Other - Retail, Retail West Lebanon, NH – Overnight fire at furniture store extinguished by sprinkler system June 2, 2015 viking210 The Lebanon Fire Department is investigating a fire that took place in the early morning on Sunday inside a West Lebanon furniture store. Firefighters went to Defelice Furniture at 35 Main St. in West Lebanon at 3:39 a.m. Sunday, when a passerby reported the water motor for the building’s sprinkler system was ringing, Lebanon Fire Chief Chris Christopoulos said in a news release Sunday. After seeing water flowing from the sprinkler system, firefighters forced entry into the building and found evidence of a fire occurred on a desk on the showroom floor. The fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system before firefighters arrived. Though not considered suspicious, the fire is under investigation.
Dry Cleaner, Retail Nashua, NH – Fire caused by spontaneous combustion held in check by sprinkler system May 31, 2015 viking210 An early morning fire inside an Industrial Park Drive building was caused by spontaneous combustion of oily rags, according to fire officials. The single-alarm blaze, reported just after 1 a.m. Thursday, happened inside UniFirst Corp., 8 Industrial Park Drive, which is a uniform, maintenance and cleaning supply company. Firefighters responding to a master fire box alarm, arrived to hear alarms sounding and to find a smoke-filled building and sprinklers operating. The fire was located in three bins filled with tightly packed oily rags. The blaze was held in check by the sprinklers, although firefighters stretched one hose to completely extinguish the fire. Pressure fans were brought in to air out the building.
College/University (on campus), School / University Durham, NH – Fire at University of New Hampshire contained with help from sprinklers March 25, 2015 viking210 A small oven fire broke out in Rudman Hall at the University of New Hampshire on Sunday evening. Durham Fire Chief Corey Landry said the department received a call about a fire in an oven on the third floor of Rudman Hall around 7:25 p.m. Located on College Road, Rudman Hall is home to the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Landry said the caller was using a commercial-sized oven and had placed plastic tubes inside. Landry could not comment what the caller was doing specifically with the tubes. The tubes had melted and started a small fire, but it was contained to the oven, Landry said. The fire set off the sprinkler system, but the water was drained through drains in the floor. Landry said the building was evacuated, but there was no one inside. The only damage sustained was to the plastic tubes.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Merrimack, NH – Fire at century-old mill building controlled by sprinkler system March 14, 2015 viking210 On Friday, March 13, 2015, at 4:52 p.m. the Merrimack Fire Department was dispatched to 33 Elm St. The crew found a fire in an area of the building being used as a furniture repair and refinishing shop. The building sprinkler was keeping the fire from spreading but suppression crews were needed to fully extinguish the blaze as the sprinklers were being blocked by furnishings. The building is an approximately 135,000 square foot three story mill building built in 1900. The building now houses multiple tenants including warehouse, retail store and light industrial uses. The fire was declared under control at 5:49 p.m. and an extensive overhaul and ventilation of the building was begun. Damage to the building was moderate, with fire damage to a wall and contents of the shop as well as water damage to several areas. Crews ensured that all fire was extinguished and debris cleared from the area, and an investigation into the cause of the fire was conducted by the Fire Marshal. The building was turned back over to the owner and all fire personnel cleared at 8:02 p.m. The fire cause was determined to be electrical, due to overloaded circuits and improper use of extension cords. Mutual aid was received from a Nashua Fire Department Engine and Ladder, who assisted at the fire scene and a Manchester Fire Department Engine who covered Station 1.
Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse Nashua, NH – Truck fire inside warehouse held in check by sprinkler system March 4, 2015 viking210 Firefighters quickly extinguished a truck fire Monday night inside a three-story warehouse on Bridge Street, which houses a truck repair shop and kitchen cabinet outlet. The building’s sprinkler system kept the fire in check. Fire crews arrived just after 10:30 PM to find a fire in the engine compartment of a plow truck parked in the rear garage area. Firefighters forced their way through double overhead doors to put out the fire. Some of the firefighting operations were delayed as crews encountered broken hydrants due to plow operations and a buried water shut off, fire officials said.
Residential, Single Family Home Derry, NH – Sprinkler system helps 14-year-old girl escape intense garage fire February 18, 2015 viking210 Fire officials say a residential sprinkler system helped knock down an intense garage fire at 3 Alder Court on Monday, and also helped save a 14-year-old girl who was home at the time.The girl was in the basement and unaware of the fire in the attached garage until she noticed water running from the sprinkler system and saw smoke filling the house. After seeing the garage was on fire, she was able to escape, said Derry fire Lt. Jack Webb.The forward progress of the fire in the garage was stopped until firefighters could arrive and extinguish the blaze. “That sprinkler system stopped the fire,” Webb said, adding “it allowed the little girl to get out of the house.”Firefighters were able rescue a small dog that was uninjured, he said. The first call came into the dispatch center at 3:36 p.m. and crews were on the scene at 3:44 p.m., Webb said.When they arrived, the garage was fully involved, with fire above the roof line.Firefighters from four stations responded to the blaze that went to two alarms, Webb said. Crews had to contend with bitter cold and icy conditions. There were also five other calls that occurred in town during the fire, including a major sprinkler system burst at Shaw’s Supermarket.The crews poured a lot of water onto the garage of the two-story Colonial-style house and the fire was declared under control at about 5 p.m., Webb saidCrews remained on the scene until 7:23 p.m. for overhaul and to assist the family members recover their belongings. There was some extension of the fire into the attic and roof of farmer’s porch. The living area of the house received smoke and water damage; it will be uninhabitable until professionally cleaned, Webb said. The family was renting and will stay with relatives temporarily, he said. The garage and its contents are considered a complete loss. Fire loss, including contents of the garage, is estimated at $150,000. A corvette was lost in the blaze, Webb added.The cause of the fire isn’t suspicious and appears to be accidental, Webb said. –
Government Office, Government/Military Concord, NH – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at Merrimack County Courthouse February 3, 2015 viking210 A sprinkler system helped put out a fire and save county property at the Merrimack County Superior Courthouse in Concord Sunday. The fire is believed to have started in a vending machine on the first floor of the building. A preliminary investigation by the Concord Fire Department, the state fire marshal’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the fire to have been accidental, according to a press release issued yesterday by the state fire marshal’s office. The Concord Fire Department was called to 163 N. Main St. at 10:13 a.m. after receiving an alert from an automatic fire alarm. Firefighters arrived on scene at 10:18 a.m. to find smoke in the building and an active sprinkler in a room of vending machines. The building was closed and secure at the time of the fire. Fire Marshal J. William Degnan said the sprinkler system “prevented a much larger fire and loss of county property, as well as reduced the danger to firefighters.” The fire came two days after another one in a similarly unattended public building, in that case owned by the town of Henniker. The Henniker Highway Department garage, which wasn’t outfitted with a sprinkler system, and several town vehicles were destroyed in that fire, with damage estimated to be about $1 million.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Condominium fire squelched thanks to fire sprinklers (Hampton, NH) April 22, 2014 viking210 A four-story condominium caught fire on Monday morning on one of the unit’s enclosed porches. Investigators believe that the fire began around or above an exterior light on the underside of a second story porch. The heat from the fire activated the condominium’s fire sprinkler system, which Hampton Fire Chief reported helped to contain the fire to the porch area. No injuries were reported.
Apartment Building, Residential Single sprinkler extinguishes fire at three-story apartment building (Rochester, NH) December 27, 2013 viking210 A single sprinkler put out a fire on Punch Brook Way Thursday afternoon, avoiding a potential three-story building fire. Firefighters were called to the scene of an apartment building just before 4 p.m. for the report of a kitchen fire after a resident cooking on the third floor unintentionally started the fire. According to officials, the fire was out before they arrived due to the activation of a single sprinkler head. “The sprinkler system did its job, not only saving the building, but also the residents,” said Deputy Fire Chief Peter Cutrer.
Residential, Single Family Home Home fire put out by residential sprinkler system (Portsmouth, NH) November 30, 2013 viking210 A Thanksgiving Eve fire at an Osprey Drive home was sparked by a lamp and displaced the residents, but sprinklers “saved the house,” said Deputy Fire Chief Carl Roediger. Firefighters were called to the home at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, when one of the residents said he just returned home and found his couch on fire, Roediger said. The fire had been “pretty much put out” by the residential sprinkler system and firefighters removed the smouldering couch from the home, according to the deputy chief.
