Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail Puyallup, WA – Fire at Walmart kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries April 15, 2015 viking210 Firefighters controlled a large, smoky fire that forced customers and employees to leave a Puyallup Walmart store on Tuesday night. KOMO-TV reports that Central Pierce Fire and Rescue spokesman Ed Hrivnak said the fire started about 9:30 p.m. The fire department received multiple reports of a fast-moving fire in the garden area. No injuries were reported. Hrivnak says the store’s sprinkler system kept the fire in check. It was under control by about 11 p.m. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Ridgeland, MS – Sprinklers activate in hotel grease fire; Guests safely evacuated April 15, 2015 viking210 Some 70 people were forced from an Extended Stay Hotel on Ridgewood Road Monday night when fire broke out. Assistant Ridgeland Fire Chief Allen McCluer told WLBT-TV that a grease fire activated the sprinkler system. McCluer described charring on the wall, a little fire damage and about 3 inches of water in the room where the fire started. Much of the water also drained from the second floor down to the first floor, WLBT reported. Crews will be working throughout the night to check electrical systems, the sprinkler system and to clean up the water and fire damage. Evacuees are being put up at other area hotels.
Government Office, Government/Military Minneapolis, MN – Fire at City Hall extinguished by sprinklers April 15, 2015 viking210 A fire broke out at Minneapolis City Hall overnight, forcing 911 dispatchers to evacuate. The fire started in a Minneapolis police evidence room around 1 a.m. Monday. The city hall sprinkler system put out the fire, but also caused some water damage. City hall offices will be open for business as usual Monday, but the police evidence room will remain closed. The 911 dispatch center is located near the evidence room, so workers were moved to the third precinct headquarters to continue handling calls. By 5:30 a.m. Monday, all 911 staff returned to the call center at city hall, with services operating normally.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Everett, WA – Sprinklers help contain fire that jumped from burning vehicle to building April 13, 2015 viking210 At 4:15 a.m. cell phone callers reported a loud boom and truck fire in the alley next to a building on the 2700 block of Rockefeller Avenue. Everett Police were the first to arrive on scene and reported a truck fire spreading to the building. The fire was able to spread to the basement and second floor setting off the fire sprinkler system. The first arriving engine made an aggressive offensive attack knocking down the fire within minutes. The incident commander ordered a search of the building while the fire attack was in progress. Firefighters used chainsaws to open the roof looking for any hidden fire. The fire was completely controlled in approximately 20 minutes. Due to a quick response by firefighters and the fire sprinkler system the fire was contained to the exterior of the building. The rest of the building was impacted by smoke and water damage. There were no reports of injuries. Everett fire and police detectives are investigating. There is no estimate of a dollar loss at this time.
Apartment Building, Residential Ashburn, VA – Overnight apartment fire on balcony held in check by sprinkler system April 13, 2015 viking210 A fire injured one today and caused $500 in damage after improperly discarded smoking materials started the blaze about 2:20 a.m. at an Ashburn apartment in the 44000 block of Whitford Square. Loudoun Fire and Rescue officials said the blaze could have been worse – a sprinkler system on the apartment’s third-floor balcony kept the flames in check. Fire and rescue units from Ashburn, Moorefield, Sterling, Kincora and Fairfax County responded to the call and ensured the remaining fire was out. They also checked the apartment and neighboring homes to make sure there was no remaining fire. One adult resident at the apartment suffered a minor burn injury and was taken to a local hospital for further treatment. There were no public safety personnel injured. Loudoun Fire and Rescue officials say today’s blaze was one of many firefighters have responded to due to improperly discarded smoking materials. Smoking, they said, is the No.1 cause of home fire deaths in the United States.
Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing Toronto, ON, Canada – Arson fire at cabinet manufacturing business extinguished by sprinkler system April 13, 2015 viking210 Police are investigating a case of arson in North York after officers say a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of a cabinet manufacturing business Saturday night. Toronto Fire Services got a call to respond to Modern Custom Cabinets on Chesswood Dr., near Finch Ave. W. and Dufferin St., at about 10:15 p.m. when the sprinkler system was activated at the business. According to Toronto Fire, a small fire in the front office had been extinguished by the sprinkler system when firefighters arrived on scene. Firefighters also found evidence of a Molotov cocktail at the site, but reported minor damage to the building. The store appears to have been closed at the time of the fire, as no one was reported to be inside the building and no one was injured, police confirmed.
Apartment Building, Residential Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Sprinkler extinguishes apartment fire started by unattended candle April 10, 2015 viking210 According to the Saskatoon fire department, just before 2 a.m. fire dispatchers received numerous calls of a fire at 431 3rd Ave. North. Multiple people were found evacuating the multi-story building. Crews made their way to the 12th floor where they found a suite with fire damage. A sprinkler head had already been activated and extinguished the fire. An investigator has determined that an unattended candle was the cause of the fire.
Apartment Building, Residential Laurel, MD – Apartment fire early Easter morning controlled by sprinkler system April 6, 2015 viking210 Howard County firefighters responded to the blaze just before 1 a.m. Easter morning in the 9000 block of Thames Meade Road. Crews found a small mattress fire that was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system. A fire was called to the scene to determine a cause and one person was evaluated by paramedics. Two apartments were deemed “unoccupiable,” and fire officials say that number might grow as investigators evaluate other apartments in the building for damage. The American Red Cross is helping residents with any short term help they may need.
Other - Retail, Retail Decatur, IL – Sprinkler system helps prevent spread of small business fire; Neighboring businesses spared April 6, 2015 viking210 Kemper Willcut II expected today to be a busy day filling last-minute Easter orders. Instead, it will be spent cleaning up from an overnight fire that will keep the Del’s Popcorn Shop, 142 N. Merchant St., closed for an undetermined amount of time. The fire, which was contained to the rear of the building, was reported shortly after midnight. Decatur Fire Department personnel arrived to find a dumpster behind the business on fire and the flames climbing the wall toward the second floor. Battalion Chief Todd McKenzie said it appears the fire breached the building where the electricity enters the structure. Sprinklers were able to prevent the spread of the fire to the front of the building, but the entry point provided a pathway to the second floor. The fire was contained to the one building, with neighboring businesses suffering smoke damage. Sloan’s Calzones planned to be open for lunch today after doing some minor cleanup. TapRoot Restaurant will be open tonight, with some limitations. John Redden, owner of TapRoot, said the bar section of the restaurant would be open tonight, with the regular menu available. As employees helped to clean up and rid the business of the lingering smell of smoke, Redden hoped to have the entire restaurant opened by Saturday. “Everybody got lucky with this,” he said. For Marina Loehr, the already scheduled off-day became a clean-up day. Scheduled to be closed in observance of Good Friday. Loehr spent Friday morning lighting candles in her store and opening the doors to get the smell of smoke out of the business. After a look-around the store, she was optimistic there was no damage to any of the structure or the collection of dresses hanging up throughout he store. Many store owners echoed the sentiment of McKenzie as they assessed the damage. “It definitely could have been much worse,” McKenzie said. McKenzie said 30 firefighters and eight trucks were on the scene and off-duty personnel were called in to cover the city in the event of another fire elsewhere. They cleared the scene at 4:32 a.m.
Office Building, Other Business Covington, KY – Sprinklers help save Jackson Hewitt building, according to Fire Chief April 4, 2015 viking210 Covington Fire Department investigated the cause of a blaze that was reported at about 9 p.m. Thursday. Covington Fire Chief Dan Mathew said members of his department were working with Covington Police detectives in an effort to determine how the fire started. He said there was more smoke than fire and that the sprinkler system saved the building. The fire started in the Jackson Hewitt office, which is in the same building with Sims, according to Matt Day, who manages the store, which has been owned since 2011 by Eagle Financial Services. Day said the sprinkler system kicked on in the Jackson Hewitt building and that water from the sprinklers seeped into the basement showroom of Sims. He said he did not think there was any fire damage inside of Sims, which occupies three floors of the building.
