ambulance, and Moscow Police. The fire is currently under investigation by state authorities. For further information, contact the fire administration office.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire at grocery store; No injuries reported

A fire inside the Foods Co grocery store on Shields Avenue caused customers and employees to scramble from the store Sunday morning.

The two-alarm fire began on the paper-products aisle shortly after 8 a.m. with flames nearly reaching the ceiling, said a store employee who asked not to be identified. A possible suspect was seen running from the area and out of the store through an emergency exit, the employee said.

The store quickly filled with smoke, while Fresno Fire Department crews arrived within minutes.

Battalion Chief Kirk Wanless said no one was injured and the fire was contained to one aisle with the help of a fire sprinkler inside the store. It took crews about 10 minutes to knock down the fire that started among the toilet paper and paper towel products.

Wanless said the department’s fire investigator was on scene Sunday morning.

The store employee said someone tried tried to light a fire inside the store several months ago but was unsuccessful.

Fire crews remained at the store for several hours, clearing smoke and checking to make sure no one was inside. It was unclear how the fire would affect the store’s hours.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Manhattan, KS – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hotel

Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged arson and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 7:30a.m. Wednesday, the Riley County Communication Center received a call of a fire alarm at the Parkwood Inn and Suites in the 500 block of S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Officers from RCPD and Quints 2 and 3 from the Manhattan Fire Department responded to the location.  Upon arrival, fire crews discovered an activated fire sprinkler head on the fourth floor.

Fire investigators determined an unknown item was ignited near the sprinkler head causing it to activate. Fire loss is estimated to be $500 with the area sustaining significant water damage.

Officers arrested Gerry Phillips, 32, of Manhattan on a probable cause offense of aggravated arson. His bond was set at $20,000.

The RCPD did not release the exact location of the fire. However, an online search  indicates the fire occurred at the Parkwood Inn and Suites. at 505 MLK Jr. Drive in Manhattan.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Olathe, KS – Sprinkler system activated for cooking fire at Chinese restaurant; No injuries reported

Crews were able to extinguish a working cooking fire over the weekend at a Chinese restaurant in Olathe.

The Olathe Fire Department says that just after 10:55 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, emergency crews were called to the Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant – BoBo Chinese – at 151st and Ridgeview Rd. with reports of a cooking fire.

When first responders arrived, they said they found flames and smoke bursting out of the rooftop through the exhaust vent.

Firefighters indicated that the kitchen’s fire suppression “hood” system and an automatic sprinkler head were able to stop the fire from spreading.

Crews were able to extinguish the blaze with no injuries reported. No further information has been released.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Some residents were displaced and several units had water damage after a fire broke out in another Vancouver single-room occupancy hotel on Monday morning.

The fire was reported just after 7 a.m. Monday at the Walton Hotel, at 261 East Hastings St. in the Downtown Eastside.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services crews had the fire mopped up after about 90 minutes and left a notice for building managers to reactivate the sprinkler system right away.

“Firefighters isolate and turn off the sprinkler as close to the affected area as possible to limit water damage to the building as well as trying to keep as much of the system operational,” said Vancouver Fire spokesperson Capt. Matthew Trudeau.

“A service technician is required to put the system back in working order as soon as possible.”

Trudeau said no injuries were reported but “water damage has affected multiple units” leaving an unknown number of Walton hotel residents displaced.

He said searching rooms was difficult due to “extensive hoarding throughout many units.”

Government Office, Government/Military

Burlington, VT – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire outside Senator’s office; No injuries reported

A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly lighting a fire outside the Burlington, Vt., office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), authorities said.

Shant Soghomonian, also known as Michael Soghomonian, is charged with using fire to damage the building, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for Vermont. No injuries were reported, the office said, and a motive remained unclear as of Sunday afternoon.

Soghomonian entered the Church Street building Friday morning and headed directly to the third floor, where Sanders’s Vermont office is located, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement. Security video footage showed the 35-year-old man spraying a liquid near the door of the office, then lighting the area with a handheld lighter, the statement added.

A “significant” blaze began, engulfing the door and hindering multiple staffers from fleeing, according to a statement from the Burlington Police Department. Soghomonian then fled the building.

The fire damaged the door’s exterior, and the hallway, and set off the building’s sprinklers. The sprinkler system “largely extinguished the fire,” the police department said. Authorities responded at 10:45 a.m.

Sanders was not present when the incident occurred, according to the police department. The agency did not disclose how many staffers were in the office at the time.

In a statement, the senator said he was “deeply grateful” to local, state and federal law enforcement for responding to the fire.

“I am also thankful that none of the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were injured,” he added. “I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff. We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times.”

Soghomonian, previously of the Northridge area of Los Angeles, could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. A lawyer “has not yet been identified” for him, the U.S. attorney’s office said in its statement.

Multiple agencies investigated Friday’s incident, including the Burlington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Vermont State Police and U.S. Capitol Police.

Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement on Sunday that she was grateful for the collaboration, and added that her office “will continue to be in close communication as their office navigates the impacts of this incident.”

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Plymouth, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Chief Neil Foley reports that the Plymouth Fire Department responded to a fire at a senior living facility earlier today where a sprinkler system played a crucial role in preventing the fire from spreading.

On Tuesday, April 2, at 9:51 a.m., Plymouth Fire received an alarm and several phone calls reporting a fire at a housing complex located at 128 Court St., the Cherry Hill Apartments.

Residents, alerted by the building’s alarm system, were actively evacuating the building as firefighters arrived on scene.

Upon arrival, crews found smoke coming from a unit on the fourth floor. Firefighters determined that a single activated sprinkler head had kept the fire from spreading until firefighters arrived to extinguish the fire.

A preliminary investigation determined that the fire originated in a closet where the unit’s washer and dryer machines are located. The fire was contained to a single apartment on the fourth floor.

Two residents were transported by ambulance to an area hospital as a precaution.

As a result of the fire, two residents are displaced at this time.

“The sprinklers at this location played a crucial role in preventing the fire from causing more severe damage, which demonstrates the importance of having fire suppression systems in commercial properties,” said Chief Foley. “If this building did not have a properly designed and maintained sprinkler system, it is likely that this incident could have resulted in significant injuries, widespread costly damage and more residents displaced.”

The fire remains under investigation by the Plymouth Fire Department.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Canton, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at grocery store; No injuries reported

The Hy-Vee store in Canton remains closed after a fire in a storage area Sunday morning.

At 11:22 a.m. Sunday, the Canton Fire Department responded to Hy-Vee Grocery store at 825 N. Main St. in Canton, for report of a fire in the back of the store. Upon arrival, firefighters found an upstairs storage area on fire with smoke and flames showing.

Hy-Vee personnel had evacuated the building prior to fire Department arrival.

Water supply was established and a handline was used to apply water to the fire. The building’s sprinkler system had activated and was successful in limiting fire spread until fire department personnel were able to extinguish the fire.

The fire was contained to the original storage area. No injuries were reported as a result of this fire.

The fire was brought under control within 12 minutes of the first fire engines arriving on scene, with fire crews remaining on scene till 12:56 p.m. conducting overhaul and fire investigation.

The store has been released by the fire department back into Hy-Vee personnel custody. The store remains closed at this time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Canton Fire Department’s investigation team.

The amount of damage to the building and contents is still being evaluated.

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