Tag Archives: New Jersey

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Caldwells, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at university residence hall

A fire was extinguished at a Caldwell University residence hall on Monday, authorities said.

According to the Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, their peers in West Caldwell got a call about an active fire alarm at the Mother Joseph Residence Hall at 5:17 p.m. The Caldwell Fire Department was immediately dispatched to the scene.

On arrival, firefighters found the alarm sounding and the building evacuated. Firefighters soon found “heavy smoke” coming from the second floor and an activated sprinkler system. Arriving fire crews stretched a line to extinguish the fire in the second floor recycling area, officials said.

Caldwell firefighters got mutual aid from Essex Fells, West Caldwell, Cedar Grove, North Caldwell, Roseland and the West Essex First Aid Squad.

All units were clear of the scene at 7:07 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.

Officials said that fire damage was limited to the room of origin, but smoke and water damage was found throughout the building.

“The sprinklers and fire alarm system did their job and kept the fire in check until fire units arrived to completely extinguish the fire,” Chief Andrew Pollara said.

Caldwell University staff relocated students to other residence halls on campus, authorities said.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

South Brunswick, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for warehouse fire; No injuries reported

A warehouse in South Brunswick Township caught on fire last night around 7 P.M. Over 50 firefighters arrived at the scene, including all three South Brunswick Companies (Monmouth Junction, Kingston & Kendall Park), Monroe Fire District 3, Jamesburg, Plainsboro and North Brunswick Fire Co. #2.

No one was injured in the fire, according to a press release. At 7:05 P.M., February 19th, South Brunswick police were alerted about a fire at the Sunoco Warehouse at 5 Stults Road near Route 130.

According to a preliminary investigation, the fire started due to the finished cardboard canisters manufactured by the facility which were stored on plastic pallets and shrink-wrapped, then stacked three pallets high. “Fortunately the sprinkler system and fire pump contained the fire to several stacks of the palletizing goods. Unfortunately, the fire and water caused several pallets to collapse, making it difficult for firefighters to locate and extinguish the seat of the fire,” said Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith in a released statement.

At the time, fire hydrants on Stults Road were frozen. Firefighters used tankers from Cranbury, Jamesburg, Plainsboro and Monroe for water supply.

Crews were routinely rotated due to the intensive manpower to reach the seat of the fire 300 feet deep into the warehouse. It took several hours to ventilate the heavy smoke from the fire using large trailer-mounted fans from the Edison and Millstone Valley Fire Departments.

The fire is currently under investigation by the South Brunswick Township Fire Safety Bureau, according to a press release.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Glassboro, NJ – Fire sprinklers contain dorm fire after hoverboard catches fire

Rowan’s Emergency Medical Services and the Glassboro Fire Department responded to a reported fire at Holly Pointe Commons on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and transported one person for injuries due to the incident, according to Vernon Howery, the chief of Rowan University EMS.

According to Michael Kantner, the assistant vice president of public safety and office of emergency management, the fire occurred early in the morning around 1-2 a.m.

Vice President for University Relations Joe Cardona said the fire source was a hoverboard (self-balancing scooter). The Glassboro Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the situation, as they do for every alarm; however, they wouldn’t comment on the definitive reason for the hoverboard’s fire. 

“[The hoverboard] is the crux of their investigation. They are looking at all avenues, and there haven’t been any determinations yet,” Kantner said.

Hoverboards are no stranger to fire departments around the United States. Since 2015, there have been many incidents involving their combustion. They are prohibited on school property by Rowan’s Housing Policy regarding engines. The United States International Trade Commission also prohibits them.

According to the Federal Register, in 2016 the International Trade Commission issued a ban on various hoverboard manufacturers due to patent claims made by Segway Inc. Many of the manufacturers listed are internationally based in countries that lack strict regulations on their products’ safety.

Purdue University’s school newspaper, The Exponent, documented a similar hoverboard fire on Sept. 14, 2020 inside one of their dorms Shreve Hall. Both Rowan and Purdue’s incidents occurred early in the morning. 

The sprinkler system in Holly Pointe caused water damage to the surrounding areas in the first floor B-pod. 

“Thank goodness for the sprinkler system, that fire was basically knocked down by the time the fire department showed up,” Kantner said. “They did sustain some water damage in the hallway of B-pod and in rooms adjacent to the incident location.” 

Currently there are no reports on the number of students and dorms affected by water damage. Rowan EMS reported only one individual requiring medical attention due to the fire, and their condition is unknown.

An update will be available at thewhitonline.com when and if appropriate.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant, Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Ocean City, NJ – fire sprinkler systems put out sixth floor fire at hotel and later that day extinguish fire at a condo

The Ocean City Fire Department had a busy day on Sunday with a fire at a downtown hotel in the afternoon and another at a residence later that evening.

Around 2:30 p.m. last Sunday, the Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) responded to a fire alarm activation at the Stowaway Grand Hotel on 22nd Street. First-arriving firefighters located the hotel’s alarm panel and determined the source of the activation was on the fifth floor. Four OCFD firefighters operating in groups of two made their way to the fifth floor from inside the building and found a smoke and fire condition in an electrical closet.

OCFD spokesman Ryan Whittington said crews were able to put out that fire with dry chemical extinguishers and that firefighters wouldn’t use water in a fire of that type because it was electrical in nature. With that situation well in hand, Whittington said while on the fifth floor, firefighters were alerted to another potential fire on the sixth floor above.

The crews made their way to the sixth floor and found an active fire and smoke conditions. As firefighters were preparing to tackle that blaze, the hotel’s sprinkler system activated and put out the fire.

The entire situation was brought under control around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday, or a little over an hour after the first alarm activation. Whittington said the protocol for the fire department in that case was to send the high-rise package, which includes larger apparatus and equipment.

“Because the Stowaway Grand is considered a high-rise in terms of the number of floors, there are certain things we have to do,” he said. “We actually deployed our high-rise package, which includes the ladder trucks and larger apparatus equipped with a larger amount of hose and larger caliber hoses.”

Hundreds of hotel guests were evacuated during the incident, resulting in some quick thinking by the command staff.

“Battalion Chief David Peterson had command and he requested a city bus,” said Whittington. “There were hundreds of guests milling around and waiting to get back in, and having the bus there provided a place for them to sit down and relax in the air conditioning.”

Whittington said the fire department’s protocols and training prevented what could have been a much more serious situation.

“Everything worked like it should have,” he said. “To our guys’ credit, they really saved the building from much more damage.”

Hours later, the OCFD responded to another residential fire at a condominium on Trimper Avenue, according to Whittington.

“We arrived and found a heavy smoke condition on the first floor,” he said. “Crews made their way to the third floor and found a basket of blankets and other materials in a storage closet too close to a heat source and it combusted. We believe a light bulb might have started the fire, but it is still under investigation. In that incident, the condo’s sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire.”

Retail, Shopping Mall

Hackensack, NJ – Garbage fire put out by fire sprinkler system at mall; No injuries reported

A garbage fire cleared The Shops at Riverside mall in Hackensack on Tuesday afternoon, though the flames were quickly extinguished by the mall’s sprinkler system, said Capt. Justin Derevyanik of the Hackensack Fire Department.

Heavy smoke still lingered an hour and a half after the fire was put out, and shoppers remained outside the mall waiting to go back in.

The flames broke out just before 1:45 p.m. when cardboard and other trash ignited inside the compactor, which is under the parking garage in the rear of the building.

Derevyanik said the fire was contained to the compactor but some smoke seeped into the shopping mall.

There were no injuries, and Derevyanik expected crews to finish resetting the alarm system in time to allow customers back inside by about 4 p.m.

The fire remained under investigation.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Ocean City, NJ – Fire sprinklers keep fire in check at Ocean City Tabernacle overnight

Social distancing played a role in the fast response and prevention of a potentially serious fire at the Ocean City Tabernacle early Thursday morning.

In the pre-dawn hours, the ballast of a fluorescent lamp apparently overheated and ignited a small fire, according to Tabernacle Pastor Jay Reimer.

The incident occurred in a storage area near the gymnasium at approximately 4:40 a.m., Ocean City Fire Department Chief Jim Smith said.

The mechanism of the light fell to the ground, causing a nearby box of basketballs and other sports equipment to begin smoldering and ignite a small fire.

This in turn set off the smoke detector, as well as the fire alarm at the Tabernacle, located at 550 Wesley Avenue.

“We were very fortunate,” Reimer said. “As you may know, we had some firefighters staying with us, and they took care of it before (the situation escalated).”

In the “old normal” pre-coronavirus pandemic days, a crew of eight firefighters would have been living in close quarters at the Fire Department Headquarters building across Asbury Avenue from the Tabernacle grounds.

Because of social distancing concerns during the pandemic, however, the bunk room beds have been spread out, and three members of the eight-man crew were staying overnight at the Tabernacle, as they have since March 27.

“We’re very thankful to the Tabernacle to open its doors to us,” said Smith. “It’s probably a blessing in disguise they were there. As usual, our guys did a great job.”

Smith said the OCFD members “found smoke and fire” when they arrived at the storage area and that the Tabernacle’s sprinkler system had “held the fire in check” up to that point. The firefighters connected a hose and quickly extinguished the small fire, Smith said.

“They had to stretch the hose out and put the fire out,” he said. “There was minimum damage from the water.”

Had the firefighters not been on site, the outcome could have been entirely different, he added.

“It was fortunate our guys were there to address the fire before (they left for the night) and came back from across the street,” Smith said.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

South Brunswick, NJ – Sprinkler system quickly extinguishes fire at commercial building

A commercial building at 335 New Road caught fire just before 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, said South Brunswick police, and it was quickly extinguished because the building had sprinkler systems installed.

Chief Smith and Deputy Chief Sean Wert of the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department arrived just before 4:30 p.m. to find smoke coming from the building and water running from under the door of one of the commercial building’s suites.

Firefighters entered the building and extinguished a smoldering fire that was being contained by a single sprinkler head. Approximately 25 firefighters responded to the one-alarm fire. The fire was contained to storage inside the single business.

This was the second fire the Monmouth Junction Fire Department responded to in the last month in a commercial building where a single sprinkler head activated to contain a fire. The fires occurred during off hours in both instances, where no employees were working.

“If these buildings had not had activated sprinklers, the fires would have continued to grow and most likely both buildings would have been destroyed. These incidents prove that sprinkler systems save property and lives,” said Chief Smith.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Wayne, NJ – Fire sprinklers contain fire in manufacturing area of business

On Sunday morning, March 22, Wayne Fire Companies #1 and #2 were dispatched to Mane USA on Demarest Drive in response to smoke and water flow alarms. Mane USA is a global flavor and fragrance manufacturer with a facility in Wayne.

“When the units entered the building, they encountered a moderate smoke condition,” said Wayne Fire Commissioner Bob Minarick. “At that point fire command requested a second alarm which brought Company #5 to the scene.”

Further investigation found a fire in the manufacturing area that was contained by the sprinkler system. Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire and requested Fire Inspection to the scene.

“The fire was contained to a pallet of supplies and also a commercial storage rack that contained production items,” said Minarick. “After viewing security footage, the fire was deemed accidental. Oil and chemical soaked rags and gloves that were stored in a large closed bucket spontaneously ignited and spread to the pallet and rack before the sprinklers held the fire in check.”

Firefighters overhauled the fire area to make sure that all embedded fire was extinguished. Multiple smoke ejectors and the building’s in-house ventilation system were used to clear smoke from the warehouse.

According to Minarick, five fire engines responded to the call with twenty firefighters. The fire was declared under control in 30 minutes.  All units cleared the scene by 10:30am.

“I’d like to thank the Wane Police Department for providing scene and roadway control,” said Minarick. “Also, thanks to the Wayne First Aid Squad for standing by on scene ready to render assistance should one of my firefighters get injured or need medical treatment,”

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Plainfield, NJ – Fire contained thanks to fire sprinklers at waste facility; No injuries reported

Early Tuesday a fire was reported at the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority transfer station at 95 Rock Avenue. Breaking News Network reported that smoke was seen coming from a trailer structure and Union County hazmat teams were requested to assist in the investigation.  

According to the PMUA website, the Plainfield Environmental Resource Center (PERC) is the city-owned and PMUA-operated transfer station used to facilitate the proper disposal of all solid, recyclable, electronic, bulky and vegetative wastes collected from local residents, Plainfield’s Department of Public Works, private businesses and other municipalities. It is unknown what specific materials were contained in the trailer.

TAPinto Plainfield reached out to PMUA officials, and received this statement from Director Eric Jackson:

“Please be advised at approximately 12:40 pm we had a small fire at the Transfer Station in the Big House.  The Fire Department was immediately called. The sprinkler system did activate and contained the fire. There were no injuries and no customers involved.  The fire was inside the trailer in the big house. Under fire personnel supervision, the trailer was removed from the big house and was being examined for the cause of the fire.  The transfer station will remain closed until the fire department completes their work and the sprinkler system is re-set.”

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Lakewood, NJ – Pallet on fire at warehouse contained thanks to fire sprinkler; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system kept a fire in a Prospect Street warehouse Thursday night from growing into a much larger blaze, the fire chief said.

Fire crews were called at 10:54 p.m. and found a pallet full of cardboard boxes on fire, Lakewood Fire Chief Mike D’Elia, Jr. said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze within a matter of minutes, D’Elia said.

There was no one inside the warehouse at the time and no injuries were reported.

The chief said investigators indicated batteries in a Bluetooth device likely started the fire.

A sprinkler directly above the fire activated and kept the fire “at bay,” D’Elia said. The damage was contained to the boxes on one pallet.

He estimated that had the sprinklers not activated, about a quarter of the items in the warehouse would have been in flames by the time firefighters arrived.

“It did it’s job,” D’Elia said of the sprinkler system.