Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Jordan, MN – Welding fire knocked down by sprinkler system at transformer plant February 1, 2017 viking210 Firefighters and Jordan Police Department officers were dispatched for a call of a commercial fire inside Jordan Transformer on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 26. A tarp caught on fire as an employee was welding inside a plant welding shop. The call came in at 11:37 a.m. and the Jordan Fire Department responded with 17 firefighters, according to Gregg Pekarna, fire chief for Jordan Fire Department. Jordan Police provided backup, and when the officers arrived on scene, heavy smoke was billowing out from the plant building. Officers provided traffic control and assisted the Jordan Fire Department, Jordan Police Chief Brett Empey said. By the time firefighters arrived on scene, the fire was mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, Pekarna said. “There was nothing suspicious about it — the tarp caught on fire — the sprinkler did the job and knocked out the fire, and we mopped up after that,” Pekarna said. At the fire location was a nearby adjoining wall that had a rack of welding gas that the fire fortunately did not touch, Pekarna said. The Jordan Fire Department remained on scene for two hours during cleanup and to make sure the fire remained completely extinguished.“ The team (Jordan Fire) did a great job responding and containing it after the sprinklers,” Pekarna said. Jordan Transformer staff were all evacuated from the building as a precautionary measure, the fire chief reported. No one was seriously injured, although one individual was treated at the scene for possible burns and smoke inhalation, Pekarna reported. The estimated loss is not known at this time. Jordan Transformer declined to comment on the fire.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Tucson, AZ – No injuries as sprinkler system contains hotel fire started by prayer candle January 31, 2017 viking210 Fire officials say a prayer candle caused a fire in a Tucson hotel room on Monday, Jan. 30. According to a news release from the Tucson Fire Department, fire crews were dispatched to the hotel in the 700 block of W. Starr Pass Boulevard, near I-10 shortly after 8:30 a.m. and the fire was under control by 8:44 a.m. The surrounding area was evacuated as firefighters extinguished the fire in a ground-floor room. The fire department credits the hotel’s sprinkler system with keeping the fire from spreading before the firefighters arrived. There was no one in the room, which is used by hotel staff, when the fire started. No injuries were reported. Fire damage was contained to the one room and Code Enforcement is working with the hotel to determine whether other rooms were affected. Damage estimates have not yet been determined.
Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility DeKalb, IL – Sprinkler system activates to help contain recycling center fire January 29, 2017 viking210 Recycling materials inside Waste Management’s DeKalb facility caught fire recently and caused an estimated $150,000 in damage to the building, according to a DeKalb Fire Department news release. The department responded at 10:17 a.m. Saturday to a reported fire in the facility at 115 Simonds Ave. DeKalb Fire Chief Eric Hicks said the fire started in the recycling sorting area inside the building. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The fire was deeply seated in the recycling materials, which take up one-third of the building, according to the release. “It’s a recycling center, so anything you can think of that’s recyclable is in there, paper, cardboard,” Hicks said. The building’s sprinklers were activated when firefighters arrived, but piles of the recycling materials had to be taken apart and wet down with a hose line for the fire to be extinguished, according to the release. A special fan from Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Division 8 was used to remove the dense smoke from the building. Hicks said the department does not have to use the ventilation fans often, but they are available to departments around the state for warehouse-type fires in larger buildings. The fire was under control within five hours, and no one was injured. Sycamore, Cortland, Malta, Hinckley, Maple Park, Waterman and Genoa-Kingston fire departments assisted.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Kiln, MS – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at middle school; Classes canceled two days January 26, 2017 viking210 Hancock Middle School will resume class as normal Wednesday morning, Assistant Superintendent Donnie Gholston said. School officials had canceled classes because a fire Monday morning set off sprinklers and flooded classrooms. Maintenance company ServPro and the school’s custodial staff worked Monday and Tuesday to mop up the water and sanitize the school. Hancock County Emergency Management Director Brian Adam, who is the county’s fire marshal, is leading the investigation into the origin of the fire.
Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse West Des Moines, IA – Officials credit sprinkler system with controlling moving company warehouse fire January 23, 2017 viking210 Fire crews were called to a fire in an industrial area of West Des Moines just before noon Monday. Fire broke out at 523 S 18th Street in West Des Moines at Mayflower Transit. The building holds furniture held for later moving. Fire officials said a sprinkler system inside the building likely saved the structure. The cause of the fire is not known and a damage estimate was not yet available.
Other - Retail, Retail Mississippi Mills, ON, Canada – Forklift fire at hardware store contained with help from sprinkler system January 18, 2017 viking210 Mississippi Mills Fire Department responded to a fire at 476 Ottawa Street Monday January 16 at approximately 8:08 a.m. Upon arrival fire crews found a forklift on fire along with some building supplies. The operator of the forklift was taken to Almonte Hospital with minor burns and to be assessed. The store was evacuated when the fire department arrived. Fire was contained to the rear storage area of the main store with some smoke and water damage. The fire was controlled with help of the store sprinkler system and quick work by the Mississippi Mills Fire Department. It has not been determined what caused the equipment malfunction and the dollar value of the damage. Fire is still under investigation.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Rothschild, WI – No injuries as sprinkler system contains electrical fire at Domtar plant January 18, 2017 viking210 A backup boiler is to blame for a small electrical fire at Domtar’s Rothschild plant Monday morning. Crews from SAFER, Riverside, and Kronenwetter fire departments were called to the scene shortly after 9:30 a.m. Plant general manager Kathy Collins said the departments were called after the buildings fire alarm and sprinkler system were engaged. The building’s utilities and natural gas were shut off prior to the emergency crew’s arrival. Riverside Fire District Co-Chief Robert Bowen said the fire was contained when crews arrived. It took crews around 20 minutes to secure the scene and identify the cause of the fire. Yearly in-house visits to large plants like Domtar help emergency crews better prepare for incidents, and keep crews safe, should they occur. They map entrances, exists, sprinkler systems, and potential hazards. “When we train here, we can have that knowledge first hand, and it kind of puts us ahead of the game when it comes to responding to a potential incident,” Bowen said. There were no injuries and only minor damage reported. Collins said the building would be operational again in a matter of hours.
Apartment Building, Residential Madison, WI – Dumpster fire outside apartment building kept from spreading by sprinkler system January 17, 2017 viking210 A fire in a dumpster outside an apartment building was put out quickly, but it sent smoke into the three-story apartment complex, according to a release from the Madison Fire Department. Firefighters were called at 10:45 a.m. Friday to the parking garage of the Normandy Apartments at 4715 Sheboygan Avenue on a report of a dumpster fire. Firefighters said an automatic sprinkler activation caught the fire early and put it out. There was heavy smoke inside the garage and moderate smoke conditions throughout the three-story apartment complex.
Residential, Single Family Home Idaho Falls, ID – Home fire sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at residence January 15, 2017 viking210 A fire at an Idaho Falls home on Wednesday is estimated to have caused $30,000 in damages. The blaze was reported at approximately 11:17 a.m. Firefighters with the Idaho Falls Fire Department responded to the residence at 3612 Summit Run Trail, where they found smoke coming from the basement. The fire was eventually extinguished and salvage and overhaul activities were then completed. There were no injuries reported. The residents were able to exit the home after being alerted of the fire by smoke detectors. The fire was also held in check by an in-home fire sprinkler system.
Apartment Building, Residential Fayetteville, NC – Arson fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system January 13, 2017 viking210 Residents of a building in West Park Apartments in Fayetteville were evacuated about 9 a.m. Sunday after one of their neighbors threatened to kill himself by setting his apartment on fire, authorities said. The Fayetteville Fire Department said a small fire was set but quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The Police Department said the man was taken into emergency custody for a mental evaluation. The Police Department had no record that a fire was set. West Park Apartments is off Raeford Road on Laneridge Way and Fountain Grove Loop in western Fayetteville.
