Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Residential, Single Family Home

American Canyon, CA – Residential fire sprinkler system instrumental in containing fire so residents could get out

Eight people escaped from a house fire Wednesday night, aided by a fire sprinkler system that helped with early suppression, the American Canyon Fire Protection District reported.

Firefighters responded at 2:05 a.m. to a reported structure fire in the 800 block of Spring Mountain Lane. Engine 11 and Engine 311 arrived to heavy black smoke coming from the residence and reports of a trapped resident, the district said in a news release.

After a complete search by firefighters and assisting agencies, all residents were accounted for.

Mutual aid was provided by Vallejo Fire Department, Napa County Fire Department and Napa City Fire Department.

Eight victims were transported to area hospitals for minor smoke inhalation, the district said.

A residential fire sprinkler system was instrumental in providing early suppression and egress for the residents, the district said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Office Building, Other Business

Cincinnati, OH – High rise fire in eighth floor office contained by fire sprinklers

A fire in the U.S. Bank Tower in Downtown Cincinnati caused $100,000-worth of damage Wednesday night.

Some 48 Cincinnati firefighters responded to the tower at 425 Walnut St. after a fire alarm went off shortly before 10 p.m., the department said in a press release.

The first fire companies to arrive asked dispatch to send a full high-rise complement of firefighters after determining that the alarm was sounding on the eighth floor and that smoke was visible there, the release said.

Firefighters subsequently discovered a small fire in one office that was mostly contained by the sprinkler system.

“The remaining fire was extinguished with a water can,” the release said.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Operating smoke detectors were in place.

The release said there was fire damage to the office, smoke damage to the eighth and ninth floors, minor water damage to the seventh floor and heavy water damage to the eighth floor.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Montrose, CO – Sprinkler system slows fire at saw mill; No injuries reported

Montrose Forest Products is operating at a temporarily diminished capacity, as repairs are made to electrical components that were damaged in a fire late Friday at the timber mill.

“It wasn’t catastrophic, but it wasn’t good, nonetheless,” Mike Kusar, general manager, said Monday.

“We had mainly electrical damage to our de-barker area. We are running production today, but it is at less than full capacity. We are still making repairs. No one was injured. The fire district did a great job, getting right out there and getting it out,” Kusar said.

A fire alarm summoned the Montrose Fire Protection District and deputies to the timber mill on 65.30 Road at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7.

Crews found fire showing in and around manufacturing equipment in an open area of the building. The sprinkler system activated, slowing the fire, which firefighters extinguished. With plant employees, they were able to shut down power to the system and machinery.

The fire district’s report says one of the areas of fire was at a hydraulic fluid tank and electric pumps, where rubber piping had burned through and was leaking. Containers of hydraulic oil had burned and above them, was wiring that had been exposed when the insulation burned off.

The fire also burned around and under a conveyor belt motor, and around a large saw in the metal building.

The amount of sawdust made it difficult to determine distinct burn patterns; per the report, workers said welding might have been done near the saw earlier in the day.

The fire district surmised the blaze was heading south and the sprinkler heads activated after crews arrived.

“I think our sprinkler system paid for itself this weekend,” Kusar said Monday.

As firefighters began clearing the scene Friday, employees used hoses to keep wetting the sawdust and worked to replace sprinkler heads to reactivate the system.

According to the report, dust, fiber, lint, sawdust and excelsior caught fire first, due to “failure of equipment or heat source.” It listed “heat source too close to combustibles” as a contributing factor. There were no human contributing factors.

Preliminary damages were estimated at $25,000. The involved property was valued at $5 million and the contents at $1million.

Montrose Forest Products is having the electrical damage repaired so it can resume full-capacity operations, Kusar said.

“It was obviously a very big deal, but we’re back running today. We worked all weekend to get her going,” he said.

The mill hopes to be at full operation again in about a week.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Brevard, NC – Assisted living facility laundry room fire contained thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Fire crews spent their early morning tackling a fire that broke out in a Brevard assisted living facility’s laundry room early Sunday morning.

A press release posted by Connestee Fire Rescue to Facebook on Saturday said crews responded to The Cedar Mountain House facility on Sherwood Ridge Road at 4:20 a.m., responding to a reported structure fire. Within minutes, CFR says they were on scene, with facility staff already in the process of evacuating residents. CFR said the working fire was within the laundry wing of the facility, and that crew members did additional searches of the facility to ensure all residents and staff were out safely.

Just before 4:30 a.m., fire suppression efforts began, and the sprinkler system activated. CFR notes this kept the fire contained to a commercial gas dryer in the room, and helped CFR personnel in putting out the flames.

35 residents were evacuated with help from other departments. Those departments also helped with salvage and overhaul operations. Fire, Rescue, EMS, and Emergency Management personnel aided with patient care and resident assistance throughout the incident.

While the residents were going to be moved to a different facility, fire personnel and building maintenance removed a large amount of water from the facility, along with removing smoke from the first floor of the structure. The sprinkler system was back online, and residents were able to be moved back in.

CFR and the Transylvania County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated, and believe an unknown issue with the dryer caused the fire. For now, The Cedar Mountain House will not be able to use the laundry wing until repairs are made. 

No injuries were reported. 

Agencies that provided mutual aid included City of Brevard Fire Department, Cedar Mountain Fire Rescue, Rosman Fire Rescue, Little River Fire Department, North Transylvania Fire Department, Transylvania County Rescue Squad, Transylvania County EMS, Transylvania County Emergency Management, Transylvania County Fire Marshals Office, Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Transylvania County Code Enforcement and Transylvania County Department of Public Health. Asheville Fire Rescue and Prisma Health EMS were on standby with multi-patient transport ambulance busses if residents needed to be taken to another facility.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Fire sprinklers extinguish overnight apartment fire

A Madison apartment resident was injured after a fire broke out in their unit overnight, says the Madison Fire Department.

Firefighters arrived at the apartment building on the 1000 block of North High Point Road around 12:45 a.m. Monday. They said several people were already leaving the 24-unit building when they arrived.

The fire had been extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system in the building, according to the Madison Fire Department.

They said a resident in the unit where the fire originated was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Minor damage was limited to the unit and the unit below it, says MFD. Three people displaced from the lower unit are being helped by the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lower Merion, PA – Sprinkler system contains fire to apartment kitchen

Four fire companies from Lower Merion and Narberth responded to an early morning fire Monday inside an apartment at the Royal Athena Apartments in Bala Cynwyd.

Now, fire officials are giving credit to the building’s sprinkler system for helping to save both property and people while recalling a similar fire a few months ago that left extensive damage in another apartment building without sprinklers.

Crews from Union Fire Association, Narberth Fire Company, Belmont Hills Fire Company, Penn Wynne Fire Company, and the Lower Merion Fire Department Office responded to the building on the 600 block of Righters Ferry Road at 12:39 a.m. on the report of smoke and flames coming from an apartment.

While approaching the site, the fire department received a water flow alarm, meaning the sprinkler system had activated.

At the same time, Lower Merion police arrived and reported that everyone had been evacuated. As they arrived, fire crews confirmed that there was a fire in the building but that it appeared to be under control due to the sprinkler system. By 1:10 a.m., the fire was officially put under control by firefighters.

According to officials, the fire started when the resident was cooking fried chicken and left the stove unattended. The oil overheated and caught fire. It then began spreading to the cabinets.

The sprinkler system kicked in and extinguished the fire. The fire was contained to the stove and cabinets due to the sprinkler system.

One firefighter was injured and transported to the hospital for possible heat exhaustion. All fire crews were cleared by 1:51 a.m.

While investigating the first fire, a second fire was reported when heat tape around a soil pipe ignited in a garage.

Crews from the Union Fire Association were called back and extinguished the second fire. The occupants were allowed back into the residence after Lower Merion Fire Marshals completed their investigation at about 3 a.m.

Lower Merion Chief Fire Officer Chas McGarvey said there was another apartment fire that took place in May at the Oak Hill Terrace in Penn Valley. The main difference between the two fires is that there were no sprinklers at Oak Hill, and there was much more damage. The Royal Athena is a new building and the sprinklers helped to extinguish the fire.

Residents at the Royal Athena were then able to be back into their apartments less than three hours after the fire started. Although the fire at Oak Hill occurred May 24, residents are still not able to occupy their residences, he said.

“This is a perfect example of the importance of sprinkler systems and how they save property and lives,” McGarvey said.-

Apartment Building, Residential

Twin Falls, ID – Second floor apartment kitchen fire put out by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Two families are displaced Thursday night after a fire breaks out in a Twin Falls apartment complex.

The Twin Falls Fire Department was dispatched to the Timberlake Apartments around 9:45 PM, because of a kitchen fire that broke out in a second floor apartment.

The battalion chief on scene said the sprinkler system was able to put the fire out, but water damage from the system caused significant structural damage to the upstairs and downstairs apartments.

“We have contacted American Red Cross; they will come out and assist them with housing arrangements and any items they may need to get by until the apartments are ready for them to occupy again,” said Ron Aguirre, Twin Falls Fire battalion chief.

He also said no one was hurt in the fire, and Magic Valley Paramedics and the Twin Falls Police Department assisted them in the incident.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Scott, LA – Fire from bin of linens at laundry facility kept in check thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Scott Fire Department responded to a on fire Thursday, July 23, at Westport Linen Services in Lafayette Parish.

Firefighters say they responded around 11:01 pm to the facility located at 103 North Ambassador Caffery Parkway and observed smoke coming from the building.

After entering, the fire was located in an area of the facility where linens are dried. The fire was quickly brought under control, they say.

An investigation determined that the fire started when laundered linens placed into a large bin generated enough heat to ignite the contents of the bin. The fire quickly spread to two nearby bins and activated the sprinkler system.

SFD says that the building sustained a small amount of heat and smoke damage as a result of the fire.

Both Westport Linen Services and the nearby Epic Entertainment facility sustained moderate water damage due to sprinkler activation.

The Scott Fire Department responded to a on fire Thursday, July 23, at Westport Linen Services in Lafayette Parish.

Firefighters say they responded around 11:01 pm to the facility located at 103 North Ambassador Caffery Parkway and observed smoke coming from the building.

After entering, the fire was located in an area of the facility where linens are dried. The fire was quickly brought under control, they say.

An investigation determined that the fire started when laundered linens placed into a large bin generated enough heat to ignite the contents of the bin. The fire quickly spread to two nearby bins and activated the sprinkler system.

SFD says that the building sustained a small amount of heat and smoke damage as a result of the fire.

Both Westport Linen Services and the nearby Epic Entertainment facility sustained moderate water damage due to sprinkler activation.

No one was injured in the incident which was determined to be accidental in nature.

Firefighters from Carencro, Duson, and Lafayette responded to assist.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Newark, DE – Sprinkler system douses hotel fire, ruled arson; No injuries reported

A fire at a Newark hotel has been ruled a case of arson.

The fire was reported just after midnight Saturday at the Red Roof Inn on South College Avenue, Delaware state Fire Marshal’s investigators said.

Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder personnel, along with crews from neighboring companies, responded.

The building’s sprinkler system doused the flames, the alarm system activated, and hotel guests got out safely.

Investigators determined the fire was deliberately set, and they’re urging anyone who knows anything about the incident to call the state Fire Marshal’s Office’s New Castle Division at 302.323.5375 or email at [email protected] also callers may call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1.800.TIP.3333.

Information offered to investigators will remain confidential.