Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Hotel fire mostly extinguished by sprinkler system helping to limit fire damage; No injuries reported

A two-storey hotel in the 600 block of Main Street caught fire Tuesday morning, but the building’s sprinkler systems extinguished most of the flames before Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews arrived.  No damage estimates are available yet. Considerable heavy smoke was also throughout the building. No injuries or illnesses were apparent as a result of the fire or smoke, and all occupants had evacuated and taken shelter on a Winnipeg Transit bus prior to firefighters’ arrival.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Williston, VT – Sprinkler system activated after minor explosion at cosmetics business

Fire and rescue responded Tuesday morning after a small explosion at a cosmetics business in Williston caused a fire.

One person suffered minor injuries and burns from the fire. They were checked out at the scene and did not need to be brought to the hospital.

The building’s sprinkler system assisted firefighters in fully containing the fire.

Fire officials believe they know what caused the fire.

“They used Isopropyl alcohol as a cleaner as part of their processes and one of the alcohol bottles had in fact caught on fire and that had a minor explosion inside the building,” said South Burlington Fire Department’s Tim Gerry.

Fire officials say the building is being ventilated and they monitored the building’s air quality. Repairs need to be made before the business can get back up and running.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Worcester, MA – Fire on second floor of mill contained by sprinkler system

A fire in a vacant mill on Tainter Street was contained by a sprinkler system that, until mid-September, had been turned off.

The fire broke out around noon Tuesday and went to a second alarm when crews found fire on the second floor.

The city got a court order in September to force the building owner to turn on the sprinkler system in the building, which helped prevent a much bigger fire, officials said.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Residential, Single Family Home

Finksburg, MD – Single-family house fire quickly controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire in the 1900 block of Old Westminster Pike in Finksburg was put under control quickly Friday morning. A call went out at 9:44 a.m for a fire at a single-family dwelling. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, but a $15,000 loss to the structure and contents was estimated, according to a notice of investigation from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.   Reese Volunteer Fire Company was the primary responding agency, and about 40 firefighters were able to control the fire within five minutes, according to the notice. A smoke alarm and sprinkler were both present and activated. The preliminary cause is listed as “accidental due to an electrical event,” according to the notice.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Wenatchee, WA – Sprinkler system helped fire crews knock down fire in commercial building

Chelan and Douglas County Firefighters were dispatched to a commercial structure fire on South Columbia Street this morning.  The building at 1028 South Columbia Street is owned by Mike Walker and was used mostly for storage “We were tearing out one of the walls and something sparked material in an old paint booth”  Walker said only one employee was inside and reported the fire after exiting the building.

Chelan County #1 Deputy Fire Chief Mike Burnett confirmed the likely cause.  He said the fire appeared to start when sparks or something ignited layers of old lacquer on the walls of a spray booth under demolition in the former cabinet shop.  Burnett said Lifeline Ambulance personnel who were first to arrive on scene reported smoke was billowing from an open bay door and exterior vents of the building.  There were no injuries.

An automatic sprinkler system helped fire crews knock down the flames and Burnett described the damage as minimal.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Marrero, LA – Fire at Walmart store controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Firefighters responded to a fire at the Walmart in Marrero this morning.  Chief Don Robertson of the Marrero Harvey Fire Department said his firefighters were on the scene within one minute of the alarm going out.  The store’s sprinkler system was already engaged, Robertson said, and the blaze was fully contained within four minutes.  Firefighters evacuated the building as a precaution.  The fire broke out in the “seasonal” section amid Halloween decorations.  No injuries have been reported.  The Walmart will be closed until further notice as the cleanup continues, Robertson said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Fresno, CA – Restaurant fire knocked down by sprinkler system

A popular Northeast Fresno is closed until repairs can be made after the fire broke out on Sunday.

Patrons of Five Restaurant at Champlain and Perrin were saddened to see one of their favorite spots to eat and drink was forced to shut down.

The fire erupted two hours before it was going to open. It started near the pizza oven and spread into the attic.

Smoke filled the entire building but without a sprinkler system in place, the outcome would have been much worse.

Fresno City Battalion Chief Bob Van Tassel explained, “I would figure that particular building probably would have burned to the ground.”

Van Tassel added if the sprinklers didn’t knock down the flames, the fire would’ve threatened neighboring buildings. Still, the smoke and water damage was extensive.

Van Tassel said, “I think the early estimates around $300,000 although there’s probably a substantial loss I’m sure to the business. As you’re aware, it’s a well-established business in the community.”

In a message posted on Facebook, owners Pat and Marina LaRocca said, “On behalf of our FIVE family, we would like to thank our friends, family, and community for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We are doing everything necessary to speed up the process of reopening our family restaurant.”

Five Restaurant was preparing for another busy day.

Operations Manager Nicole Fitzgerald said it was just controlled in the kitchen when we had to evacuate. It definitely surpassed the kitchen.”

Four employees were evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene. One was taken to the hospital to be checked.

Apartment Building, Residential

Westbrook, ME – Automatic sprinkler system extinguishes apartment kitchen fire; No injuries reported

A cooking fire in a Westbrook apartment building displaced 16 people on Friday morning, but no one was injured.  Fire Chief Andrew Turcotte said the fire on Walker Street started in a second-floor kitchen just before 9 a.m. The heat triggered the sprinkler system in that unit, so the flames had been extinguished when Westbrook fire crews arrived on scene.  “The sprinkler system did its job,” Turcotte said.

Still, the incident caused fire and smoke damage to the three-unit building, which Turcotte said is owned by Avesta Housing. The Red Cross of Maine said it is working with three families to ensure they have food, a safe place to sleep and access to services. A spokesperson for the affordable housing developer did not immediately return a request for comment Friday afternoon.

Turcotte pointed to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, saying that nearly 100,000 apartment fires take place every year. Sprinkler systems like the one triggered Friday have been proven to reduce the rates of injury or death in those fires, he said.  “These fire protection systems save lives,” the fire chief said.

Other / Not Specified

Olympia, WA – Sprinkler system activates to help limit car fire in tunnel

A vehicle fire closed the tunnel at 14th Avenue Southeast under the Capitol Campus on Thursday morning, according to the Capitol Campus’ emergency alert Twitter account.  The vehicle was in an eastbound lane and fully engulfed, according to a tweet.  The westbound lanes of the tunnel reopened at about 7 a.m. and the eastbound lanes were open shortly after that.  No injuries were reported, according to Olympia Fire Department. Heat set off sprinklers and a public works crew was called to replace them.

Other - Retail, Retail

Buford, GA – Sprinkler system extinguishes business fire caused by neon light display

A Buford business caught fire Tuesday morning. The culprit? A neon light display, Gwinnett fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors, located at the 4100 block of Buford Drive after receiving a call at 9:39 a.m., according to Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge, a spokesman for the fire department.

Rutledge said that the business manager reported hearing a loud popping sound and smoke inside the building before calling 911.

“Firefighters arrived to find moderate smoke inside the large retail structure and a smoldering fire in the back-right corner,” Rutledge said. “The fire was being controlled by the sprinkler suppression system and was quickly extinguished by first-due crews with water-cans.

Rutledge said the cause of the fire is believed to be electrical and minor fire damage was sustained in the store.