Tag Archives: New York

Apartment Building, Residential

Lyons, NY – Sprinkler system activated for mattress fire in apartment building

A New York woman was arrested Sunday after she tried to kill a bed bug and set off her apartment building’s sprinkler system.

Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies said Jacquline Lynch, 39, was in her apartment Sunday morning when she tried to kill a bed bug using a lighter. Lynch allegedly put a lighter on a mattress to kill a bug after her uncle had sprayed areas of the apartment with alcohol.

The mattress caught fire, setting off the sprinkler system and damaging the inside of her apartment, as well as several others in the building.

Lynch was arrested and charged with fourth-degree arson. She was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Apartment Building, Residential

Ithaca, NY – Laundry fire at off-campus apartments contained by sprinkler system

A blaze filled a Summerhill apartment laundry room Saturday afternoon after flames were sparked by a buildup of lint, according to an Ithaca Fire Department press release. The fire torched a stacked washer-dryer unit, charring parts of the top and side of the machine. Smoke tripped the building’s alarm system, notifying the apartment residents of the fire. The first-floor apartment emitted smoke, but the Ithaca Fire Department credited the sprinkler system for containing the flames within the laundry room.

After all occupants were confirmed to be out of the building, firefighters worked for around 10 minutes to extinguish the fire and ventilate the smoke. The crews then worked to shut off the sprinkler, remove the water and investigate the cause of the fire. Officials attributed the source of the fire to lint that had accumulated in a machine’s lint trap, and cautioned residents to diligently clean their lint traps and surrounding areas to avoid similar outcomes. The fire department lauded the working sprinkler and alarm systems for containing the situation. Ithaca codes requires dwellings to have working fire alarms near bedrooms and operational sprinkler systems.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Mount Kisco, NY – Electrical fire at go-kart track is held at bay by sprinkler system

Last Monday’s fire at the complex that contains the Grand Prix New York go-kart track was determined to be electrical, Mount Kisco Fire Chief David Hughes said today. The small fire broke out around 3:40 p.m. in a storage area in the back of the commercial property at 333 N. Bedford Road. There was heavy smoke, but the fire was extinguished quickly, Hughes said. “The sprinkler system kept the fire at bay, so it was a good thing they had it,” he said. The cause of the fire was electrical, Hughes said, but it was not clear what exactly was at the root of the fire. Several local fire departments responded to help Mount Kisco, including Bedford Hills, Millwood, Yorktown, Chappaqua and Pleasantville, Hughes said.

The facility, almost 600,000 square feet, is owned by Diamond Properties. Partner Bill Diamond said on Monday that “it was a very small, localized fire in the storage room,” with no real property damage. The businesses at the complex were not affected, he said.

Hotel / Motel

Queensbury, NY – Sprinkler system puts out fire at resort hotel and indoor water park

Firefighters responded to a smoky fire Tuesday night at the Great Escape Lodge, but the hotel was closed to guests at the time and no injuries or major damage was reported. The fire was spotted around 7 p.m. and started in the bar area of the Tall Tales Tavern restaurant in the lodge, according to Queensbury Central Fire Chief Richard Jones. Minor damage was reported.

“The sprinkler system put the fire out,” he said. A spokeswoman for Great Escape owner Six Flags said Wednesday that the fire was traced to spontaneous combustion, as rags and floor stain were placed in a small plastic trash container ignited, and the lodge’s sprinkler system was triggered and knocked it down.

Firefighters from around the region responded as mutual aid and used industrial fans to ventilate the building, Warren County Fire Coordinator Brian LaFlure said. “There was quite a bit of smoke,” LaFlure said.

LaFlure referred comment to Jones for details as to the investigation, but he could not be reached Wednesday morning. Six Flags Great Escape President Eric Gilbert said Tuesday night that there were no guests in the hotel at the time, but two staff members who were in the building safely evacuated.

Company spokeswoman Brittany Gillespie said Wednesday morning that the fire will not keep the lodge from re-opening Wednesday afternoon as planned. The restaurant suffered “minimal” damage, but it was unclear whether it would be open for guests on Wednesday. The lodge was not open Tuesday night because it closes some weekdays during the winter for routine maintenance, Gillespie said.

Other Business

Binghamton, NY – Fire in stairwell of business extinguished by sprinkler system

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A small fire broke out on a small porch in Binghamton Tuesday morning, according to the Binghamton Fire Department. It happened around 4:30 a.m. at 197 Clinton St. Binghamton’s fire chief says the fire happened in the interior of the stairwell and impacted cleaning supplies. He says the sprinkler put it out. No one was injured. The fire is under investigation.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Middletown, NY – Fire in hospital’s kitchen extinguished by sprinkler system

One employee was hurt by an explosion while attempting to light a stove in the kitchen at Orange Regional Medical Center Thursday morning. Dominick Guardino, chief of special operations for the Mechanicstown Fire Department, said the explosion was followed by a small fireball, but the fire was quickly contained by the hospital’s sprinkler system. “We just shut off the gas and electric when we got there,” Guardino said. Several mutual aid companies who were responding to the scene were canceled because they were not needed. The injured employee was taken to the emergency room at ORMC. Guardino referred questions about the employee’s condition to the Town of Wallkill Police Department, which is investigating the fire. No one at the police department could be reached immediately.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Rochester, NY – Sprinkler system suppresses Christmas Eve fire at electronics manufacturer

A Rochester electronics manufacturer that suffered a Christmas Eve fire won’t be able to reopen Wednesday.  Instead, general manager Michael Schlehr said a few workers will be cleaning up and assessing the damage from a two-alarm fire Monday at Coast to Coast Circuits, 205 La Grange Ave.  Firefighters responded to an automatic alarm at around 4:30 p.m. Monday. Smoke was visible when the first crew arrived. A second alarm was called at 4:54 p.m. and a level 0 hazmat emergency also was called. The fire was under control at 5:36 p.m.

The business, which employs nearly 40 people, was closed for Christmas Eve.  “Nobody was hurt,” Schlehr said. “Nobody was affected physically. We’re thankful about that. In terms of the business, we’re very saddened. It’s a very tight-knit group of people.”  The facility is the New York division for Coast to Coast Circuits, which according to its website makes advanced printed circuit boards. Customers include the aerospace, defense, semiconductor, medical and wireless industries.  It was founded in 1974 and was called Metro Circuits before being rebranded a few years ago.  A division opened in Huntington Beach, California, in the early 1980s. In 1989, the two operations were incorporated into one privately held company, according to the website.

Schlehr, who also is chief financial officer of the company, said that 18 months ago, the ownership group was talked out of closing the La Grange site. Schlehr said the company downsized and turned things around. “Over the last 18 months we came together and did a great job. We became profitable consistently and the ownership group has really noticed that. We banded together and functioned as a team. It’s sad to see this happen.”

The building’s sprinkler system put out most of the fire.  “I can’t say enough about the city firefighters,” Schlehr said. “They were fabulous. They were there in force and strong. They kept us apprised all the time. They were very safe.”

Schlehr said he initially thought things weren’t too bad. “When you get in there, there’s a lot of damage. The smoke and the residue left by the smoke is very damaging to electronic equipment and circuit boards, and that’s our business.”  He said it may take several days to determine the condition of the high-tech and precision manufacturing equipment and the finished products.  “Unless it’s perfect, it’s unshippable,” he said. “That’s a concern.”

Schlehr said it’s too soon to know what caused the fire. According to a fire department news release, the fire began in the plate room. Fire spread to the roof, overhead vents and PVC pipes, compromising containers of sulfuric acid. The hazmat emergency was declared because water came into contact with the acid. Firefighters entered and contained the leaks.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Henrietta, NY – Fire contained by sprinkler system at manufacturing plant

A fire broke out Sunday morning at ORAFOL Precision Technology Solutions in Henrietta shortly after 6:30 a.m. .

The Henrietta Fire District said the fire was contained to an area of the building that contained an 800-gallon container of Sodium Hydroxide which is a chemical used in the manufacturing process to clean machinery.

According to fire crews, the fire was contained by the buildings fire sprinkler system but was not fully extinguished. Fire crews fully extinguished the fire quickly while using extinguishers and hose lines.

A Level 1 Haz-Mat was declared due to the chemicals involved in the fire and mixed in with the sprinkler water run-off, which brought a full response from the Monroe County Fire Bureau’s Haz-Mat team.

Henrietta Fire said there was never a threat to the public as a result of the fire or chemicals involved.

Crews will remain on site to monitor the air and water in addition to helping come up with a plan to clean the contaminated water from the building.

Henrietta Fire was assisted by Monroe County Sheriffs, the Monroe County Fire Bureau, Gates, Chili, Pittsford, Honeoye Falls, and East Avon fire departments; as well as CHS Ambulance and Monroe Ambulance. 

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

East Hampton, NY – Fire at indoor tennis building contained by sprinkler system

Detectives are investigating a fire that broke out in an office building at East Hampton Indoor Tennis on Saturday morning — the second fire at the complex this year. 

At 5:01 a.m., the East Hampton Fire Department was called to an automatic fire alarm inside a building that houses the complex’s office at 174 Daniel’s Hole Road, near the East Hampton Airport. Brian Stanis, the second assistant fire chief, arrived to find “a heavy smoke condition” coming from the building, according to Chief Gerard Turza. He called for the rest of the Fire Department to respond. 

“Firefighters found the remnants of a fire inside of the structure that had been contained by the building’s fire sprinkler system,” Chief Turza said. 

He would not comment about the extent of the damage. There were signs of minor exterior damage to the building, including darkened siding, a blown out window, and damage to the door.

The chief would only say, “The cause and origin of the fire is currently under investigation by the East Hampton Town Fire Marshal’s office.”

Police set up yellow crime scene around the building. Suffolk police detectives were on scene, along with East Hampton Town police and the fire marshal. 

East Hampton Village Ambulance Association were also called to the fire. No injuries were reported, though. 

East Hampton firefighters responded to a fire in a different building in the East Hampton Indoor Tennis complex in January.  A corroded pipe leaked gas into a wooden building and, at the time, investigators said that it appeared that when a heater went on, it ignited the gas. There was extensive damage to that building, which was quickly repaired. The other buildings, including a bowling alley and sports bar that were being built on the property and have since opened, were not damaged.

It was business as usual at East Hampton Indoor Tennis and the Clubhouse Saturday morning. Scott Rubenstein, the managing partner, could not immediately be reached for comment.