Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

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.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Yuma, AZ – Fire in trash compactor room at Target store suppressed by sprinkler system

The Yuma Fire Department said a local store had to be evacuated Monday morning due to a fire.  YFD the fire was reported at about 9:40 a.m. at the rear of the Target store, located at 1450 South Yuma Palms Parkway. Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found there had been a fire in the store’s commercial trash compactor.  That fire activated a fire suppression sprinkler head in the compactor room, containing and extinguishing the fire. Firefighters were able to shut down the water flow and ensure the fire was out.

The store was evacuated due to the initial alarm on site. There was no damage to the store itself and the store was able to soon resume normal operations. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.  YFD said fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex.  Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Coventry Twp, OH – Fire at senior housing complex contained with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire trapped residents in part of a Portage Lakes senior citizen housing complex Saturday morning until firefighters and a building sprinkler system doused the flames enough to rescue them.  The Coventry Township Fire Department reported no injuries in a news release.  What started the apartment fire and how much damage it caused remains under investigation.  People displaced by the blaze were being helped by the American Red Cross at the nearby Kiwanis Civic Center.  The fire department statement said an automatic fire alarm came in to the fire station from the Kiwanis Towers in the 300 block of Portage Lakes Drive about 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

As firefighters battled the blaze with a hose on the fourth floor of the apartment building, Summit County Sheriff’s Office employees and others began rescuing trapped residents. Help arrived from surrounding first responders and others, including an Akron Metro bus, to treat and shelter evacuees. A photo posted on the Facebook page Portage Lakes Rocks showed about 30 people at the civic center.  “Sprinklers and smoke detectors save lives,” the fire department said in its release about the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bath, ME – Sprinkler system activated at apartment building for elderly and disabled

Residents escaped safely from Seacliff Apartments, which provides housing for the elderly and disabled, when a fire broke out at one of the apartments at 47 Floral St. Sunday morning.

The fire was reported at 10:17 a.m. and drew firefighters from multiple communities. The building is owned by Bath Housing.

“The guys made a tremendous stop,” said Bath Fire Chief Lawrence Renaud.

The six-member crew on duty was able to extinguish the flames and upward of 50 firefighters quickly responded from Bath and the neighboring towns including Brunswick, West Bath, Woolwich, Phippsburg and Topsham.

The building houses 36 single bedroom apartment units and four two-bedroom apartments, according to the Bath Housing Authority’s website.

Given the time of the day and type of structure, there was concern the tenant was inside the apartment when the fire broke out, but Renaud said the person was located elsewhere.

“The sprinkler system in the hallways did activate so I think that was in our favor as well,” Renaud said. “I can’t advocate enough about sprinkler systems. They do save property and lives.”

A second floor apartment had a window open above the ground-floor apartment where flames were shooting from the window, causing smoke damage.

For the most part, there doesn’t seem to be any structural damage to the second floor, Renaud said. There are at least six units with water damage on the first floor and two with smoke damage on the second floor that are uninhabitable. The cause and origin of the fire haven’t been determined.

“It’s a coordinated effort,” he said.The American Red Cross was called to assist residents who may have been displaced by the fire. Bath Housing staff also responded because they know the building and their clientele.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Wallaceburg, ON, Canada – Second floor hotel fire controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Firefighters who broke into a Wallaceburg building to help residents escape a blaze Monday morning said the sprinkler system prevented the situation from becoming tragic.

According to a release from the Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services, they were called just before 8am to a fire at Sam’s Hotel in Wallaceburg. Firefighters could see smoke issuing from a second-floor window when they arrived.

Assistant Fire Chief Adam Walters attended the scene and said things could have been worse if not for the sprinklers.

“The presence of the sprinkler system in this building was a vital safety feature that protected the occupants during this emergency,” Walters said. “The cause of the fire is still under investigation and we are currently working with Police and partner agencies to ensure the occupants are safe and accommodated whilst this matter is being dealt with.”

Firefighters said it was unclear what was on fire and if anyone was still inside, but crews made a quick entry into the building wearing breathing apparatus. After a rapid knockdown of the fire, the release said crews assisted residents in evacuating the building. No injuries were reported.

Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services want to remind residents that when a fire occurs, they need to get out as soon as possible, call 911 and stay out of the building. The service added it is important to sit down with your family to make a step-by-step plan for escaping from a fire.

Chatham-Kent victim services are currently assisting those who have been displaced by this fire.