Tag Archives: New Hampshire

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Hampton, NH – Sprinkler system contains fire in attic at restaurant

Firefighters responded to an attic fire at the Old Salt Restaurant at Lamie’s Inn Oct. 13, quickly extinguishing a blaze that was largely contained by the building’s sprinkler system. 

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, said Fire Chief Michael McMahon.

McMahon said the Fire Department received a call from the alarm company at approximately 5:15 a.m. Engine 6 from Hampton’s beach station responded swiftly, followed by Engine 2 from North Hampton and crews from across the Seacoast, including Portsmouth, Rye and Seabrook.

Firefighters arrived at the Old Salt around 5:25 a.m. and located the fire roughly 10 minutes later, McMahon said.

“It took a while to locate the fire because it was in an attic space, which had limited access,” he said. “It was a sprinkler-controlled fire, so three sprinkler heads in the attic space activated and controlled the fire and kept it in check until we were able to get a line up there and finish extinguishment.”

Though the building did not sustain any structural damage, McMahon said the water damage was “extensive.”

Crews from Hampton Falls, Exeter and Kingston provided coverage of Hampton’s station while its firefighters were responding to the call, McMahon said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashua, NH – Sprinkler system contains blaze at apartment building; No injuries reported

A fire sprinkler system helped contain a fire at an apartment building Sunday afternoon in Nashua, limiting damage and preventing injuries, city fire officials said.

Nashua Fire Rescue responded to Arel Manor at 165 Pine St. just after 2 p.m. after receiving an automatic alarm from the building’s fire detection system, according to Deputy Chief Kevin Kerrigan, who was incident commander.

Engine 2 crews arriving from the Lake Street station found signs of sprinkler activation on the third floor. Engine 4 crews from Crown Hill station located the fire in a third-floor apartment. The fire was being suppressed by the building’s sprinkler system, officials said.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the remaining flames using hose lines. Fire crews remained on scene for more than an hour conducting salvage operations and clearing smoke from the building, according to a news release.

Two residents were displaced by the fire. The affected section sustained smoke and water damage, while apartments on lower floors received water damage from the sprinkler system, officials said.

The American Red Cross responded to assist displaced residents. No injuries were reported.

The Nashua Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. In all, 30 Nashua Fire Rescue personnel responded with four engines, two ladder trucks and support vehicles. Merrimack Fire provided station coverage during the response.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Lebanon, NH – Sprinkler system activated for fire in warehouse; No injuries reported

A Benning Street warehouse was damaged in a fire Thursday evening.

Lebanon firefighters responded to a fire alarm activation at 82 Benning St. shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to a Lebanon Fire Department news release. No one was injured. Firefighters are still investigating the cause, which is “not believed to be suspicious.”

After responders discovered black smoke coming from the 163,000-square-foot, mixed-use warehouse, they sent out a call for additional assistance.

“Initial investigation revealed a heavy smoke condition in the front office portion of the building with active sprinkler flow,” according to the release. Firefighters found that that the sprinkler system stopped the fire from spreading beyond the room where it had started, illustrating “how a working sprinkler system significantly reduced property loss and helped the single occupant in the building escape safely.”

Firefighters — including those from the Hartford, Hanover and Norwich fire departments — remained on the scene until 10:45 p.m.

The building is owned by Worcester, Mass.-based Benning Street LLC, and has an assessed value of $7.6 million, according to Lebanon property records.

Hospital/Care Facility, Other - Hospital/Medical

Concord, NH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at dentist’s office; No injuries reported

A fire in the basement of a dentist’s office in Concord was quickly extinguished in part because of the building’s sprinkler system Wednesday morning, Concord Fire Chief John Chisholm said. 

Concord Fire was dispatched just after 9:20 a.m. and smoke was reported in the building. Firefighters were able to quickly locate a small fire in the basement of Generations Dental Care offices at 9 Triangle Park Drive. The modern building’s sprinkler system had been activated, keeping the fire in check, according to Chisholm. There were no injuries.

Firefighters dragged hoses into the building and cleared the offices of smoke while employees and patients were evacuated.

A preliminary investigation determined that the fire started in the area of a trash can and that it was accidental, though its exact source remains unclear, Chisholm said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Litchfield, NH – Fire in laundry room extinguished by sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm at Mels Funway Park early Friday morning, encountering smoke and a small fire that was swiftly contained by the building’s sprinkler system.

Engines 1, 4, and Tanker 3 were dispatched to 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy at 3:47 a.m. following the alarm.

The first officer on the scene, a Litchfield Fire lieutenant who lives nearby, reported smoke on the first floor of the three-story building.

A working fire assignment was immediately requested, bringing additional support from Londonderry, Hudson, and Merrimack, including a ladder truck, an engine, an ambulance, and a battalion chief.

Upon the arrival of Litchfield C1, command was established for the incident.

Fire crews meticulously searched the large building for the source of the smoke, a process that took significant time due to the building’s size.

The four occupants of the building were safely evacuated, and all floors were checked.

Light smoke was found on the third floor, but there were no conditions on the second.

The fire, located in a first-floor back laundry room filled with storage items, had been extinguished by the sprinkler system before firefighters arrived.

Once the fire was confirmed to be out, the building was ventilated, air quality was monitored, and the area of the fire was isolated to prevent any further incidents.

The building was then cleared and turned back over to the property representative, allowing all occupants to return.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by authorities.

All fire companies involved cleared the scene at 5:30 a.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Exeter, NH – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire in parking garage; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system is being credited with stopping the spread of a vehicle fire in the parking garage at the bottom of an Exeter apartment building Sunday morning.

The fire started just before 3 a.m. in Building A on Willey Creek Road inside the Ray Farm community off Route 27 in Exeter, according to Exeter Fire Chief Eric Wilking. Residents of four story building were evacuated for about an hour as firefighters put out the blaze and remained on scene to remove smoke and remove the smell of smoke and gasoline from the garage, stairways and hallways.

“This fire certainly had the potential to spread, but the sprinkler system and quick work of our crews kept it at bay. The incident is a good reminder about the effectiveness of a working sprinkler system,” Fire Chief Eric Wilking said in a statement.

No one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bedford, NH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

Bedford fire, and police responded to a call for fire alarms that were activated at 15 Iron Horse Drive, Unit B, on Sunday.

While en route, at about 4 p.m. responding units were advised callers could see smoke from outside the building, and smoke was filling the hallways.

Firefighters arrived and had smoke showing from some of the second-floor windows, and the sprinkler system activated in part of the building. Merrimack firefighters were also requested to respond with additional apparatus and other towns responded for station coverage.

Several people were evacuating the building on their own, and firefighters and police officers went from apartment to apartment, evacuating those occupants that had remained inside the building.

Firefighters made entry into a second-floor apartment that appeared to be the source of the smoke. They located a burning couch that the sprinkler system had mostly extinguished and a heavy smoke condition in the apartment and in the hallway.

Crews removed the couch and pushed it off the second-floor balcony, and opened windows to allow smoke to clear. Fans were used to eject smoke from the apartment and hallways.

A large group of residents watched from the parking lot as firefighters fought the fire, and water poured out of the building from the sprinkler system.

The fire appears to have been limited to a single apartment, but several apartments had water damage from the activated sprinkler system. Bedford fire said many people would be displaced from the large multi-unit apartment building.

The fire was brought under control within about 30 minutes, and it did not appear any occupants or firefighters were injured.

The fire will be investigated by the Bedford Fire Department.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Manchester, NH – Sprinkler system activated for early morning fire at mall

An early-morning fire alarm activation at the Mall of New Hampshire Sunday was caused by an electrical fire originating with a massage chair, according to fire officials.

At 1:24 a.m. an alarm was triggered at the Mall, 1500 South Willow St. followed by a report of smoke near the food court as fire companies were en route.

Upon arrival Engine 3 entered the mall to find smoke generated from a massage chair that caught fire. The sprinkler system had activated and contained the fire to the area of origin, and remaining fire in the area was extinguished by the Engine 3 crew. 

There was water damage in the immediate area along with heavy smoke damage throughout the mall. Ventilation of the building was a challenge due to the size of the affected area, fire officials said.

As of 11 a.m. the mall was open for shopping, according to personnel in the mall’s security office.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Concord, NH – Fire at pet store extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Concord firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at Petco in Concord on Monday night with no injuries to people or animals. 

Shortly after 8:30 p.m., the department was alerted to an alarm at the Fort Eddy Road store. Companies arrived on the scene in less than four minutes and found the sprinkler system running.

A fire was burning in the grooming area was extinguished by Concord firefighters by 8:55 p.m. Concord Fire Marshal Paul Sirois determined the cause of the fire to be a malfunctioning air blower fan.

None of the mulititude of animals in the store were injured, firefighters said.

Firefighters remained on the scene for three hours removing smoke and water to prevent further damage and to conduct the investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashua, NH – Sprinkler system activated, kept apartment fire from spreading

Nashua fire and rescue teams were sent to an apartment building on West Pearl Street on Sunday for a fire.

Around 3:45 a.m., an alarm activation was reported at 123 West Pearl St., a 42-unit apartment building. Firefighters, according to Deputy Chief William Atkinson, saw smoke coming from the second floor of the building and requested an additional engine and ladder to the building.

“Due the aggressive interior work of our members, the fire was contained to a mattress in the apartment,” he said. “Two sprinkler heads activated keeping the fire from spreading.”

Atkinson said there was “significant water damage to the first floor store and basement display area.” He added, “Our members performed salvage operations to cover and protect the contents in the store.”

The fire marshal’s office posted more information on Facebook.

Smoke detectors, Atkinson said, alerted occupants to the fire.

The fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.