Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Sacramento, CA – Fire sprinklers keep arson church fire from spreading

Two Sacramento-area churches were damaged late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning in fires believed to be started by an arsonist.

The first fire was reported at 11:56 p.m. at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church at 14th Avenue.

Several windows were kicked in at the church and fire was set to an administrative office and library.

“It’s wasteful, that’s what it is. Somebody that don’t got nothing to do and the devil is busy nowadays. We was fortunate it’s just this amount of damage,” said church trustee and head of maintenance Richard Heidelberg.

A fire sprinkler system kept the blaze from spreading but caused major water damage in several offices.

“We have a lot of water damage and just two places with smoke damage, but all of our offices in our administration wing, all those are flooded out and the carpet and everything and down the hallway into finance and then it started into the church but it stopped,” said Heidelberg.

One firefighter suffered moderate burns during the initial fire attack and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

As firefighters were battling the blaze, an arson investigator en route to the call spotted a suspicious person and ultimately made an arrest.

They believe that suspect is responsible for both church fires.

While it will take major restoration and construction to get the Central International Church open, Heidelberg is confident his Baptist church will be back in service on Sunday.

“A lot of work to do, a lot of work to do. We’ll be back running for Sunday, that’s a guarantee,” he said.

Allegany, NY – Fire contained to electrical room at lumber company thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A fire reported at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Potter Lumber Company kept firefighters on the scene until 4:30 a.m. Thursday, Allegany Volunteer Fire Department officials said.

A report issued by the fire department Thursday said the fire at the Potter Road business, located off Five Mile Road, was determined to be accidental in nature following an investigation by Allegany fire investigators.

Gordon Scott, spokesman for the Allegany department, said there were no injuries as firefighters from several area departments were called to the scene battled the blaze.

In addition, Scott said no employees had been at the lumber company when the fire broke out.

A report from the fire department said, “due to the large industrial building and large amount of timber within the building, a large mutual aid request was put out to include Westons Mills, Knapp Creek, town of Olean, Hinsdale, Limestone, city of Olean, Portville, Cuba, Deputy 4 and National Grid.

“Engine 31 arrived on scene and began an interior fire attack while the Truck 6 crew set the tower and went to the roof,” the report stated. “Due to the sprinkler system and an aggressive interior attack, the fire damage was contained to the electrical room and a small portion of the roof above the mill.”

The fire department also thanked “all the mutual aid that responded and the multiple standby companies” that covered the mutual aid districts.

For his part, Scott said it was not only a late night but also “an early morning” for firefighters.

He said fire investigators were not able to assess the amount of damage incurred. He noted the power was shut off to the entire company by National Grid during the incident.

Messages seeking comment from officials with Potter Lumber were not returned Thursday.

An employee at Potter Lumber said the company office was open on Thursday, but didn’t indicate whether the plant was operating.

“We’re still assessing the rest of the damage,” the employee said.

A company website noted Potter Lumber specializes in the production of green and kiln dried hardwood lumber.

Maple Ridge, BC, Canada – Apartment sprinkler system stops second floor fire from spreading; No injuries reported

The call initially came in late Tuesday night as alarms sounding, but it turned out to be an actual fire in the kitchen of a second-storey apartment on 224th Street and 122nd Avenue in Maple Ridge.

“It originally came in as alarms ringing, but when the crews arrived on scene, they actually found there was a fire in a suite,” Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue chief Howard Exner said Wednesday.

Initially, two trucks arrived on scene when the call first came in just before 11 p.m., but that was soon upgraded to 10 trucks.

No one was home at the time, but there were two dogs and a cat in the suite, said Exner.

“And they’re doing fine.”

He added that the building is equipped with water sprinklers.

The sprinklers activated and stopped the progress of the fire, “and allowed us to put out the remaining parts of the stuff that was on fire,” Exner said.

In addition to the fire-damaged suite, there was also some water damage to units below.

There were no injuries.

Los Angeles, CA – Fire at large commercial building contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A fire that burned for 49 minutes Saturday morning damaged a large commercial building in downtown Los Angeles before being extinguished by firefighters.

Crews responded to the one-story building with smoke showing in the 300 block of East 18th Street near Maple Avenue, just south of the eastbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway at 2:44 a.m., according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The building contained clothing and boxes in packrat-like conditions, Prange said.

“Fire attack searched for the seat of the fire in heavy smoke conditions in the large building, eventually finding it and extinguishing it, with help from the ventilation group on the roof to help with smoke conditions,” Prange said.

Fire sprinklers inside the building kept the flames from spreading, he said.

A total of 55 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and knock down was declared at 3:33 a.m., Prange said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Harrison County, MS – Fire sprinklers help put out fire at trucking company; No injuries reported

Firefighters in Harrison County rushed to a trucking company early Monday morning. They received a report around 2:30 a.m. that a company’s fire alarm sounded on Canal Road in Harrison County.

When they arrived, heavy smoke billowed out of the building. Other fire units, CRTC and Gulfport Fire Department, were called in to help contain the fire.

Firefighters– in conjunction with the sprinkler system– successfully put out the fire.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and so far, no injuries have been reported.

Levittown, PA – Fire contained to commercial dryer at substance abuse treatment center thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A Saturday night fire damaged a residential substance abuse treatment facility.

Firefighters from the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company and Newtown Fire Association were called to Pyramid Healthcare, formerly Today Inc., in the 1900 block of North Woodbourne Road by Core Creek Park in Middletown for a report of a basement blaze around 10:15 p.m.

Crews arrived and found the basement fire contained to a single room. They beat back the bulk of the flames within 10 minutes, and the fire was placed fully under control a few minutes later, Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry said.

Smoke spread throughout the building that has dorms, but the fire was contained to the single room in the basement. The room contained a large commercial dryer and had a working sprinkler, Farry said.

No injuries were reported.

The Bucks County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the blaze due to the fact the facility leases their location from the county.

Chattanooga, TN – Fourth floor apartment fire kept in check by fire sprinklers

Crews with the Chattanooga Fire Department battled a fire at the Vista Cameron Harbor apartments that broke out overnight in the middle of frigid temperatures.

According to the fire department, the first fire company that arrived reported a fire on a fourth-floor balcony.

Firefighters made their way into the apartment and found the sprinkler activated in the bedroom.

Glass from the balcony doors broke due to the fire and the sprinkler activated kept the fire from spreading.

Firefighters extinguished a small fire on the balcony that remained after the sprinklers were activated.

Several apartments received water damage due to the sprinklers. Fire crews used tarp to cover the affected areas.

All occupants were evacuating the building upon the arrival of firefighters.

Due to the frigid temperatures, apartment occupants were sheltered on the first floor until they got approval to return to their apartments.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Red Cross was called to assist two people.

Rocklin, CA – Warehouse fire kept in check by sprinkler system

A Rocklin warehouse was damaged in a fire early Thursday morning, authorities say.

According to the Rocklin Fire Department, firefighters responded to the Citrus Avenue building around 3 a.m. to investigate a water flow alarm. They then spotted smoke coming from the top of a roll-up door.

Firefighters had to force their way inside. Smoke was found down to the floor.

A sprinkler system managed to hold the fire until crews arrived, but firefighters say the building did suffer moderate damage – including a partial floor collapse.

Aside from that, it appears most of the damage is smoke related.

Exactly what caused the fire is unclear at this point.

Austin, TX – Residential sprinkler system extinguishes fire after candle sets Christmas tree on fire; No injuries reported

A candle too close to a Christmas tree ignited a fire at an East Austin home early Sunday, Austin fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to the fire at the 4500 block of Kocurek Street, near Mueller and Airport boulevards, just before 4 a.m.

A residential sprinkler system extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived to the home and contained it to the area where the tree stood. Firefighters helped mitigate the smoke and water.

Fire and water damage were estimated to be around $30,000, fire investigators said.

“It is past time for dry trees to be removed from your home,” officials said in a tweet Sunday.

No reports of injuries were made.