Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Bartlett, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at warehouse; No injuries reported

More than 80 firefighters responded Tuesday night to a large fire at a 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Bartlett, authorities said.

The first crews arrived at the warehouse on the 1300 block of Brewster Creek Boulevard about 10:15 p.m. Workers told them that smoke and flames were coming from a pallet storage area.

The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire to a 50-square-foot area, but heavy smoke created visibility issues, according to a news release from the Bartlett Fire Protection District.

The fire was escalated to a second alarm, bringing additional firefighters and equipment, and authorities requested a specialized truck-mounted fan to help clear the smoke. The fire was declared under control at 1:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which investigators said was accidental.

The Hanover Park, Streamwood, South Elgin, Elgin, Fox River Countryside, West Chicago, Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Naperville, Elk Grove and St. Charles fire departments responded to the scene as part of mutual aid agreements, the news release said. The Bartlett Police Department, Bartlett Public Works Department and the Hanover Township Emergency Services also assisted.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Redmond, OR – Motel fire contained thanks to fire sprinklers

A fire that broke out early Thursday morning in a room of the Redmond Super 8 Motel was stopped from spreading by an automated sprinkler, but not before guests were evacuated, officials said. Investigators determined it was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

Redmond Fire and Rescue crews were called around 2:20 a.m. to a first-floor room at the three-story motel on Southwest 21st Place, near the Redmond Airport, Captain Ken Brown said.

Motel staff was assisting in the evacuation of guests, helped by fire and police, as fire alarms sounded. The automated fire sprinkler system activated and confined the fire to the one room, where initial reporters said the carpet and mattress were engulfed in flames, Brown said.

Crews made entry into the room, put out the fire, checked for any extension into other rooms and searched each floor and room for any other occupants, he said.

They ventilated the smoke and restored sprinkler and alarm systems, allowing guests to return to their rooms within two hours of the call, except for those near the affected room, who were moved elsewhere in the motel.

Damages were estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. Deputy Fire Marshal Clara Butler said the accidental cause of the fire was determined to be improper disposal of smoking materials.

Mutual-aid assistance was provided by the Bend and Black Butte Ranch fire agencies, along with Redmond police and Pacific Power.

Other - Retail, Retail

Grand Forks, ND – Boiler room fire put out by fire sprinkler systems

An early morning run for members of the Grand Forks Fire Department. Five engine companies and a ladder truck rolled around 3:30 a.m. to the Wood Products building on South 46th Street.

When crews arrived they discovered smoke in a boiler room. Hot embers in a dust hopper used for fueling the boiler activated the sprinkler system which extinguished the flames. Firefighters working the scene also knocked down some small embers. No structural damage was reported. Crews were on the scene for about two hours monitoring for hot spots. The cause is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Richmond, VA – Apartment fire put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Richmond Fire Department reported a working fire at 800 N. Davis Avenue on Monday night. Firefighters responded to the scene where they found heavy smoke coming out of room 1006.

The building has a sprinkler system which extinguished the fire and RFD says the incident is now under control.

No one was hurt or killed during this fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Racine, WI – Sprinkler system extinguised wastebasket fire at apartment; No injuries reported

An automatic sprinkler, triggered by a wastebasket fire, caused extensive water damage to an apartment unit at 134 Main Street Wednesday evening.

The Racine Fire Department was called to the residence at 10:18 p.m.by an automatic sprinkler system water flow alarm. The sprinkler head had extinguished an accidental wastebasket fire in Apartment 210. There were no injuries.

However, the sprinkler caused an estimated $30,000 in damage to the ceiling, walls and contents of the downstairs unit, Apartment 110. Firefighters used tarps and other equipment to protect belongings in the apartment. Apartment 210, where the fire originated, sustained approximately $5,000 in minimal water damage and moderate smoke damage. The fire was determined to have been caused by discarding hot smoking materials in a wastebasket filled with tissue paper.

Apartment Building, Residential

Whiteville, NC – Fire sprinklers contain fire started by electric wheelchair

A lifesaving rescue was carried out by firefighters Saturday night. The Whiteville Fire Department was called out to the Covey Reserve Apartments and were able to save a man from dying.

Captain Kyle McDaniel was one of the firemen on the call.

“We searched each room and JD made contact with him and roused him up,” said McDaniel. “That’s when we realized we had a victim in the room.”

McDaniel said they weren’t able to see their hands in front of their face; that’s how much smoke had filled the apartment.

However, it could’ve been a lot worse if the sprinkler system didn’t go off.

“95-percent of the fire was out when we made entry,” said McDaniel.

The cause of the fire was an electric wheelchair. It belonged to Stacey Todd, who was asleep in the next room.

“Oh man, I tell you what. It’s a scary thing; it’s scary,” said Todd. “But things happen in life, sometimes you can’t help it.”

Todd says he lost everything in the fire, losses that come particularly hard this time of year with the holidays just around the corner.

But he is keeping his spirits up.

“I thank God; that’s all I know,” said Todd. “Because I didn’t know anything. I want to thank the fire department because if they wouldn’t have come, I wouldn’t be here.”

For Captain McDaniel, he says being able to save a life just gives him more reason to do what he loves.

And as for Stacey Todd he’s staying in a motel until he can find some place else to stay or his apartment gets restored.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Chicago, IL – Fire at courthouse extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A small fire broke out Sunday at a criminal courthouse on Chicago’s southwest side that is known as one of the busiest in the country.

No injuries or substantial damage was reported, according to authorities.

Fire officials found a small rubbish fire on the fifth floor of the Leighton Criminal Court Building around 12:10 a.m. that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

The fire’s cause has not been determined.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said authorities are investigating.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at Holiday Inn Express; No injuries reported

A one-alarm fire at a northwest Houston hotel forced guests to evacuate early Saturday morning, according to the Cy-Fair Fire Department.

At approximately 4:40 a.m., fire crews were dispatched to a Holiday Inn Express hotel located in the 9100 block of West Road on reports of a fire. On arrival, crews observed fire and smoke visible from a third-story unit.

Firefighters attacked the blaze and extinguished it quickly, said Captain Daniel Arizpe, a public information officer with the Cy-Fair Fire Department

No injuries were reported, Arizpe said.

The fire remained contained to the original unit, though other areas of the hotel sustained some smoke damage, Arizpe said.

Arson investigators with the Harris County fire Marshal’s Office determined an AC unit caused the fire. When the fire started, a sprinkler in the affected hotel room activated and held the blaze at bay until the fire crews arrived.

The fire will be ruled accidental, according to the HCFMO.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Brockton, MA – (no media coverage) Laundromat fire caused by greasy dish towel confined by sprinkler system

A greasy dish towel overheated inside a laundry bag at an industrial laundromat Friday night, starting a fire that spread from a drying rack suspended along the ceiling to a folding machine below. Brockton fire officials said there were no employees at Churchill Linen Services on Evans Street when they responded to an alarm around 10:15 p.m. Friday. The building’s sprinkler system managed to confine the flames to a small area before firefighters arrived at the laundromat, located in a large facility near the Campello commuter rail station. Deputy Fire Chief Edward Williams investigated the cause of the fire. “What happens is they wash the product, then they dry the product, then they stick the product in these big bags five feet in diameter that hang from the ceiling,” Williams said. ”  

Apartment Building, Residential

Woodland, WA – Fire sprinklers kept fire in check at apartment building; No injuries reported

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue team members, as well as some Woodland residents, were very thankful for fire sprinklers Thursday morning.   

Just after midnight on Thanksgiving morning, a fire broke out in an occupied apartment building in the 1300 Block of Glenwood Street in Woodland. The fire started when an appliance was accidentally left on and overheated, causing a fire that spread to the cabinets below.  

Fire crews were notified of the fire by an automatic fire alarm tied to the fire sprinkler system.  A single fire sprinkler, ensuring minimal damage and no injuries or loss of life, quickly and automatically controlled the fire.  

This fire sprinkler kept the two occupants of the apartment where the fire occurred safe along with all of their neighbors in other units throughout the building.  There was very minor fire damage to a cabinet along with some minimal water damage that was limited to the first floor.   

Division Chief Mike Jackson of Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue said, “This situation would have been much worse had the building not been protected with fire sprinklers.  There likely would have been significantly more damage along with a greater risk of injury to the building occupants.”   

Jackson further stated that, “We are also reminded in times like this of how thankful we are for our crews that respond quickly 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, and 365 days-a-year, especially on holidays like today when they are at work, serving the community away from their families.’’

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue encourages home owners and building owners to consider protecting their property and family members with fire sprinklers.  Fire sprinklers offer the most effective way to protect structures and people from building fires.  

Visit Clark Cowlitz Fire Rescue at www.clarkfr.org for more information about fire sprinklers.