Residential, Residential High Rise Ocean City, MD – High-rise condominium fire extinguished by sprinkler system June 9, 2015 viking210 A potential disaster was averted on Sunday evening when a sprinkler quickly extinguished a kitchen fire at a 25th-floor unit in a north-end high-rise condominium. Shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday, the Ocean City Fire Department responded to a fire alarm activation resulting from a fire in a unit at the Century I condominium building. When firefighters arrived, there was smoke reported from a unit on the 25th floor. The fire department response was quickly upgraded to a structure fire in a high-rise structure. The fire, which originated in the unit’s kitchen, was suppressed by one fire sprinkler upon arrival of the fire department. Firefighters on scene worked immediately to remove smoke throughout the 25th floor. OCFD officials said the fire at the high-rise structure illustrated the importance of working fire sprinkler systems. “Fire sprinklers respond quickly and effectively to fire, often extinguishing the fire before the fire department arrives,” said Ocean City Fire Marshal David Hartley. “This is a perfect example of how an automatic sprinkler reacted quickly, reduced the heat and flames and prevented injuries to those inside the building.” The unit was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire damage was limited to the unit in which it originated. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office.
Apartment Building, Residential Toms River, NJ – Overnight apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler June 8, 2015 viking210 A flash fire caused when a resident tried to extinguish burning candle wax was controlled when the building’s automatic sprinkler system turned on, fire officials said Monday. Two apartments at Greenview Way in The Villages at Bey Lea apartment complex were left uninhabitable due to damage from the fire Sunday evening, said James Mercready, director of the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention. One person suffered minor injuries, he said. Firefighters from the Pleasant Plains Fire Company responded to the call at 11:20 p.m. and upon arrival found the fire — in the bathroom of one apartment — had been extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head that activated, Mercready said. Toms River Fire Inspector Dominick Roselli determined the fire was accidental. Candle wax caught fire on the kitchen stove, and when the resident put it in the bathroom’s shower to put it out, it created a flash fire, Mercready said. The resident suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention, he said. Firefighters checked for extension of the fire and performed ventilation, as well as shutting off electric and gas service to the two units because of the damage, he said. Mercready said it is the second fire extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system at the complex and fifth sprinker-controlled fire in the township since October. “In each case, one fire sprinkler head activated and controlled and suppressed the fire,” he said. “A properly designed, installed and maintained fire sprinkler system is an essential component in fire and life safety as well as property protection.” “The rate of effectiveness has been very good during the more than 100 years they have been in use in the United States,” Mercready said. Due to the extent of the damage, Roselli ruled two apartments uninhabitable, but six others in the building were able to be reoccupied, Mercready said.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Napa, CA – Sprinklers credited with extinguishing overnight fire at design center June 5, 2015 viking210 An automatic sprinkler is credited with putting out a fire in the pre-dawn hours in a business at Tannery Row, 101 S. Coombs St., the Napa Fire Department reported. The call came in at 3:48 a.m. Thursday as a water flow alarm, suggesting that heat had triggered a fire sprinkler, said Capt. Roger Reichenberg, whose engine crew responded from Station No. 4 on Gasser Drive. Firefighters discovered water flowing from under a wall at VonSaal Design Center. When they forced open a door, they found that a sprinkler had extinguished a small blaze at a work bench, Reichenberg said. The owner, Richard Von Saal, had been working late into the night on items for this weekend’s Auction Napa Valley, when a spark apparently jumped from one bench to another, creating the fire that blazed after he left the building, he said. The fire was contained to the single work bench and apparently did no damage to Von Saal’s creations, Reichenberg said. Firefighters stayed on the scene to vacuum up water that also had seeped into a space rented by ZuZu restaurant and tapas bar, he said.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing, Other Business East Moline, IL – Fire at uniform services business extinguished by sprinkler system June 4, 2015 viking210 A fire at a uniform services company is out thanks, in part, to the building sprinkler system. The fire broke out just before 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2015, at the Aramark Uniform Services building on Avenue of the Cities. East Moline fire crews say an air compressor caught fire at the back of the building. While the sprinkler system put out any flames, firefighters on scene dealt with heavy smoke. Officials say no one was hurt, but crews are estimating thousands of dollars in damage. The Battalion Chief says a mechanical malfunction is most likely to blame for the fire, but it’s still under investigation.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Tewksbury, MA – Sprinklers control overnight fire at pre-school building June 2, 2015 viking210 A two-alarm fire broke out at a local pre-school late Friday night, leaving the building closed Monday. The fire happened at Knowledge Beginnings at 200 Old Main St., according to Fire Chief Michael Hazel. The building was not occupied at the time. The blaze, which started in a second floor bathroom, was likely caused by an electrical problem, Hazel said. The fire then spread into the attic above that bathroom, and was contained by the activated sprinkler system. Fire crews then arrived on scene and extinguished the blaze. The Billerica Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Wilmington and Andover departments helped to provide station coverage. Power was shut down to the whole building over the weekend as a precaution and the school was closed Monday.
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.
Other - Retail, Retail Meridian, MS – Fire at Salvation Army store extinguished by sprinkler system June 1, 2015 viking210 The Salvation Army Thrift Store in Meridian suffered an overnight fire. “It seems it has wiped out our entire contents, either with water damage or the smoke damage,” said Salvation Army commander, Maj. Glenn Riggs. “So, we’re in a real difficult situation because we have to close and reset.” Riggs says the building suffered minor damage and the fire was luckily put out by the sprinkler system. Riggs says it hasn’t been confirmed, but it appears the fire was electrical and started around the cashier’s pod. Cleanup and clearing are the first tasks to be completed. After that, Riggs says The Salvation Army will need the public’s help. “We can’t open with an empty store,” said Riggs. “We do sell the items and the reason we sell them is, we sell them to those who can afford them, so we are able to give items to those who cannot.” Riggs says he is asking that the community be patient for the moment as the organization works to recover from the tragedy. He said he hopes when the store opens again, the community will be generous with donations. The Salvation Army Thrift Store will be closed until further notice and no donations can be accepted at this time. However, the donations of sellable items will be welcomed in a few weeks.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Columbia City, OR – Wood dust fire at mill is controlled with help from sprinklers June 1, 2015 viking210 A flash fire broke out at the West Oregon Wood Products mill in Columbia City on Saturday night, May 23, but there was no serious structural damage recorded, according to the chief of Columbia River Fire & Rescue. The fire was “largely controlled” by workers at the mill and the fire sprinklers, according to the CRF&R release, and they worked in concert with firefighters to put out smoldering wood and dust over the course of about two hours. A press release provided to the Spotlight on Tuesday, May 26, by Jay Tappan states the fire was reported at 10:05 p.m. Fire crews from CRF&R and the Scappoose Fire District responded with six fire engines, along with other support vehicles, and 23 personnel. No injuries were reported. Tappan told the Spotlight there appears to be no structural damage from the fire, although a full cost estimate was not available. The flash fire was caused by hot metal fragments that ignited the wood dust, an investigation determined. The mill returned to operations Sunday.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Tempe, AZ – Sprinklers extinguish arson fire in high school bathroom June 1, 2015 viking210 A juvenile was arrested after an arson investigation at Marcos de Niza High School revealed that he started a fire in the men’s restroom of the 400 building, police reported. The building houses the school’s driver education department and residence of an on-site officer, police reported. Tempe Police and the fire department responded to the fire alarm that went off at the school and when they arrived the saw that the fire sprinklers and suppression system in the bathroom extinguished the fire, police reported. The video surveillance of that area was reviewed and a camera outside the bathroom recorded the boy walking out of the restroom prior to smoke being seen, police reported. When he was read his Miranda rights and question he admitted to starting the fire with a lighter he found, saying he didn’t believe it would cause much damage and it would burn itself out, police reported. Because of the fire classrooms were evacuated and the school was reportedly disrupted, according to the report. Additionally, the security officer was in his residence when the fire started, causing him to be endangered as well, police reported. He was transported to Tempe City Jail, where he was booked and held to see a judge, according to the report.
Apartment Building, Residential Fort Collins, CO – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries May 31, 2015 viking210 Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at an apartment complex in south Fort Collins on Thursday evening that left one unit temporarily vacant. The flames were extinguished by fire sprinklers at 6915 Autumn Ridge Drive before Poudre Fire Authority arrived on scene shortly after 9:30 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured during the incident. The fire caused an estimated $5,000 in damage and required those who live in the unit to temporarily relocate while restoration takes place, PFA said. It wasn’t immediately clear how the fire started in the kitchen.
