Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Other Business, Place of Worship

Wyoming, MI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at church

Cleanup is underway at a church in Wyoming after a fire Monday night.

That night, board members of The Potter’s House noticed a glare beyond The Potter House Chapel’s windows. It wasn’t the sun they were seeing, it was flames.

“It’s like, ‘My goodness, the church is on fire,’” said John Booy, superintendent of the Potter’s House School.

Booy said the fire started in a waste basket near a sound board in the sanctuary, damaging the equipment. Fortunately, it was put out quickly.

“Our fire suppression sprinkler system worked really well because the fire started right underneath the balcony, which is all wood and it would’ve been no time, it would’ve gone up like a match,” Booy said.

Water from the sprinkler system caused some damage in the sanctuary and classrooms underneath it that are used for computer, art, science and music classes for the school that is connected to the church.

“There was an extensive amount of damage to the ceilings, which will all pretty much have to be replaced, smoke damage, soot is going to have to be taken care of, electrical has been damaged,” Booy said.

In the hours following the fire, Booy said The Potter’s House saw an outpouring of help from the community to start the recovery process.

“Everybody came out, got out of bed, drove over, even if it was from Holland or Muskegon, worked all through the night until 4:30 (a.m.) and beyond,” Booy said.

As restoration work continues, school is expected to begin as normal on Aug. 26. But it could take some time before the sanctuary can be used.

“We’re not going to be able to have our opening worship session in the church like we planned,” Booy said.

He said he’s thankful that no one was hurt and the fire wasn’t worse. He acknowledged things could have been much different if those board members didn’t notice the incident quickly.

“You have a meeting that you never have go that long, you leave and you see a light in there and you’re on it right away. So we were able to notify the fire department immediately,” Booy said.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Redmond, OR – Sprinkler system activated for fire at business; No injuries reported

Redmond Fire & Rescue respond to a fire at an animal bedding business Saturday night.

Around 10:30p.m. fire crews arrived at JTS Animal Bedding on 1st Street in southeast Redmond to smoke coming from a building located at the backside of the property.

Fire crews discovered fire burning within an enclosed conveyor belt area and baghouse. The buildings fire sprinkler system had activated and was keeping the fire in check.

Crews worked to contain the fire to the one building and prevented it from spreading to the main warehouse.

There were no reported injuries.

The cause of the fire was due to an overheated bearing on a roller within the conveyor belt area. The overheated bearing caused the wood dust to smolder then ignite and spread fire through the conveyor belt area and baghouse.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brownwood, TX – Sprinkler system contains structure fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

The Brownwood Fire Department issued the following press release Monday morning:

The Brownwood Fire Department responded to a structure fire call at 9:58 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4 at 2131 Indian Creek Drive, Apt. 1602. Upon arrival the fire had been contained by the fire sprinkler system. Firefighters performed a primary search and removed one dog and returned it to its owner. The apartment was ventilated and the apartment was checked for fire extension. One occupant was displaced and received assistance from Red Cross. There were no reported injuries. The structure sustained smoke, water, and fire damage and the apartment manager and maintenance staff were on scene to begin clean up of units unaffected by the fire.

Chief 9, Chief 92, Chief 93, Truck 9, Rescue 9, and Engine 92 responded to the scene with assistance from the Early Fire Department, Lifeguard Ambulance, Brownwood Police Department, and the Red Cross.

It took 10 minutes to extinguish the fire and units were on scene 1 hour and 10 minutes. The fire cause an estimated $25,000 worth of damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kingwood, TX – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

Just before Midnight Tuesday, Firefighters from the Porter and Houston Fire Departments were dispatched to reports of a fire on the first floor of a 3 story, 20 unit apartment building at the Marquis at Kingwood apartments on Kings Manor Drive in southeast Montgomery County. Porter Engine and Rescue 121 were on scene within minutes reporting smoke inside the building. The fire crews entered the building and quickly found the source of the smoke, a dryer that had caught fire in a utility room.

Fortunately, for the residents at the Marquis at Kingwood apartments, the building was equipped with both a fire alarm and a fire sprinkler system. In order to minimize the risk to residents, modern fire codes require fire sprinklers and alarms in multi-family residential buildings. While the building’s fire alarm system did its job and alerted residents to the growing fire, a single fire sprinkler located in the utility room activated from the heat escaping from the clothing burning in the dryer. The fire sprinkler contained the fire to the interior of the dryer, and upon their arrival, fire crews used a water-based fire extinguisher, further drenching the burning contents, before removing the dryer from the building. There were no injuries and fire damage was confined to the dryer itself.

Firefighters and the apartment’s maintenance crew then utilized a wet vac to remove the water and clean the utility room before turning the apartment back over to management. What started out as a potentially life-threatening fire in an apartment building full of sleeping residents, ended up as nothing more than minor smoke and water damage to a single room, thanks to the presence of the fire alarm and sprinkler systems and management’s commitment to maintaining those systems in working order.

The Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office reviews construction plans during the building process, insuring that all new and renovated buildings meet the life safety requirements found in the Montgomery County Fire Code. After they are built and occupied, MCFMO Fire Inspectors work closely with building occupants and management teams to protect the lives of our residents and the firefighters who would respond in the event of a fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Paul, MN – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight apartment fire

Fire crews in St. Paul say a small fire inside an apartment early Thursday was put out by a sprinkler system in the building.

The St. Paul Fire Department was called to the apartment on the 2200 block of Hillcrest Avenue around 3:00 a.m.

When crews arrived, they found smoke in a first-floor apartment and evidence of a fire in a closet.

The fire department said the fire was already extinguished by a sprinkler system before they arrived.

As a precaution, the fire department searched the building to make sure all occupants had been able to evacuate safely and ventilated it.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the fire department said a working sprinkler system and smoke detectors prevented a much larger incident.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Lebanon, NH – Sprinkler system activated for fire in warehouse; No injuries reported

A Benning Street warehouse was damaged in a fire Thursday evening.

Lebanon firefighters responded to a fire alarm activation at 82 Benning St. shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to a Lebanon Fire Department news release. No one was injured. Firefighters are still investigating the cause, which is “not believed to be suspicious.”

After responders discovered black smoke coming from the 163,000-square-foot, mixed-use warehouse, they sent out a call for additional assistance.

“Initial investigation revealed a heavy smoke condition in the front office portion of the building with active sprinkler flow,” according to the release. Firefighters found that that the sprinkler system stopped the fire from spreading beyond the room where it had started, illustrating “how a working sprinkler system significantly reduced property loss and helped the single occupant in the building escape safely.”

Firefighters — including those from the Hartford, Hanover and Norwich fire departments — remained on the scene until 10:45 p.m.

The building is owned by Worcester, Mass.-based Benning Street LLC, and has an assessed value of $7.6 million, according to Lebanon property records.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Worton, MD – Sprinkler system activated for fire at warehouse; No injuries reported

It took three hours to investigate, then clear smoke and related combustion elements from a one story commercial warehouse at Crea Fill Fibers Corporation, 10200 Worton Road on July 4.

According to initial reports the fire was due to a malfunction within the shredder, that activated the fire alarm initiating a fire department response. The sprinkler system was activated and controlled within the warehouse until the fire department arrived.

However, because the company was closed for the holiday, the cause of the incident was deemed suspicious, causing a representative from the fire marshal’s office to arrive.

It’s still under investigation according to the fire marshal’s report.

Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company Deputy Chief 6 Brad Rossum was first to arrive at 10:16 p.m. He noticed smoke and water from one of the processing buildings. He then called for mutual aid companies to investigate the scene.

Using a special key they only use for emergency situations, (recorded to prevent any mishandling) they opened the door and discovered it was so smoky there was zero visibility. Officials discovered that the water was coming from the sprinkler system, which was a series of sprinkler heads.

Using a thermal imaging camera, officials discovered no fire within the smoke at the industrial shredder.

The sprinkler system did its job, preventing $60,000 of damage.

The challenge for officials was removing the smoke, carbon monoxide and other elements from a tall building. They employed high-velocity fans while wearing their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses, and it took them three hours to compete the job.

A representative from the Maryland Fire Marshal’s Office is performing an Origin and Cause investigation.

While Chestertown was committed to the incident, Millington Community Fire Company stood by at their station against the possibility of another incident in the Chestertown district.

There were no injuries reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Jacksonville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire inside 4-story apartment building; No injuries reported

St. Johns County Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Grand Cypress apartments Sunday night.

Fire rescue said the fire happened inside a bathroom at a 4-story apartment in the 300 block of Grand Cypress Drive.

The fire was already partially extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system once fire rescue arrived on the scene. Firefighters extinguished what was left of the fire.

No victims were located and no injuries have been reported, fire rescue said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at apartment building

San Diego Police are looking for a man suspected of starting a fire inside a downtown apartment building early Tuesday morning.

At around 2 a.m., SDPD officers and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department crews were dispatched to the apartment on 1453 Fourth Ave. after a woman reported a man setting things on fire in the building.

The fire inside set off alarms, which forced tenants to evacuate from the building. ABC 10News learned one man was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

As the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire, responding firefighters helped prevent most of the water damage from the sprinklers.

Officers forced their way into the apartment where the fire started, but the suspected arsonist was not inside.

Police questioned the woman who called 911 to report the incident; her relationship to the suspected arsonist was unclear.

A description of the man was not immediately available.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Springfield, IL – Sprinkler system activated for high-rise kitchen fire

The Springfield Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1100 block of 8th St, The Hildebrandt High Rise, on Monday at 11:28 p.m.

Officials say the fire was contained to a unit on the 7th floor.

The building was partially evacuated during the fire. The fire sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in check while firefighters stretched hose lines to the fire room.

There was one person with a report of smoke inhalation that was treated on scene and required no further assessment. Springfield Housing Authority and Red Cross are working with the displaced resident.

We’re told the cause of the fire appears to have been from food left on the stove leading to this kitchen fire.