Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Charleston, SC – Arson fire at charter school suppressed by sprinkler system

Authorities are investigating after someone intentionally started a fire at a Charleston school.   The fire happened just before 10 a.m. at the Charleston Charter School of Math and Science on King Street.  When firefighters arrived they found the school evacuation under way and were told of a fire in a bathroom on the second floor.

“Crews entered to find a single fire sprinkler head that was activated and contained the fire to the bathroom area,” CFD officials said.”Firefighters completed extinguishment and proceeded to control the water flow to the sprinkler system and evacuate smoke from the building.”

A report states members of the Fire Marshal Division responded to investigate the incident and determined the fire was intentionally set in the bathroom. Fire investigators along with the Charleston Police Department and the school administration are reviewing the incident.  “Once the smoke was removed from the building the majority of the school reoccupied, one area of the school remained closed as staff worked to clean smoke and water damage,” CFD officials said. 

No injuries were reported.  The Charleston Fire Department, North Charleston and Saint Andrews fire departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department responded to the scene. 

Residential, Single Family Home

Asheville, NC – Fire in duplex extinguished by residential sprinkler system

A sprinkler system extinguished a structure fire Wednesday and helped the occupants escape safely, according to an Asheville Fire Department spokeswoman.  The Asheville Fire Department responded to a possible structure fire off Old Chunns Cove Road around 7 a.m. Wednesday, said department spokeswoman Kelley Klope. The duplex is east of downtown Asheville near Tunnel Road.

Light smoke was visible from one of the units in a duplex complex with four separate homes when firefighters arrived on scene, she said.  “When firefighters entered the building, they observed that the residential sprinkler system had activated and had extinguished the fire, minimizing fire damage and possibly saving lives,” she said.

Klope called this incident a success story. “Oftentimes stories like these, where there is no fire damage or injury, have little to report and therefore go unnoticed,” she said. “We cannot stress enough the importance of installing residential sprinkler systems in order to prevent death or injury and to minimize fire damage to personal belongings.”

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Gadsden, AL – Detention center sprinkler system helps stop fire allegedly set by ICE detainee

An investigation is underway after an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainee reportedly set a fire inside a maximum-security unit at the Etowah County Detention Center.

According to the Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin, the fire was reported around 7:43 a.m. Friday in Unit 3. A detainee allegedly sparked a fire inside the common area of the unit, then set his mattress on fire inside his cell.

The fire activated the sprinkler system inside the unit.

Entrekin says the detainee, along with four others, were outside their cells on free time when it happened. The detainees involved are reported to be from the Middle East and Asia.

“All inmates and detainees are accounted for inside the detention center. This was an isolated incident inside Unit 3 and no other units were ever in danger during the event. At this time, there is no need to evacuate any inmates or detainees to other facilities,” a press release emailed to media said. “There are no serious injuries to anyone inside the facility. Inmates who have complained with breathing issues received immediate medical attention and have been returned back to their unit. All Sheriff’s Office employees have also been checked and cleared by medical personnel.”

Sheriff Entrekin said in the release: “I want to personally thank the Gadsden Fire Department for their quick and professional response. They did an excellent job in containing the fire. Words cannot express my appreciation and gratitude to the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, especially those inside the detention center. The detention deputies acted quickly to ensure the safety of all inside Unit 3. Their noble actions saved lives today.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Arlington, VA – Apartment fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

Arlington County firefighters are on scene of an apartment fire in the Long Bridge Creek neighborhood.  The fire was reported in the bedroom of an apartment on the 2600 block of S. Veitch Street around 8:45 a.m. It was extinguished within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving on scene, before it could spread to other apartments. No injuries were reported. Scanner traffic suggests the building’s sprinkler system was activated by the fire.  The fire marshal’s office is now investigating the cause of the blaze.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Burley, ID – Arson fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system

A student is suspected of lighting a roll of toilet paper and some paper towels on fire Friday damaging a bathroom and temporarily evacuating White Pine Intermediate School. “The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system,” Debbie Critchfield, spokeswoman for the district said.  An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Burley Fire Department and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office.  The fire was started around 9 a.m. in the fourth-grade wing in the boys’ bathroom.  “They have a suspect,” Critchfield said.  The fire department was called to the school and the firefighters made sure the blaze was extinguished.

The firefighters then reset the sprinkler system, which meant the fire system was down for about an hour at the school. Students were returned to their classrooms, except for the two classes that were affected by the cleanup, Principal Matt Seely said in a text message to parents Friday. Those students were supervised by their teachers in the gym.  There is fire damage in the restroom and water damage in the hallway and in a classroom directly across the hall from the bathroom.  When the water is dried, maintenance will determine what repairs need to be made, Critchfield said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hampton, VA – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in extinguishing apartment fire; No injuries

Red Cross is assisting a woman and seven children after a fire broke out at their Hampton apartment on Wednesday morning.  Hampton Fire and Rescue says firefighters were called to the 400 block of Jonquil Lane at about 11:40 a.m. Arriving units found a second floor apartment was filled with heavy smoke, and an activation of an overhead sprinkler system.  Most of the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system, while firefighters extinguished the rest.

The fire was contained to the laundry closet area, but there was significant water and smoke damage to the apartment,. along with heavy water damage to apartments below it.  Crews did rescue a small dog from the fire. No one was injured.

Apartment Building, Residential

Appleton, WI – Sprinkler system puts out apartment fire; Adult and child escape unharmed

An automated sprinkler system is being credited with containing a fire at a 25-unit apartment complex in Appleton.  Firefighters say they were called to Wire Works Apartments, 601 E. Hancock St., just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday. When they arrived, firefighters saw light smoke in the courtyard outside one of the units. When they went in, crews saw that the apartment’s living room was filled with smoke, and a sprinkler was running. Investigation showed that the water from the sprinkler had put the fire out. Firefighters shut down the sprinkler system and helped remove smoke and water from the apartment.  When the fire started, one adult and one child were in the apartment. They got out safely and called 911.  Firefighters determined the fire began when a heat lamp tipped over onto some boxes.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Philadelphia, PA – Bathroom fire at charter high school contained with help from sprinkler system

 A staff member was taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia on Monday morning.  Officials say the fire occurred at 10:10 a.m. in a bathroom, and the sprinkler system helped douse the flames.  The building was evacuated, and students were dismissed for the day at 11 a.m.

Fire officials say the staffer who was taken to the hospital had to be checked out for smoke inhalation. That person, a Safety Team member, was one of the first people on the scene of the fire, officials said.  That person has since been released from the hospital.

Apartment Building, Residential

Council Bluffs, IA – Apartment fire put out by sprinkler system

One person was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries suffered in a Friday morning fire at a Council Bluffs apartment complex. Crews were called to the Deerfield Apartments in the 900 block of Franklin Avenue shortly after 7 a.m.  Investigators say the fire started inside an apartment and was put out by the sprinkler system before they arrived on scene.  There were four people inside the unit at the time. One of them was taken for treatment.  Authorities say there is water damage to the apartment in which the fire originated and additional water damage to the unit below.  There was no immediate word on the cause.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Industrial machinery fire contained with help from sprinkler system

A two-alarm structure fire broke out in a Chilliwack industrial park last Friday morning. Chilliwack Fire Department crews from several fire halls were called out to Frontline Machinery Ltd at 43779 Progress Way.  Fire crews were on-scene at about 10:40 a.m. and heavy smoke could be seen venting from a window of the large industrial building.  Once firefighters gained access to the building, they were able to confirm that the sprinkler system had doused the fire.

Welding sparks that ignitied some diesel were believed to be the cause of the fire, according to a worker at the scene, and this was later confirmed by fire department officials.  “The fire is accidental and was started from repair work being done on a piece of heavy machinery,” said Assistant Chief Mike Bourdon.

A welding spark ignited some diesel fuel that had been in a storage container in the warehouse area. “Fire damage was sustained to the piece of machinery with minor smoke and water damage thorough out the unit,” Bourdon added.  They’re taking the opportunity to urge caution with this type of work.

“Chilliwack Fire Department recommends any operations involving open flames or producing heat and or sparks including cutting; welding, brazing, grinding, soldering, etc. should take proper precautions and controls prior to, during, and subsequent to all hot-work operations.”  There were no firefighter injuries.