Crews were called to the Costco Member Services Center in the 1700 block of North Sixth Street at 4:30 a.m. A fire started in a cubicle in the building and spread to a 900-square-foot area, according to a fire department post on social media. The fire also activated multiple sprinkler heads in the building, firefighters said.
Investigators traced the cause of the fire to a malfunctioning power strip.
Nobody was injured in the fire, officials said.
According to authorities, the fire happened Saturday night at an apartment complex on Lyndenglen Drive. The Ann Arbor Fire Department said the fire was caused by hot ashes being placed on a wood pile on an outside balcony.
The damage to the apartment complex is estimated to be $5,000. Authorities said without the sprinkler, the fire would have made it into the attic before fire crews arrived.
The Ann Arbor Fire Department said any ash removed from a fireplace should be placed in a steel container with a lid and cooled for at least 24 hours. The container should never be inside, on a wooden porch, deck or balcony and needs to be placed at least 10 feet away from any structure to cool.
The fire started just before 3 a.m. in Building A on Willey Creek Road inside the Ray Farm community off Route 27 in Exeter, according to Exeter Fire Chief Eric Wilking. Residents of four story building were evacuated for about an hour as firefighters put out the blaze and remained on scene to remove smoke and remove the smell of smoke and gasoline from the garage, stairways and hallways.
“This fire certainly had the potential to spread, but the sprinkler system and quick work of our crews kept it at bay. The incident is a good reminder about the effectiveness of a working sprinkler system,” Fire Chief Eric Wilking said in a statement.
No one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters arrived on the scene of a three-story apartment complex and found an activated sprinkler head discharging water in a ground-level attached garage, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
Firefighters entered the garage and found evidence that a small fire had occurred within the garage. No flames where located during the initial investigation.
During the ongoing investigation, firefighters located several cardboard boxes that presented evidence of fire damage. The boxes contained various new home appliance items and new home décor materials. Firefighters learned that the garage unit was used as a storage and maintenance garage for the apartment complex. Some of the items were damaged as result of the fire, Wilson said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time. Investigators believe that a small fire occurred near the boxed items which lead to an increase in heat within the garage unit. The sprinkler head that activated was located in close proximity to where investigators believe to be the area of origin. Investigators said that the sprinkler system worked as designed and played a significant role in reducing fire extension to the structure as well as limiting property damage. No structural damage resulted from the fire. Damages to the contents of the garage are estimated at $3,000.
No injuries were reported at the scene. Agencies that assisted at the scene include the Columbus Police Department and the Columbus Regional Health Emergency Medical Service. No occupants were displaced as a result of the fire.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
