Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Murray, KY – Fire at window plant out out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Major issues were avoided Tuesday morning when a fire occurred inside the Pella Window and Doors plant on Murray’s north side.

Calloway County Emergency Management Director Chesley Thomas said no injuries resulted after the fire was reported at about 10:45 a.m. He said the entire area was evacuated and all workers managed to leave the building without any problems.

“An all clear was given and we had nobody hurt, so they were allowing everybody back into the building,” said Thomas, who arrived at the scene after the fire had been extinguished. He said the fire began in one of the work zones of the plant. “But the sprinkler system did its job.”

Calloway County Fire-Rescue Chief Tommy Morgan said he was the third person from CCFR to arrive on the scene, behind two firefighters who came in their personal vehicles ahead of heavy response units from multiple stations throughout the county. He said that it is believed a Milwaukee battery charger may have developed a short while placed on a shelf, eventually igniting other nearby materials.

“All of the damage was contained to the shelf,” Morgan said. “There also just happened to be a sprinkler head right above it, so when it built up enough heat, that sprinkler came on and pretty much put everything out. We just went in and cleaned everything up a bit and packed everything out. There was still some stuff like paper and cardboard that was still smoldering a little bit, but everything was good, thank goodness.

“It’s been quiet for a long time on the fire side for us, so I was afraid this was going to be a big one, the way (Calloway County Sheriff’s Office dispatch) came out and said they actually had smoke showing.”

Morgan said CCFR has not had an actual building fire since October or November of 2019, but he said it has responded to several brush and woods blazes, as well as wrecks in that time. Even those calls, he said, have become fewer and farther between since mid-March when the COVID-19 pandemic basically brought things to a halt locally.

He said this was very noticeable Tuesday as he responded with his vehicle’s siren and emergency lights activated to Pella.

“I know a lot of people are still going and doing things, but I didn’t have near the trouble you normally do when you go out Fourth Street (in downtown Murray). That’s usually like a madhouse when you’re trying to go out on a call,” Morgan said. “I met like two or three cars. Normally, like I said, it’s a madhouse trying to get up there between meeting people and getting around people. It seems like people are staying in like they should be.”

Morgan said calls to respond to Pella happen every now and then and the vast majority are for false alarms. He said the last time he remembers a call being for an actual fire was in the early 2010s, shortly after he became chief, when an air conditioning unit on top of a warehouse building ignited, with CCFR units  extinguishing that fire.

Morgan said he believes seven or eight CCFR trucks did reach Pella Tuesday, with four or five others that responded, but were called back to their stations after it was determined that enough units were already on the scene. He said 25 to 30 firefighters responded to the call.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system at nursing home controls fire caused by air conditioning unit

The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to a local nursing home early Saturday morning.

After arriving at the Sterling Place Nursing Home, BRFD says “they were directed to the second floor of the building where a window air condition unit was on fire.”

A sprinkler activated in the room where the air conditioner was on fire and prevented more damage from occurring.

Eight total units, four pumpers and two ladders were required to put the fire out.

The cause of this fire was most likely a bird nest caught in the AC unit.

At the time of the fire, there were 144 people and around 20 workers residing in the nursing home.

According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, “the second floor where the fire was is vacant, with no one living on that floor.”

That floor did sustain smoke and heavy water damage.

BRPD and EMS assisted the Baton Rouge Fire Department at the scene.

Sterling Place Nursing Home is located at 3888 North Blvd.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Wayne, NJ – Fire sprinklers contain fire in manufacturing area of business

On Sunday morning, March 22, Wayne Fire Companies #1 and #2 were dispatched to Mane USA on Demarest Drive in response to smoke and water flow alarms. Mane USA is a global flavor and fragrance manufacturer with a facility in Wayne.

“When the units entered the building, they encountered a moderate smoke condition,” said Wayne Fire Commissioner Bob Minarick. “At that point fire command requested a second alarm which brought Company #5 to the scene.”

Further investigation found a fire in the manufacturing area that was contained by the sprinkler system. Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire and requested Fire Inspection to the scene.

“The fire was contained to a pallet of supplies and also a commercial storage rack that contained production items,” said Minarick. “After viewing security footage, the fire was deemed accidental. Oil and chemical soaked rags and gloves that were stored in a large closed bucket spontaneously ignited and spread to the pallet and rack before the sprinklers held the fire in check.”

Firefighters overhauled the fire area to make sure that all embedded fire was extinguished. Multiple smoke ejectors and the building’s in-house ventilation system were used to clear smoke from the warehouse.

According to Minarick, five fire engines responded to the call with twenty firefighters. The fire was declared under control in 30 minutes.  All units cleared the scene by 10:30am.

“I’d like to thank the Wane Police Department for providing scene and roadway control,” said Minarick. “Also, thanks to the Wayne First Aid Squad for standing by on scene ready to render assistance should one of my firefighters get injured or need medical treatment,”

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Danville, VA – Machine fire contained by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A piece of machinery caught fire inside Unarco Industries in Danville Friday morning.

The Danville Fire Department responded to the business along Stinson Drive at 8:04 a.m.

The machine had caught fire during maintenance and was contained by an overhead sprinkler until crews arrived to extinguish it.

There was no damage to the building, Battalion Chief Brian Alderson said.

There was a large amount of smoke inside the work area of the building, so crews spent the next hour clearing the smoke, before workers returned.

No one was injured.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Bullhead City, AZ – Sprinkler system limits damage to restaurant after fire starts on range; No injuries reported

A properly working fire suppression system is being credited for limited the damage at a Bullhead City restaurant Wednesday morning.

Units from the Bullhead City Fire Department were called to the Hibachi Buffet, in the 2200 block of Highway 95, around 11:18 a.m. Arriving crews found smoke coming from the rooftop and an audible fire alarm sounding.

According to a news release from the Bullhead City Fire Department, firefighters confirmed that all employees and diners had left the building before gaining access to the roof. Additional firefighters went inside, going to the kitchen area

“Fortunately, this building is equipped with a fire sprinkler system that properly activated when the fire broke out, keeping the blaze contained with minimal damage,” the news release said.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators determined the fire started on the cooktop range, activating the hood extinguishment system and one sprinkler head, confining the damage to the immediate area.

“Contrary to many movie portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate,” the release said. “Having a fire sprinkler system can keep a fire from spreading and aid with extinguishment. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damages to property and endanger those nearby.”

Office Building, Other Business

Durham, NC – Sprinkler system contains sixth floor fire at downtown plaza; No injuries reported

Firetrucks blocked most of CCB Plaza on Thursday morning as firefighters worked to put out a fire that erupted on the sixth floor of One City Center. So far, no injuries had been reported.

“It’s a large building, so we’re still going through it and trying to determine the extent of the damage,” said assistant chief Andy Sannipoli. The building’s sprinkler system managed to keep the fire in check.

The One City Center is the site of B.Good, Pokeworks, and Bulldega Urban Market, as well as five levels of office space and 21 stories of apartments. There’s no word on whether or how the fire affected the retail space.

Sannipoli says firefighters rescued a dog that had been left during the evacuation of the sixth floor, but the dog was fine and has been returned to its owners. People will most likely be able to return to the building by 1:00 p.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Virginia Beach, VA – Fire contained to apartment balcony thanks to sprinkler system

Virginia Beach Firefighters responded to a commercial fire in the 4700 block of Alicia Drive Sunday morning.

Dispatchers received the call around 11:30 a.m.

Units arrived on the scene to smoke on the 4th floor. The fire was contained to the balcony by the sprinkler system.

Officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Midwest City, OK – (no media coverage) Fire sprinkler contained fire to area above bathroom at nursing home; No injuries reported

This morning at Emerald Care-Midwest City a fire started above the bathroom for one of the resident rooms.  The fire was caused by a faulting fan/lighting fixture which ignited just above the hard ceiling.  The space above the ceiling was protected by an upright sprinkler head which contained the fire to a small area above the bathroom.

The sprinkler system was under repair before the fire fighters were leaving the site.  (Shout out to Daniel Webster and Ryan Caldwell for helping the fire fighters, managers and building maintenance get the situation under control!).

The fire alarm correctly notified the authorities and activated audibles/visuals but did suffer some minor damage from water to the duct detector near the fire. (Another shout to John Deer for restoring the fire system to full service). 

There was some water damage due to the fire department and building maintenance not knowing where the sprinkler shutoff valve was located although I did see a visible note posted in the riser room and on the riser itself for its location.  Mostly standing water in rooms, corridor and a few ceilings in the rooms around the fire. (Took pictures to document and will post with report).  The maintenance engineer is 2 weeks new to the site and Anthony LaGrange was already talking with him about training before this incident occurred and he will stay with it and get them trained on their life safety systems.

Because of the quick response by the fire fighters, remediation team, electrical, mechanical, facility employees and of course our very own amazing team, many residents were able to return comfortably to their rooms late today.  This is an elderly nursing care facility and it was very important to get things normalized as fast as possible to relieve the occupants anxiety and fears.  No patients were noted to be injured during the fire, building evacuation or clean up.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

La Crosse, WI – Fire sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at downtown condo; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system and fast-acting firefighters keep a fire in a downtown La Crosse condo unit from spreading further Monday morning.

The La Crosse Fire Department was called to the Gateway Terrace Condominiums at 100 North 6th Street at 9:18 a.m. after a fire alarm was reported.

Crews found smoke and fire in one of the units.

Battalion Chief Jeff Schott said the sprinkler system in the condo was working properly and is believed to have kept the fire from spreading to other units.

The condo itself had moderate smoke, fire, and water damage according to Chief Schott.

Other condos in the building were also damaged by the water from the sprinkler system.

No one was injured in the incident.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Ottawa, Ohio – Fire sprinklers help put out dryer fire at nursing center

Forty-eight residents living at Autumn Court in Ottawa were temporarily displaced last Saturday following a fire at the skilled nursing center.

Ottawa Fire Chief Dan Rieman said Ottawa Fire Department responded to the fire call at 10:56 a.m. Saturday morning. Also responding to the fire were the Glandorf Fire Department and Putnam County EMS.

Rieman said it was a drier fire in the laundry room. The fire caused a sprinkler to go off, leaking water down the hallway of the nursing center. This required the residents to have to be evacuated from the facility.

The residents were initially taken across the parking lot to Ottawa Highland Lanes facility with the assistance of the Autumn Court staff members, fire volunteers, and EMS volunteers. Also responding to the scene to assist was the Putnam County Office of Public Safety and Red Cross.

Arrangements were then made to transport the residents to Ottawa Elementary School, a designated Red Cross shelter. Assisting with transportation was a bus provided by Smooth Cruises LLC and ambulettes provided by the Putnam County Office of Public Safety.

Ottawa-Glandorf staff was at the school to assist with the care of the residents. Later in the day, residents were able to return to their homes around 6 p.m.

“I want to thank everyone who helped us,” said Leticia Hull, a human resource staff member of Autumn Court. She said many Putnam County people stepped up to help in many ways on Saturday.

The website for Autumn Court describes the facility that provides 24-hour care skilled nursing, long-term care, physical, occupational and providing 24-hour speech therapies for those with behavioral issues or mental illness. And, four-hour skilled nursing, long-term care, physical, occupational, and speech therapies for those with behavioral issues or mental illness.