Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Other Business, Place of Worship

Roseville, MN – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Salvation Army Service Center

Officials say a Brooklyn Park Salvation Army Service Center was set on fire and vandalized Thursday night. 

A man police said is known to them was taken into custody in connection with the break-in and fire. The building’s chapel suffered damage from the arson, but the fire was “contained with the help of the building’s sprinkler system,” according to a press release. 

The suspect also reportedly destroyed the building’s windows and office areas. Officials say he was seen on security footage “piling a chair and new coats onto a pew in the chapel and lighting it on fire.”

“This has been devastating to our staff here,” said Captain Josh Polanco, who leads the Brooklyn Park service center. “Our food shelf here is fairly new, and membership at our church has been growing. But we will make the necessary repairs, because the families in the community rely on us for assistance.”

The service center was preparing to distribute winter coats, which would have taken place on Friday. The Salvation Army is asking for coat donations of all sizes, for adults and kids, to replace those that were damaged in the fire.

“We know at least 200 coats, which were damaged already– those we have to replace,” Lt. Colonel Dan Jennings said. “And we think more people will need coats as well, and today is a great reminder it does get cold in the Twin Cities.”

 The coats can be dropped off starting Monday, Nov. 7 at 10011 Noble Parkway. Or you can specific donate to the coat program here.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Gainesville, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in warehouse; No injuries reported

A two-alarm fire broke out in a warehouse in Gainesville at 11:09 p.m. Monday, October 10, 2022.

Fire crews were dispatched to Virginia Flooring Supply at 8683 Virginia Meadows Drive in Gainesville for a report of a commercial warehouse structure. When crews arrived, a second alarm was requested due to the conditions and building size, said Prince William fire and rescue Assistant Chief Matt Smolsky.

Crews found the fire was located inside the warehouse and extinguished the flames. The building sustained moderate damage. No injuries were reported. 

No one was inside the business when flames broke out, said Smolksy. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was accidental and originated in the warehouse’s refrigerator area.

The Building Official determined the structure was unsafe to occupy.

Smolensky said this incident illustrates the successful operation of an early notification and sprinkler system, which helped to keep the fire under control). The county’s building code requires the system, he adds.

“Had the structure not been equipped with these systems, the loss would have been more substantial, and the risk to firefighters would have been greater,” added Smolsky. “Business and homeowners are reminded to make sure your fire protection systems are properly maintained and tested as required.”

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Plymouth, MI – (no media coverage) Sprinkler system activated for fire in exhaust fan motor; No injuries reported

The fire was called in at approximately 02:30 AM on 9/11/22 as a water flow alarm and NCFD responded.

NCFD was able to get the fire under control and quickly put it out due to the building’s sprinkler system keeping the fire in check until firefighters got there.

There were no injuries reported and the reason for the fire was from a restroom ceiling exhaust fan motor.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Juneau, AK – Sprinkler system activated for fire in 130-year-old building; No injuries reported

An approximately 130-year-old building suffered water damage, but no one was injured following a Tuesday night fire on South Franklin Street, according to firefighters.

Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a water-flow alarm at about 10 p.m. in the 300 block of South Franklin Street, according to a CCFR social media post. Upon arrival, responders encountered smoke on the third floor of the building. A sprinkler system had been activated and occupants were evacuated, according to CCFR. Occupants reported hearing popping sounds, which led them to the fire, calling 911 and evacuating.

The amount of damage caused by the fire is undetermined, but an investigation identified a cause, according to CCFR.

It was determined a wood screw penetrating wiring on the third floor exterior deck made contact with copper wiring, which caused electrical resistance and enough heat to cause the wood to catch fire, according to CCFR. The fire was contained to inside the wall and ceiling spaces of the business.

When the fire traveled to the ceiling, near the point of ignition, a sprinkler head was activated and put out most of the fire, according to CCFR. Firefighters were then able to extinguish the remaining flames using little water.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Kingston, WA – Sprinkler system activated outside restaurant for fire caused by oily rags

Damage was limited to the building’s exterior after an automatic sprinkler system knocked down a fire that appears to have started with in a bucket of oily rags outside the Puerto Vallarta restaurant in Kingston early Sept. 12.

A fire alarm and a call from a Kitsap County sheriff’s deputy initiated a large commercial structure fire response to the Highway 104 business.

Crews arrived less than four minutes after the 3:40 a.m. dispatch, and firefighters found a small blaze on the building’s loading dock that had been mostly snuffed by the sprinkler system. Crews finished extinguishing the fire.

An investigator from the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office responded and determined that the fire likely originated in a bucket of oil-soaked rags.

According to research by the National Fire Protection Association, fire sprinklers can lower the risk of property loss by as much as 70%. NFPA recommends that oily rags be placed in a metal container filled with water and detergent, and capped with a tight-fitting lid.

Units responded from North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Poulsbo Fire Department and Puget Sound Federal Fire Department at Subase Bangor.

Other - Residential, Residential

Quebec City, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire in underground parking lot

Hyundai recalled some 77,000 Kona EVs in 2020 due to the risk of them bursting into flames from possibly defective battery packs and even though it supposedly fixed all vehicles that potentially had problems, the fires didn’t completely go away. Now another electric Kona caught fire while it was parked in an underground parking lot in Quebec City, Canada.

Firefighters responded to the call but they say they first had to ventilate the underground part of the building in order to gain access to the vehicle in order to extract it from the garage. They quickly managed to do that and even though they say it was the battery pack that was the source of the fire, this particular Hyundai Kona Electric has much less damage compared to others we’ve seen.

It is also noted that the vehicle was parked under a sprinkler for the emergency fire suppression system and even though the battery pack (the source of the fire) was under the car where water couldn’t quite reach it, it probably played its part in keeping the fire contained and preventing it from spreading to other cars parked nearby.

It was not noted in any of the reports that we found whether or not the vehicle had been plugged in and charging when the fire started.

The fire was reported at around 4 AM and firefighters decided to evacuate the entire eight-story building to make sure everyone was safe. Even though the fire was contained and flames were never visible from the outside, smoke had apparently entered the building’s ventilation ducts, posing health risks and making the evacuation necessary.

Everybody was given the green light to return to their homes two hours later and the fire reportedly caused no damage to the building or any of the other cars parked there at the time.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at 16-story downtown high rise; No injuries reported

Sprinklers prevented a possible disaster Sunday evening when a sparking vacuum cleaner ignited a fire in an apartment of a 16-story downtown high rise.

The fire was reported at 10:45 p.m. at 255 S. Hill St., said the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Margaret Stewart.

It was in an eighth-story apartment and was held in check by sprinklers, Stewart said.

“While a few residents self-evacuated, the rest of the building is sheltering in place,” she said. “There is only light smoke in the hallway.”

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters remained at the scene to remove water from the sprinkler activation, she said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for cooking fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A hotel resident fell asleep after cooking in their room early Monday morning.

The Houston Fire Department arrived near Highway 290 and Pinemont Drive around 1:15 a.m. on Houston’s Northwest side.

Authorities arrived to the hotel and found a fire with heavy smoke on the third floor. The Houston Fire Department evacuated the entire hotel and were able to put the fire out with no injuries reported.

The Houston Fire Department says that after investigating, they found out that a resident was cooking in their room and fell asleep. That’s when the food and stove caught fire and the hotel sprinkler system went off. The sprinklers had flooded all three floors and due to the damage, the hotel was having to find other places for the residents to stay.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for commercial building fire; No injuries reported

A commercial building caught fire late Monday night in northeast Petaluma causing minor damage, fire authorities said.

Around 11:37 p.m., sprinklers went off inside a building at 1380 Redwood Way, notifying the building’s monitoring system, which called fire dispatchers, said Jessica Power, fire marshal for the Petaluma Fire Department.

Within five minutes, Petaluma Fire Department crews arrived and found heavy black smoke coming from the single-story building’s roll up door and roof, according to a media release.

Three engines from Rancho Adobe Fire District also responded.

No one was inside when the fire occurred and there were no injuries, Powers said.

The building showed only minor damage, thanks to the sprinkler system that helped control the flames until firefighters arrived, Powers said. She said the estimated cost of damage was unknown Tuesday afternoon.

The cause is still being investigated, she said.

“This incident is a opportunity to remind our citizens that having working fire alarms, carbon dioxide alarms, and sprinkler systems can be the difference in not only damage to a structure, but also in the amount of time a person, family, or coworkers have to escape in an emergency,” the department said in the release.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

St. Louis Park, MN – Sprinkler system activated for early morning arson fire at fitness center; No injuries reported

Members of the St. Louis Park Fire Department are investigating a fire at an LA Fitness early Monday morning, a city spokesperson says.

A 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS photographer saw several units at the scene and the building’s sprinkler system running.

Authorities say St. Louis Park firefighters were called to the location at around 4:15 a.m. and found multiple sources of fire inside. Firefighters extinguished the flames, which the sprinklers kept at bay, and no injuries were reported.

The fitness center, located at 3555 Highway 100, will be closed for the day.

The city says no arrests were made but the fire is being investigated as arson.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Louis Park Police Department at 952-924-2600.

It is unknown at this time if the location foresees any impact beyond Monday.