State Fire Marshal investigation found the fire was accidental and began in a janitorial closet after the spontaneous combustion of rags used for cleaning.
Damage was estimated at about $2000.
Tag Archives: Morning (7am-12pm)
Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system contains arson fire at Walmart; No injuries reported
Brad Hesse, assistant chief of operations for Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, said an emergency call came in around 10 a.m. Saturday.
He said it’s too early to confirm the fire was arson, but it was “strange” that videos from customers’ phones showed it appeared to spark on a sofa in the store’s furniture department.
Hesse said the store was quickly evacuated and there are no reports anyone was injured.
Firefighters had trouble pinpointing the source of the blaze because of the thick black smoke emanating from the furniture department.
He said the sprinkler system helped keep the fire contained to that section and that crews were able to fully douse it after about 45 minutes.
However, the store in the 3500-block of Grandview Highway has extensive smoke and water damage. Hesse said it’s likely a lot of the product in the store is compromised by the thick smoke that circulated during the fire.
Hesse said about 40 firefighters and nine fire trucks were called in to the second-alarm blaze.
Vancouver police are also investigating to determine the cause of the blaze.
“We urge anyone who witnessed anything unusual in the store around the time of the fire to contact investigators immediately,” said Const. Tania Visintin, in a news release on Sunday afternoon.
The company released a statement to media that said the fire was set deliberately.
“This appears to be a criminal act of arson that will unfortunately and unfairly impact our customers, associates and the local community who rely on the store,” Walmart said.
“Setting a fire in a public setting is shocking, dangerous, and shameful.”
The store will re-open as soon as the necessary clean-up and repairs are complete.
“We will do everything we can to ensure the arsonist is identified and held accountable, including assessing our legal options to seek compensation from the arsonist for the damages caused by this act,” reads the statement.
Damages are estimated to be in the millions.
Though Walmart has over a dozen outlets around Metro Vancouver, the Grandview location is the only one in the city proper.
Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at storage facility
Firefighters were able to contain a fire at a storage facility in Fresno Monday morning.
Firefighters were called to the Dakota Park RV Storage on Dakota Avenue near Highway 99 for a fire alarm at the facility.
When firefighters arrived they found smoke coming from a commercial-sized storage unit and requested additional resources.
The storage unit contained a large amount of property including lithium-ion batteries, which are believed to have caused the fire.
With help from the fire sprinkler system, crews were able to keep the fire contained to the single storage unit.
About 20 other units were impacted by smoke.
Lithium-ion batteries provide power for devices like our smart phones and laptops, e-scooters, and e-bikes. The batteries store a lot of energy in a small amount of space. Fresno Fire public information officer
Josh Sellers says always keep safety in mind. “Always use the appropriate charging device tat came with the instrument. If you need a replacement get a replacement from the manufacturer,” Sellers said.
As a reminder, the National Fire Protection Association recommends removing lithium-ion batteries from their chargers once charging is complete and storing these batteries at room temperature whenever possible.
Ann Arbor, MI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at high-rise apartment building; No injuries reported
Ann Arbor Fire Department personnel arrive at the downtown highrise around 7:27 a.m. to find smoke and flowing water on the 7th floor.
Officials said the floor’s sprinkler system — activated by the on-fire plant — extinguished the fire. An elevator and several floors were damaged by the water but no one was injured.
Firefighters consider the incident suspicious.
Court House Square apartments are at 100 S. Fourth Ave.
Wilmington, NC – Sprinkler system contains fire at commercial building; No injuries reported
Per the Wilmington Fire Department, firefighters responded to a business on S Front Street at around 11:15 a.m. The fire was contained by the sprinkler system, and nobody was injured.
As the businesses survey the damage, both The Husk and Yosake are closed.
“We are thankful for everyone who has already been a part of trying to get us back on our feet, and we will keep everyone posted as we move forward from this. We hope to see you soon,” a Yosake announcement states.
Fond Du Lac, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at strip mall
According to Fond du Lac Fire Rescue, crews were dispatched just before 11 a.m. Saturday for a commercial fire alarm and water flow alarm at 325 Winnebago Drive.
FDLFR said a single fire sprinkler head had been activated in the kitchen area of Fast Taco, located at 335 Winnebago Drive. The sprinkler put out the fire that had occurred on a two-burner cook top, resulting in minimal water and soot damage to Fast Taco and one adjacent business.
Officials say the fire was caused by unattended cooking. The fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems were restored. Business representatives and building owners are working to restore business operations.
Calgary, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for cigarette fire on condo balcony; No injuries reported
The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) says crews were called to a four-story residential building on Royal Oak Plaza NW near Country Hills Boulevard NW and Royal Birch Boulevard NW around 7:50 a.m.
Fire crews arrived to find a fire on a south facing balcony on the fourth floor. Officials say an outdoor balcony sprinkler activated and contained most of the fire.
The fire department says flames made their way into the attic space of the unit. The resident of the unit made attempts to extinguish the blaze but found it was too large.
“Fire crews hit the fire quickly with a master stream from a deck gun and then also deployed other apparatus including a ladder truck to continue firefighting efforts,” reads a release from CFD.
The entire 120 unit building was evacuated. The resident in the unit that caught fire escaped without injuries. Officials say no other injuries were reported.
Officials say one resident slept through the entire incident because he was wearing noise cancelling headphones.
“This is an important reminder that if people choose to use devices that significantly diminish their senses, this can put them at significant risk of missing lifesaving signals that there is an emergency and that they need to evacuate the building immediately,” reads the release.
CFD says most residents were being allowed back into their units by Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators determined the fire was unintentional and was cause by a cigarette butt being put in a planter pot. The fire department is reminding smokers to adhere to the following guidelines when disposing of smoking materials:
- Use a deep, wide, sturdy metal container with a lid, filled part way with sand or water that should be emptied regularly.
- Ensure all butts and ash are out by soaking them with water prior to putting in the trash.
- Never put out cigarettes or smoking material in flower planter, peat moss, your lawn or garden.
- Extreme caution should be used in the city’s natural areas and green spaces where extremely dry vegetation covering the ground provides readily combustible fuel if an ignition source is applied.
Otay Mesa, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion storage facility fire
The fire first erupted at the Gateway Energy Storage in the 600 block of Camino De La Fuente late Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. It took crews roughly 24 hours to get the blaze under control and evacuation orders were lifted. But by Friday, the fire had re-ignited and evacuation orders were once again put in place for those in the surrounding area.
By Saturday morning, the fire had spread into other parts of the building and burned a portion of the roof but had not affected any other buildings, according to CalFire. The lithium-ion batteries at the warehouse “continue to experience thermal runaway,” which is when a battery goes into an uncontrollable self-heating state, according to a report released Saturday morning.
Cal Fire said the evacuation orders were issued as people in the area could be affected due to potential poisonous vapors and potential explosions. A shelter-in-place order was, at one point, issued for nearby Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
Due to the hazardous fumes filling the energy-storage complex, firefighters used streams of water from powerful hoses to subdue the blaze from outside, supplementing an internal sprinkler system at the business, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said.
A hazardous materials team was at the scene to ensure air quality and water runoff is not polluted, Cal Fire said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, Cornette said.
Moscow, ID – Sprinkler system activated for fire at theater; No injuries reported
The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:00 am after reports of visible smoke and flames from the theater’s loading dock and an adjacent box truck.
The first responding officer arrived within five minutes and confirmed an active fire, with smoke and flames showing from the loading dock area and the box truck. The building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system had activated, helping to control the spread of the fire.
The first fire engine arrived within six minutes, quickly establishing a water supply and extinguishing the main body of the fire at the loading dock. Subsequent units checked for any fire extension inside the building. The investigation determined that the fire was primarily outside but smoke had entered the building. A single sprinkler head activated inside helped to keep the fire contained to the exterior.
The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted to investigate the fire, as the building is located on state property. No injuries were reported, and the scene was managed with cooperation from University of Idaho staff.
Response to the incident included units from Moscow Fire, Moscow Ambulance, and Moscow Police. The fire is currently under investigation by state authorities. For further information, contact the fire administration office.
Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire at grocery store; No injuries reported
The two-alarm fire began on the paper-products aisle shortly after 8 a.m. with flames nearly reaching the ceiling, said a store employee who asked not to be identified. A possible suspect was seen running from the area and out of the store through an emergency exit, the employee said.
The store quickly filled with smoke, while Fresno Fire Department crews arrived within minutes.
Battalion Chief Kirk Wanless said no one was injured and the fire was contained to one aisle with the help of a fire sprinkler inside the store. It took crews about 10 minutes to knock down the fire that started among the toilet paper and paper towel products.
Wanless said the department’s fire investigator was on scene Sunday morning.
The store employee said someone tried tried to light a fire inside the store several months ago but was unsuccessful.
Fire crews remained at the store for several hours, clearing smoke and checking to make sure no one was inside. It was unclear how the fire would affect the store’s hours.