Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)

Williamsburg, VA – Sprinkler system activates to help control fire at College of William & Mary law school

The law school at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg was evacuated shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday because of a fire, according to the college. A small fire triggered the sprinkler system in a room on the second floor, Williamsburg fire chief Pat Dent told the Daily Press of Newport News.  That floor houses faculty offices.  The law school is expected to remain closed until 1:30 p.m.  No injuries have been reported.

Albuquerque, NM – Sprinkler systems help protect businesses in string of arson fires

The Federal Bureau of Investigations confirms one person is in custody following a string of fires at several Albuquerque businesses Saturday morning.

Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden would not elaborate on the suspect’s connection to the fires.

“We do have a person in custody and we firmly believe that our community is safe and this should not happen again,” said Chief Eden.

The FBI is leading the investigation and they have not released any details on who was taken into custody or what charges that person faces. APD says it is helping the FBI, ATF and State Police gather evidence.

Albuquerque Police Arrested the suspect Saturday morning in connection with a fire at the Barnes and Noble at Coronado Center, another fire at the Old Navy Store on Cutler near San Mateo and a fire at the Shred It center on Broadway.

Those businesses all suffered fire and smoke damage as well as water damage from sprinkler systems set off by the fires.

There were similar incidents at three Starbucks locations in Albuquerque on Friday morning.

Temecula, CA – Hotel room fire contained by sprinkler system; Further damage prevented

Two rooms were damaged and one victim suffered minor injuries after a mattress caught fire at a hotel Friday, Nov. 25. The fire happened at the Quality Inn located in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue, north of Winchester Road in Temecula.

The victim, who has not been identified, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and declined further treatment. It was not immediately known if the victim was an employee or guest of the hotel.  17 Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters from four engine companies and one truck company were dispatched to the hotel at 11:54 a.m., according to Cal Fire Spokeswoman April Newman.

“Firefighters responded to reports of smoke coming from a room,” Newman explained after the fire was contained at 12:03 p.m. “The fire was contained to a mattress by the structure’s sprinkler system.”

The damage to the two hotel rooms was estimated at about $25,000. The hotel’s fire sprinkler system saved the rest of the hotel from further damage, estimated at $6.8 million dollars.

At 12:30 p.m., Newman updated that fire resources were expected to remain at the scene for about one hour for water salvage and mop up operations.  There were no evacuations related to the fire.

Hopkinton, MA – Suspicious fire in school faculty bathroom extinguished by sprinkler system

State and local authorities are investigating a suspicious bathroom fire at Hopkins School on Monday that forced the school’s evacuation. The fire, located in a second floor faculty bathroom, was extinguished by the school’s sprinkler system, Deputy Fire Chief Bill Miller said on Tuesday.

The Hayden Rowe Street school was evacuated after the sprinkler system activated the fire alarm at 9:09 a.m. Miller said the fire caused minor damage, but there was water damage in the bathroom.

“They discovered a suspicious fire in the second floor bathroom,” Miller said. Miller would not discuss details of the fire, citing the open investigation. According to the Hopkinton Police log, an arson investigator from the state’s Fire Marshal’s Office came to the scene to help investigate.

Miller said school resumed about an hour after the fire and no one was injured. “The school did a phenomenal job of evacuating the students and following all plans and procedures,” Miller said.  Police spokesman Lt. Joseph Bennett said police are continuing to investigate the fire. Bennett would not release much information, citing the fire is still under investigation. Although the bathroom is a faculty bathroom, it was also open to student use.

Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal’s Office, said the cause of the fire has not been determined, but it appears to be intentionally set.

She said school fires are not uncommon. In 2015 there were 149 school fires. The majority of which were cooking related, but many were also set fires.

“Most of them were small,” said Mieth. “Although all fires start small.”

Hopkinton Public School Superintendent Cathy MacLeod said school administrators spent the day going from classroom to classroom explaining what occurred. She said the goal was to both make the students comfortable at the school, as well as to prevent the spread of rumors

Oxford, ME – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in knocking down fire at wood products manufacturer

Firefighters quickly knocked down flames at National Wood Products of Maine on Route 26 on Wednesday morning, Oxford Fire Chief Wayne Jones said. The fire was accidental, he said. No one was injured.  “The fire began in the area where the employees do the painting of their products,” Jones said. “They were doing some maintenance on the paint booth when the fire started.”  The fire was reported at 7:46 a.m.

The chief said the woodworking plant has a sprinkler system that “kept the fire intact” while the firefighters drove to the scene. “When you have a paint booth, there’s always the potential for an accidental fire, which is why businesses make sure those areas are explosion-proof,” Jones said. “It’s to prevent those types of fires from occurring or getting out of control, due to paint fumes or something else.”

National Wood Products of Maine supplies elaborate and simple furniture components and a wide variety of wood species, and produces finished furniture, ranging from juvenile furniture to adult lawn chairs. Jones praised the work for firefighters from Oxford, Norway, Paris, Mechanic Falls and Poland.

“All of the crews did a heck of a job of getting that fire knocked down as fast as possible,” Jones said.  Route 26 was closed while the departments extinguished the fire.

Wellford, SC – Fire at chemical plant suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries

Firefighters said Hazmat was initially called in after a fire broke out at a chemical plant in Spartanburg County Tuesday morning.  The fire broke out in a loading room at StarChem on Greenville Highway in Wellford, according to Startex Fire Chief Barry Ward.

The fire happened when a truck opened an equipment door and fumes from an open valve ignited.  The building was evacuated and the facility’s sprinkler system put out the fire.

Hazmat crews were called in to make sure no dangerous chemicals were involved and the water from the sprinkler system had not been contaminated.  Ward said Hazmat crews quickly determines there fire was not caused by a hazardous chemical.

No one was hurt in the fire.  Click here to read more about the StarChem plant’s manufacturing capabilities.

Irondale, AL – Sprinkler system helps limit hotel fire to one room

Fire crews are on the scene at the Hampton Inn off Grants Mill Road in Irondale.

Irondale and Birmingham Fire Department responded. According to officials, the fire was contained to one room. After the blaze began, the sprinkler system kicked in and helped limit the fire from spreading.

At this time, everyone is still outside of the hotel. The fire is under control now.

Riverside, CA – Arson fire at shopping mall extinguished by sprinkler system

A homeless man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting a small fire at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside.  The fire was reported about 8:45 a.m. in a part of the mall that is under construction. Riverside Fire Investigations Supervisor Ray Mendoza said the fire was extinguished by the mall’s sprinkler system, but part of the mall was still evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The fire alarm closest to the fire was in test mode, which caused a delayed response from city firefighters. Mendoza said it’s common for fire alarms to be in test mode in buildings under construction.
When firefighters did arrive at 1299 Galleria at Tyler to investigate the extinguished fire, which caused about $5,000 in damage, they determined it was intentionally ignited.  Mall security told firefighters they knew where the suspect, 28-year-old Brian Haugh, was at the time.  Hough was arrested on suspicion of arson and taken to the Robert Presley Detention Center, where bail is set at $35,000.

Orange, VA – Suspected arson fire during renovation of homeless shelter controlled by sprinkler system

The Orange fire marshal is investigating a suspected arson at the former President Madison Inn on Caroline Street. Right now the Paul Stefan Foundation is in the process of renovating the building into a regional home for pregnant homeless women.

Foundation president and co-founder Randy James got a call from town authorities around 7:30 Monday morning telling him water was coming out of the building. By the time he arrived, the first floor was flooded due to the sprinkler system being set off by flames.

Investigators say they suspect the fire was set to one of the rooms in the back. No one was inside the building at the time “The sprinkler system worked and that’s a blessing because we’ve remodeled the upstairs, put $200,000 into the third floor. So, no water went off on the third floor, and didn’t damage the work that was already done, so that was a blessing,” James said.

James estimates the damage to cost about $60,000 to $70,000. This is an ongoing investigation but the Sheriff’s Office says foul play is suspected. Anyone with information is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 540-672-1200.

Hampton Beach, NH – Sprinkler system helps firefighters control fire at restaurant in historic building

Firefighters battled a fire Wednesday morning at the Purple Urchin Seaside Cafe at Hampton Beach.  The Purple Urchin is located on the second floor of 169 Ocean Blvd.

The fire started just before 8 a.m. and took crews an hour to put out. The fire went to three alarms in the iconic building that has been a part of Hampton Beach since the early 1900s.

In February 2010, a fire destroyed an entire block in Hampton Beach, and Fire Chief Jameson Ayotte said that fire was in their minds as they responded to the fire. Ayotte was the first person to spot the fire at the Purple Urchin.

“I was driving into work and saw smoke coming from the building,” Ayotte said. “The smoke was coming from the roof just over the Purple Urchin.”

Firefighters initially battled the fire from the front stairs. Authorities said sprinklers and the fire alarm system activated during the fire.  Firefighters from 16 New Hampshire and Massachusetts towns joined in the fight.  Ayotte said it appeared to have started on the second floor, but it didn’t stay there.

“The fire was in the roof structure and started to run along the underside of the roof, so you can see they’re placing cuts in the roof and going after it under the shingles,” he said.

The chief said the building was built in 1901, so firefighters had to deal with seasoned wood. But the building had a sprinkler system, which helped them get the fire under control.

Donnie Miller, who owns a few businesses in the building, said that his reaction was immediate.  “Panic, immediately,” he said. “You panic, and your mind thinks the worst, obviously. Your heart drops in your stomach, and you want to see what’s happening.”

Eventually, he was able to get a look inside. “What I could see from where we’re at, it’s just smoke damage, not any water damage,” he said.

Several adjacent businesses were damaged by water and smoke. Firefighters said the building was unoccupied at the time, as most of the seasonal businesses were closed for the winter season.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated and released. They are all expected to make a full recovery. Hampton fire officials, the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco of Firearms investigated the cause of the fire.

Officials said the cause was a beverage cooler, which had a power cord that short-circuited.