Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Late night dormitory fire at USC held in check by sprinkler system

USC students knee deep in final exams evacuated a dormitory where a mattress caught fire last Sunday night. The fire, quickly extinguished by the Los Angeles Fire Department, left 12 people temporarily displaced and caused $2,500 in damage, more than half to the structure itself, according to a fire spokesman.

No one was injured when the fire broke out at about 11:30 p.m. but about 60 people evacuated the building in the 600 block of W. 35th Street, fire and school officials said. Twelve students were relocated to other housing locations, according to USC Dept. of Public Safety Deputy Chief David Carlisle. The other students were allowed back into the residence at 12:30 p.m.

Fire investigators determined that candles that were briefly left unattended caused the mattress fire in a room on the third floor, fire officials said. Fire sprinklers held the smoky fire in check before 20 firefighters put out the fire entirely.

“If you’re going to use candles, be very, very careful as to how close those candles, or open flame, are going to be to anything that could catch fire,” Battalion Chief Jamie Moore said.

Students said they got the message and would start taking the school rule against candle use in the dorms more seriously. “We have a candle in our room,” Vachuska said. “We never think to light it. Gonna throw that out!”

Apartment Building, Residential

Meriden, CT – Overnight apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a stove fire in a room at The Infinity apartment complex on Bee Street.  Shortly before 11:30 p.m., crews were dispatched to The Infinity, 390 Bee St. Upon arrival, it was determined the fire had already been put out. The sprinkler system was triggered, according to the fire department. Fire Marshal Steve Trella was on scene investigating the incident. There was damage above the stove, as well as minor water damage to the apartment and the room below.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Novato, CA – Single sprinkler prevents fire from spreading at restaurant

An automatic sprinkler located above a dumpster next to a restaurant put out a fire Wednesday that could have spread to the restaurant, according to the Novato Fire District.

Firefighters responded at about 10:30 p.m. to the fire in the dumpster in the 100 block of Vintage Way and verified that the fire was out.

“This is a great example of how automatic fire sprinklers protect property, and keep businesses open,” Novato Battalion Chief, Fire Marshal Bill Tyler said in a statement. “If there was no fire sprinkler present, we could have had a large structure fire.”

Crews replaced the sprinkler head and restored the automatic sprinkler system to its regular operating condition.

Restaurant employees had discarded mesquite and hot coals into the dumpster, igniting the paper and cardboard inside. The sprinkler that put out the fire is on a wood trellis above the dumpster.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wilmington, NC – Sprinkler activates to confine kitchen apartment fire; No injuries

The Wilmington Fire Department responded to a fire at 11:18 p.m. at 505 Cobblestone Drive, Apartment 206. The department release states that the fire started on a stove after cooking was left unattended. Crews activated the building’s sprinkler system and confined the fire to the stove top. Damage was estimated at $5,000 and no one was injured, the release states.

Apartment Building, Other - School / University, Residential

State College, PA – Late night fire at off-campus student apartments halted by sprinkler system

Some local college students narrowly avoided a disaster when their apartment building almost went up in flames.  A blaze broke out just after 11:30 Wednesday night in building Q at the Lion’s crossing apartments on Viaro Boulevard in State College.

Officials tell us a resident was heating oil on the stove when it caught fire and he then tried to extinguish it by throwing water on it. Crews are crediting the sprinkler system for activating and stopping the fire from spreading.

Shawn Kauffman, Assistant Alpha Fire Company Chief said, “In these types of residential buildings, the apartments are occupied by students and if there hadn’t been sprinklers it would have devastated their finals week.”

All residents were evacuated while the crews were on scene and they were allowed to return about 40 minutes after the fire broke out.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Delray Beach, FL – Kitchen fire at assisted living facility quickly contained by sprinkler system

Two floors of an assisted living facility in suburban Delray Beach were evacuated Monday night when a small fire started in the kitchen of an apartment, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reports.

The fire started just before 9:15 p.m. in the 14000 block of Sims Road at Grand Villa of Delray Beach, north of Atlantic Avenue and west of Military Trail.

The building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system were activated and crews were quickly able to get the fire under control, said Capt. Albert Borroto, spokesman for Fire Rescue. The first and second floors of the facility were evacuated as a precaution.

There was no fire extension into any of the other units, Borroto said.  At 10:30 p.m., the building was being ventilated and residents from the second floor were allowed back into their homes.  It was not known how many residents from the first floor remained displaced late Monday.

 

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Rowesville, SC – Sprinkler system aids firefighters in challenging industrial fire

North American Container is cleaning up after a blaze early Saturday morning.  The Rowesville Fire Department responded to the Garland Road facility at about 2:30 a.m. following the report of an explosion, Orangeburg County Chief Fire Operations Officer Teddy Wolfe said.

The first units reported heavy fire near an exterior wall of a building at the facility.  The facility had a working sprinkler system that activated and was able to hold the fire at bay until firefighters were able to assemble for an interior fire attack, Wolfe said.

LP gas cylinders near the fire exploded, leading to structural damage near the source from both the explosions and heat. The large amount of stacked wood products created a challenge for firefighters during salvage and overhaul, Wolfe said.

More than 35 firefighters responded in all. Wolfe said one person received a very minor injury after the initial attack. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

North American Container Corp. employs 400 people in the manufacture of bulk shipping containers.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

North East, MD – High school has second sprinkler save in six weeks; Dryer fire extinguished

A commercial dryer caught fire in a Rising Sun High School laundry room on Wednesday night, sending dozens of firefighters and several pieces of equipment to the scene, according to school officials.  The small fire in the malfunctioning dryer was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler head above the appliance, school officials said, adding that it also activated a smoke alarm. The fire call occurred about 9 p.m.

The school was open on Thursday for a regular schedule, thanks to cleanup and ventilation efforts.  There was no fire or water damage to the school at 100 Tiger Drive, off Route 272, in Calvert, school officials said. The sprinkler, however, did leave water on the hallway floor near the laundry room, which is located at the north end of the building.

Firefighters were sweeping that standing water out a back door on Wednesday night. They also were running industrial fans to ventilate the smoke inside the building.  A Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office investigator arrived late Wednesday night and started an investigation to determine how the dryer fire started.

The dryer fire on Wednesday night has no connection to an electrical system fire in March, which was also contained by the school’s automatic sprinkler system.

(BLOG NOTE: Media report incorrectly stated that smoke caused the sprinkler to activate. Sprinklers are heat activated. Only the intense heat from a potentially damaging and deadly fire can cause this type of sprinkler system to operate)

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Suffolk, VA – Overnight fire at Hilton Garden Inn extinguished by sprinkler system

Officials had to evacuate the Hilton Garden Inn on Harbour View Boulevard after a fire broke out at the hotel overnight.  Suffolk Fire & Rescue and Suffolk Police responded to the hotel in the 5900 block of Harbour View Boulevard, shortly after 2 a.m. Friday.

When firefighters arrived, the building had already been evacuated and the sprinkler system had extinguished the flames.  Officials say the fire started in the kitchen and the guest lobby was filled with smoke. However, there was no structural damage. There were no injuries and all guests on the first floor were relocated.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Montreal, QC, Canada – Sprinklers put out suspicious overnight fire at glass manufacturer

Montreal police are investigating a suspicious fire that happened in Anjou overnight.

Officers discovered the fire after they responded to a burglar alarm shortly after midnight at a glass manufacturer.

Firefighters were called to the scene at Industries Cover Inc., located on Ray Lawson Boulevard, just north of Jarry Street East. 

The fire was quickly put out by the automatic sprinkler system.

The damage was minimal.