Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Portland, OR – Sprinkler system activated for commercial fire at roofing plant; No injuries reported

Portland Fire responds to third alarm industrial fire overnight.

At 12:29 AM BOEC tapped out a commercial fire in the NW Industrial District at the Owens Corning Portland Roofing Plant with reports of a commercial fire alarm. This industrial plant is located near the corner of NW Yeon and NW 35th Ave. The initial reports were of a water flow activation from the interior fire suppression system that automatically contacts the dispatch center with information of a possible fire. Crews arrived to find plant personnel evacuating and a significant amount of smoke pushing from a centrally located smokestack of the facility. There was an initial concern that water application would be ineffective in addressing this fire leading the command officer to request Foam Unit 24 (FU-24) and the large foam firefighting equipment housed at the airport by PDX Port Fire. In the end, an internal sprinkler and large bore hose lines banking water off the roof cooled and extinguished the flames. There were no reported injuries.

As crews were arriving there was a significant amount of smoke pushing out of a centrally located smokestack with plant personnel evacuating the structure. The loud internal warning system that was directing people to evacuate the building due to fire was looping each 15 seconds with the message “Fire – Evacuate the building – Fire – Evacuate the building”. This industrial plant produces roofing materials, and the large machinery used to heat up a tar solution to apply to roofing tiles was on fire with flames showing from the machinery that is used to heat up and move the solution through the plant.

Plant personnel met with arriving crews and stated that application of water on the fire is not advised as there would be a large and volatile steam reaction of the water onto the hot tar product. There was an inhouse CO2 extinguishing fire suppression system in place that was activated and overrun by the amount of fire present in this emergency which alarmed both plant personnel and responding crews. This directed the command officer to request the multiple foam units along with the PF&R Hazardous Materials Team and Coordinator. There was a concern that the fire would extend from the machinery into the pans and troughs filled with the slurry of tar products and extend to the multiple storage tanks on the exterior of the structure located on the complex. This increased fire activity could lead to the entire storage vats becoming overrun with fire with a significant amount of stored fuels involved. To be certain there were enough firefighters on scene to address what could have potentially been a long and extended fire, the command officer requested up to a third alarm assignment during the arrival, education, and planning phases of this emergency response.

The priority of the responding firefighters was to find the power shut off to stop the flow of electricity into the machinery. This securing of the electrical system was performed by a crew early on with the assistance and direction of plant personnel. Once power had been secured, a fire suppression plan could be enacted. This initial plan involved large amounts of foam from the specialized fire apparatus on scene from PF&R and Airport Fire to flow a foam solution safely into the area affected by flames to extinguish the fire to not have a steam production emergency due to the water hitting the hot tarry solution.

Crews on the interior noticed a single interior fire sprinkler head had been activated and was raining down water onto the machinery and was able to connect with plant personnel to discover that water can be applied to the machinery but direct waterflow into the pans and troughs filled with the slurry of hot tar is ill advised due to the possible steam production. This redirected command to put two large bore nozzles hoses in place on the interior of the facility to bounce off the ceiling and rain down water to cool and extinguish the flames within the machinery of the plant.

The elimination of the electricity to the machinery along with the large amounts of water raining down on the area affected by bouncing the water off the ceiling suppressed the fire in a 10-minute period. Quick extinguishment of this large industrial fire resulted in a small amount of damage to the facility. All water used in extinguishing the flames was captured by the in-house water retention system and not released back into the municipal water system. The bulk of the second alarm assignment was released within the first hour of the incident with PF&R crews remaining on scene to assist plant personnel in wrapping up this emergency.

PF&R would like to thank the dispatchers at BOEC for their assistance along with PPB Patrol Officers who provided traffic control allowing our crews to operate safely along HWY 30/NW Yeon. PF&R would also like to thank the members of PGE for responding to the site to assist in addressing the flow of electricity in the aerial powerlines in the area.

Auto Dealership, Retail

Halton Hills, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system contains fire at car dealership

Georgetown Toyota is open for business today after a sprinkler system helped contain a fire in its service area last night.

Halton Hills firefighters responded to the call at the Guelph Street business around 10:30 p.m., with smoke showing upon arrival.

Initial reports indicate that a battery charger in the service area had caught fire.

The building’s sprinkler system helped keep the blaze and its associated damage isolated.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

West Springfield, MA – Sprinkler system activated for barn fire at expo

The West Springfield Fire Department said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of a barn fire at the Big E that resulted in 161 horses needing to be evacuated on Friday night.

At around 11:45 p.m., firefighters responded to the C Barn after receiving calls about the fire, according to the department. They said that the sprinkler system worked successfully and contained the flames.

“Upon arrival, it was confirmed that the reported C Barn on the grounds had a working fire that required the immediate evacuation of the animals housed in the barn,” the department said.

The department added that “a total of 161 horses are safe and recovered with minor injuries” after escaping the fire at the festival.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Warner Robins, GA – Sprinkler system activated for overnight arson fire at high school

Authorities are investigating vandalism after a suspect broke into Warner Robins High School and started a small fire.

According to the Houston School District, Warner Robins Hih School Principal Chris McCook notified parents of the incident by phone and email and said it happened overnight.

He said at around 12:30 a.m. a person broke into the school and started a small fire in the multi-purpose room, immediately setting off the overhead sprinkler system and alerting the fire department.

McCook told parents the fire was contained, did minimal damage to the building and thanked fire crews for promptly responding.

“I am grateful to the fire department for their quick response and our maintenance staff who worked during the night to make sure the school was ready for students to arrive this morning,” said McCook. “Law enforcement has also been on campus to gather evidence necessary to find the individual responsible.”

WGXA has reached out to the Warner Robins Police Department and has yet to hear back.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Johns, NL, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

The effects of a minor fire have displaced several residents of an apartment building in Pleasantville.

Fire crews were called to the building, on Charter Avenue, at about 10:00 p.m. on Monday evening. An unattended pot left on a stove had started a fire in the kitchen of a unit on the second floor. Dean Foley, Platoon Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, said that while the fire was quickly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, water continued to flow for some time, causing flooding in multiple units.

Maintenance personnel arrived to shut off the flow of water to the affected area of the building, which is owned by the City of St. John’s. Foley said that fourteen people in total were displaced from their apartments. The Canadian Red Cross were called to assist those who could not make alternate arrangements for accommodations.

No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Daniel Island, SC – Sprinkler system contains late night apartment building fire; No injuries reported

The CFD received an automatic fire alarm at 11:40 p.m. from the three-story complex at 305 Seven Farms Drive. Emergency personnel were on the scene within five minutes of the dispatch, where they found smoke in the building’s hallway.
North Charleston and Mount Pleasant fire departments also responded.
Firefighters entered the building to investigate the source of the smoke. They soon identified a fire in a third-floor apartment. The building’s sprinkler system had already controlled the blaze to the room where it started.
The fire department conducted evacuations of the affected units, extinguished the remaining flames, checked for any fire spread, and controlled the water flow from the sprinklers. The CFD said the efficiency of the sprinkler system prevented the fire from causing extensive damage or spreading beyond the apartment of origin.
Although the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, initial suspicions point to an electrical issue within the apartment.
During the incident, 40 apartment units were evacuated to ensure the safety of the residents. The damage was largely confined to the apartment where the fire originated, with six additional units suffering water damage due to the sprinkler system.
No injuries were reported, and the affected tenants were able to return to their apartments once the situation was under control, except for those in the fire and water-damaged units.
The American Red Cross is assisting four displaced individuals, including three adults and one child. The remaining displaced tenants found accommodation with family or friends, minimizing the need for additional support.
“The fire sprinkler system contained the fire, reducing the life hazard, and preventing significant loss to the property until firefighters arrived to finish mitigating the incident,” Chief Fire Marshal Michael Julazadeh said.
The immediate response of the local fire departments and the effectiveness of the sprinkler system played a crucial role in managing the fire and preventing a more severe disaster, CFD said.
The Charleston Fire Department and the Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate the cause of the fire and assess the full extent of the damage.
Residential, Residential High Rise

Cincinnati, OH – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at high rise apartment building; No injuries reported

A small kitchen fire caused smoke and water damage to a high rise apartment building in Downtown Cincinnati Thursday morning.

Firefighters were called to the building on Central Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh streets, at about 4 a.m. for a report of smoke on the 15th floor.

The fire department said the sprinkler system put out the fire. There was smoke and water damage to the apartment where the fire started. There was water damage to two other apartments.

No one was hurt. No word on a cause.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Amherst, MA – Sprinkler system activated for high-rise dorm fire at university; No injuries reported

On Sunday, Amherst fire crews were called to the Coolidge Dorm at UMass after a fire alarm activation.

Shortly after 11 p.m., smoke was seen on the 20th floor, where the building’s sprinkler system had activated.

Firefighters found moderate smoke and discovered a fire in a dorm room that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. The fire, which started due to an unattended candle left on a desk, caused damage to the desk and surrounding items. While the flames were contained, the sprinkler system caused flooding on the 20th floor and several floors below.

The entire dormitory was evacuated for approximately three hours. Residents on floors one through 18 were allowed back inside by 2 a.m., while those on floors 19 to 22 had to wait until the sprinkler system was restored. By 4 a.m., all but the occupants of the affected room were permitted to return. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Charlotte, NC – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at retirement home; No injuries reported

CMPD arrested and charged a man with first degree arson after he deliberately set Barringer Gardens, a retirement home, on fire, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

A commercial fire alarm at Barringer Gardens alerted Charlotte Fire to the retirement home on August 20 at approximately 2:40 a.m.

Upon arriving on the scene, firefighters say they found smoke in the hallways and an activated sprinkler system and soon got the fire under control.

An investigation shows the fire was intentionally set and Johnny Mack was identified as a suspect.

Mack was arrested and charged with first-degree arson and malicious damage use of an explosive or incendiary device to occupied property.

There were no reported injuries. The fire caused an estimated $15,000 in damage.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Cambridge, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Cintas facility; No injuries reported

An early morning fire at a Cambridge business caused significant damage.

Emergency services were called to a fire at the Cintas Uniform Company on Turnbull Court around 3:30 a.m. Monday.

Cambridge Fire told CTV News there were no injuries and no one was inside at the time.

Damage to the building is substantial, they added.

Cambridge Fire said it was an offensive attack to contain and suppress the fire with the assistance of the building sprinkler system.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Officials said it’s unlikely workers will be able to return to work Monday due to poor air quality inside the building.

Cambridge Fire wrapped up the investigation by Monday evening and said the building was released back to the owner to start the clean up process.