Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Portland, OR – Fire at castings manufacturer suppressed by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system is credited with dousing a commercial fire in Southeast Portland on Sunday morning.  Portland Fire & Rescue crews were called out to the Precision Castparts building on SE Harney near Johnson Creek Boulevard.  Crews say a broken steam pipe leaked water which ended up creating an electrical hazard and sparking a small fire. After the fire was out crews set about fixing the leak.

Other Business

Muscatine, IA – Sprinkler systems keeps banquet hall fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A Muscatine banquet hall was damaged when a fire started in the ceiling.  Firefighters responded to Rendezvous Banquet Hall and Catering on Lucas Street around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 6th.  Fire crews saw smoke coming from the ceiling area, as well as fire and smoke coming from the roof. The building’s fire sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading.  Crews were able to knock down the main fire within a few minutes of arrival, and another crew worked on the roof.  According to Fire Captain Gary Ronzheimer, the fire caused significant damage to a rooftop HVAC system and a portion of the inside of the building. Losses are estimated at $20,000.  No one was injured.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Albemarle, NC – Sprinkler system contains fire at auto repair business

A car repair business inside the Yett Millwork Corporation building at 503 Old Charlotte Road has been displaced due to a Tuesday morning fire. Albemarle Fire Department units were dispatched at 7:29 a.m. and the first unit arrived six minutes later. Engine 121 reported smoke showing from the building, with a fire being discovered inside. “Luckily the sprinkler system worked OK and contained the fire to where it started,” Fire Chief Shawn Oke said. Two individuals escaped the building on their own and two others were located and removed during a search of the building, Oke said. Damage to the building is estimated at $20,000, with damage to contents at $5,000. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Twelve on-duty and 14 off-duty personnel responded and had the scene cleared shortly after 11 a.m. Also assisting were Albemarle Police Department, Stanly County EMS and City of Albemarle Public Utilities.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norfolk, VA – Sprinkler system controls second floor apartment fire

One person was taken to the hospital and three residents were displaced after a fire at the Cromwell House Apartments.

On Monday morning, crews found a small fire on the second floor. The fire was controlled by a sprinkler head activation.

The person on the second floor was taken to the hospital. The extent of the person’s injuries is unknown.

Firefighters ventilated the smoke and sprinkler water from the building. One apartment has fire damage and two apartments have some water damage.

The Red Cross has been contacted to help the three people displaced.

Apartment Building, Residential

Duluth, MN – Apartment fire mostly extinguished by automatic sprinkler system

One person was being treated for smoke inhalation after a fire at Duluth’s Esmond building last Wednesday morning.  The fire was reported just after 7:30 a.m. in the apartment complex at 2001 W. Superior St., according to the Duluth Fire Department. The building, formerly known as the Seaway Hotel, sustained some damage, but no residents were displaced.  The fire department reported that the fire started in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment. The tenant was assisted out of the building before fire crews arrived, but was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Officials said the fire was mostly extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system, but smoke filled the third-floor hallway. The building was evacuated, and all residents were accounted for before being allowed to return to their rooms.  The fire department said five other units sustained water damage, which was estimated at $25,000 to the structure and $4,000 to contents. The American Red Cross was assisting affected residents. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the fire marshal.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Lake Delton, WI – Fire at Great Wolf Lodge contained to one room by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Emergency crews and firefighters were dispatched to a fire at Great Wolf Lodge around 6:15 on Sunday morning.

Firefighters arrived to discover guests evacuating the hotel and encountered smoke on the second floor. The fire was contained to one unoccupied room by the building’s sprinkler system, but five rooms sustained significant water damage.

At the time of the fire, 400 of the 435 rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge were occupied. There were no injuries to hotel guests or first responders.

Crews remained on scene for three hours putting out hot spots and investigating.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but foul play is not suspected.

Preliminary damage to the hotel is approximately $100,000.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Carmel, NY – Fire at multi-story senior living complex held in check by sprinkler system

A rapid response by area firefighters and the installation of sprinklers in a multi-story senior citizens complex in Carmel saved the day Saturday when a fire broke out in a third floor apartment.  Carmel firefighters arrived at the Hillcrest Commons off Route 52 adjacent to the Shop-Rite Plaza around 9 a.m. and found smoke and flames.

Chief Dave DiRienzo sounded a general alarm and requested mutual aid from the Lake Carmel, Brewster and Mahopac Fire Departments as well as the Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a paramedic from the EM STAR Ambulance Company.

The chief said the fire began when a woman residing in the apartment that caught fire extinguished a cigarette she had been smoking in an outside porch. “The butt was deposited into a wicker bin which went up in flames and ignited the side of the building. Thank God the sprinklers became activated which resulted in the sounding of an alarm.”

The chief said the sprinkler system kept the flames in check until firefighters who arrived attacked the blaze which was quickly extinguished without structural damage to the 30-unit building.

The resident in the apartment suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene by EMS providers. Also assisting were Putnam Assistant Commissioner of Emergency Services Robert Lipton, Putnam Battalion 15 Coordinator Doug Casey, the Putnam Fire Investigation Team and Carmel Police. Fire crews returned to quarters two hours later.

Office Building

New York, NY – High rise fire near Grand Central Station extinguished by sprinkler system

As reported by CBS 2 New York – Crowds gathered to observe firefighters tackle a fire in a high-rise building at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. The fire broke out on the mezzanine level of the 31-story Graybar Building next to the Grand Central Terminal at around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. The blaze grew to two alarms, before the sprinkler system extinguished the flames a short time later.

Chief Roger Sackowich said the fire started in an electrical supply room. “All the wiring and boxes and things that were in that room – so you had a very strong, acidy smell due to the PVC coating of the electrical wires. And that — really the smoke was very difficult to breathe,” he said.

Six people were checked out after complaining of breathing problems. Three of them were taken to a hospital. The fire prompted some evacuations of the building and heavy smoke. The fire prompted some evacuations of the building and heavy smoke. “The smoke was thick and it smelled a little, like, electrical, someone mentioned it smelled like it was electrical, it didn’t smell good,” Harry Borque said.

“We left. We had to walk down through the smoke. It was all very orderly, very organized,” said a woman named Beth. “It was thick — you had to walk through thick smoke… I covered my mouth.” Workers were allowed back into their offices after about an hour and a half. Grand Central Terminal was not impacted.

Other Business

Bowling Green, OH – Electrical fire at business put out by sprinkler system; No injuries and operations not impacted

Middleton Township, Bowling Green and Troy Township fire departments responded to a report of smoke in a building at Principle Business Enterprises, 20189 Pine Lake Road, around 9:30 a.m. Friday.   The smoke was reportedly coming from Building B on the PBE campus. According to Middleton Township Fire Chief Steve Asmus, smoke was emanating from a bad fixture, which triggered the sprinkler system, putting the fire out. Fire crews dealt with some hotspots and smoldering product in cardboard boxes, which they extinguished. No injuries were reported.

A statement issued by Principle Business Enterprises co-CEO Charles A. Stocking said the small fire occurred as a result of an “electrical fluke” but it was quickly extinguished by PBE’s sprinkler system. “There were no injuries and the building was not impacted by the event, but the use of water has an effect on packaged ‘super absorbent products,’ which were in the affected area. PBE’s team and insurers are working together to clean up the impacted area.

“We are most grateful for the rapid response of the Dunbridge and other area fire crews. They were terrific,” the statement read. Stocking also noted the company is “experiencing significant growth and expects no interruption in scheduled operations or work schedules of its associates.“

Office Building, Other Business

East Northport, NY – Office building fire caused by oil soaked rags contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm that went off in an office building that was undergoing renovations last Wednesday morning in East Northport. East Northport firefighters responded to Larkfield Plaza, located on the 200-block of Larkfield Road, for the report of smoke coming from a business that led to fire sprinkler activation at 7 a.m. Upon fire crew arrival, the fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Town of Huntington Fire Marshall’s Office. Fire officials, however, believe the fire started in a plastic container filled with rags soaked in wood staining chemicals that had been used during the renovations. No injuries were reported. About 25 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene with three engines, two ambulances and a paramedic unit. A Tower Ladder from the Northport Volunteer Fire Department was also called to the scene for assistance.