Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

View Royal, BC, Canada – Condominium fire suppressed by home fire sprinkler system

Fire crews from both View Royal and Colwood responded to alarm bells ringing at the Four Pillars condo complex on Watkiss Way at 9:40 a.m. Friday.  The fire started in a bedroom and was caused by unattended candles and incense.

“If this hadn’t been a sprinkled building, this would have been a significantly different event,” said View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst. “Thankfully the sprinklers kicked in and controlled the fire. It’s a good outcome today.”

Under provincial building code regulations this structure would not have been required to have fire sprinklers but thanks to the Town of View Royal’s proactive fire sprinkler bylaw, the damage was contained. This bylaw requires all new construction of duplexes or larger in the town to have fire sprinklers.

Officials say the fire was contained quickly, but there was some water damage and crews remained on scene to help salvage items, tarp other units and vacuum up the water. A neighbouring suite also experienced some water damage.

Three people in the suite were able to escape with no injuries and the displaced residents will be helped by Emergency Social Services with finding accommodations until their insurance can assess the damage.

Hurst noted the suite is not livable and temporary accommodations have been made for the family.

B.C. Ambulance Service, West Shore RCMP and BC Hydro were also on scene.

Retail

Blenheim, ON, Canada – Fire at tire store held in check by sprinkler system

There is still no word on how extensive the damage is after a fire broke out at the Canadian Tire store in Blenheim on Thursday morning. According to a spokesperson for the CK fire department, the damage estimate is still under review “due to the complexities of smoke and water damage.” The investigation continues but Chatham-Kent fire officials are confident it was an accident.

The fire started in the middle of the store and as firefighters began to extinguish the blaze, the sprinkler system discharged and contained the fire. “This incident has proven once again that fire suppression systems such as sprinklers provide another layer of defense against the dangers of fire,” says Assistant Chief Chris Case. “The activation of the system in this case managed to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading. Systems such as these protect lives and livelihoods.”

The fire department says automatic sprinkler systems have sustained an enviable record of protecting life and property for over 100 years. Yet, there are still common misunderstandings about the operation and effectiveness of automatic fire sprinkler systems.

“A number of people believe that water damage from a sprinkler system will be more extensive than fire damage or that when a fire occurs every sprinkler head goes off,” explains Public Educator, Whitney Burk. “This is not the case as water damage from a building sprinkler system is less severe than the damage caused by a fire that is able to spread and sprinkler heads are individually activated by temperature.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Farmers Branch, TX (No Media Coverage) – Cooking fire at multifamily home doused by single sprinkler head

***NO MEDIA – FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED***On November 16, 2017, Farmers Branch Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at a multifamily residential apartment building located at 11700 Luna Rd. (Bldg 4) in Farmers Branch. Forty apartment units are within Building 4. The Farmers Branch Fire Department discovered a kitchen fire had been extinguished prior to their arrival by a single 25 gallon per minute residential sprinkler head.

Occupant reported that she was cooking breakfast in a skillet and stepped away from the kitchen for a few minutes. Upon returning to the kitchen, she observed the frying pan on fire and extending upward to the microwave. Sprinkler head activated. Her husband was in the shower at the time of the fire. Fire damage was estimated at $1,050. Multiple lives were saved by a single sprinkler head activation.

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Fairfax, VA – No injuries as sprinkler system contains fire at university apartments

Residents of an apartment building in the City of Fairfax have been displaced after a two-alarm fire.

Just before 11:00 a.m. Monday, the Fairfax City Fire Department, backed up by Fairfax County Fire crews, got called to the 4300 block of Bob Court at the Eaves Apartments.

City of Fairfax Fire Department Assistant Chief Andy Vita said, “Somebody on the outside of the building saw the smoke and fire, alerted 9-1-1, which allowed our folks to get here quickly.”

If a fire is going to happen, late morning is actually better because residents are less likely to be home, he said.

But in this case, the apartment complex near George Mason University is home to several college students and many were still asleep at the time.

“He didn’t even wake up. I had to wake him up,” said Peter Milonas, referring to his twin brother Chris.

The Milonas brothers live on the building’s first floor. They and their neighbors – in 12 different units – have now been forced to vacate their apartments due to fire damage or water damage.

“The fire activated the sprinkler system and it started to suppress it. So it kept it in check for our folks to be able to operate efficiently,” Vita said.

Vita added that everyone got out safely; no residents or firefighters were injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Apartment Building, College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

San Antonio, TX – Fire in university apartment building under construction put out by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system put out a small fire in an apartment building under construction at the Our Lady of the Lake University campus Sunday morning. The San Antonio Fire Department said the fire started around 11:30 a.m., and firefighters arrived to a smoke-filled room. An SAFD spokesperson said, while the building was under construction, the sprinkler system was functioning. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and SAFD said it’s not clear yet how much damage was caused.

Apartment Building, Residential

Montgomery, AL – Fire in newly renovated apartment building contained by sprinkler system

An early morning fire at the newly renovated Kress Building began in a freestanding fireplace on a fourth floor apartment balcony. The apartment’s owner told the Montgomery Advertiser the chimenea fire caused minor structural damage on the balcony. An activated sprinkler system kept the fire contained, Montgomery Fire/Rescue PIO O.J. Whiting said. The third floor suffered some water damage. Montgomery Fire/Rescue responded to the Dexter Avenue building around 7:40 a.m. and evacuated the building. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Iowa City, IA – Fire at off campus apartment contained to room of origin by sprinkler system

The Iowa City Fire Department is investigating a Saturday morning fire that caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to an Iowa City apartment. According to a press release, firefighters responded to a report of an oven fire at 427 North Dubuque Street at 7:35 a.m., Saturday. The arriving crew found a working fire in an apartment on the 4th floor. The building sprinkler system contained the fire to the room of origin and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in approximately 20 minutes, the release stated.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Apartment fire held in check by automatic sprinkler system

A fire in an apartment on Madison’s North Side resulted in no injuries but some water damage.  The fire was reported at about 8:20 a.m. Tuesday in the 3500 block of Straubel Street, the Madison Fire Department said.  Engine Company 8 was initially dispatched to check on an alarm at the building, but arriving firefighters were informed there was smoke in the building.

Firefighters went into the basement of the building and found water dripping from the ceiling, indicating a problem in the unit above.  “Firefighters entered the apartment with help from maintenance, and found activated sprinkler heads keeping a fire in check,” said spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster.  The fire was extinguished and the walls were checked for any extension of fire.  Nobody was home at the time of the fire.  No cause of the fire or damage estimate was given.  The fire remains under investigation.

Primary / Secondary School

Grayson, KY – Bathroom fire at high school contained by sprinkler system; Student return to classes same day

A small fire briefly disrupted classes Friday at East Carter High School, according to Carter County Schools.  It happened in a restroom, and the smoke activated the sprinkler system. (note from blog editor: smoke does not activate this type of fire sprinkler system.  Only the substantial heat from a potentially dangerous fire will activate an automatic fire sprinkler)

All students and staff were evacuated as a precaution. No one was hurt.  They were allowed back in the building around 11:20 a.m. Students and staff were using an adjusted lunch/class schedule for the remainder of the day.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system stops ‘ball of fire’ at downtown restaurant

A cooking oil fire ignited on the stove of a downtown Bend restaurant’s kitchen Monday morning, creating what a fire official called “a ball of fire that roared out from under the range hood” — but also setting off a fire sprinkler head that put out the blaze and prevented far worse damage.

Bend Fire Department crews responded around 10 a.m. to the reported fire at Mother’s Downtown Kitchen on Northwest Minnesota Avenue, next door to The Oxford Hotel, said Battalion Chief Dave Howe.

First-arriving crews reported some smoke coming from the building, but soon reported the fire already was out.

Cooking oil in a pot on the stove was ignited, possibly by a few drops of water, which caused the “ball of fire” that  set off the sprinkler head, Howe said. It also activated the range hood extinguishing system, putting out the oil still burning in the pot.

Losses were estimated at $30,000 in contents, but none to the building itself, both of which were insured.

The sprinkler, designed to open at 165 degrees, “saved the structure from what might have been a devastating loss,” Howe said in a news release.

The fire alarm system also quickly notified Deschutes County 911, as did a couple of customers.