Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Apartment Building, Residential

San Antonio, TX – Suspicious fire set to Halloween decorations contained to outside of apartment thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Arson investigators have been called in to investigate a suspicious fire at an apartment complex on the city’s Southwest Side early Wednesday morning, San Antonio police said.

Firefighters responded around 4:30 a.m. to the apartment complex in the 7100 block of New Laredo Highway after receiving reports of a ringing alarm.

Firefighters said it appears someone set fire to a Halloween decoration hanging on the door of a third-floor apartment.

Authorities say the fire never went beyond the door, but it did set off the sprinkler system and the building alarm, alerting residents.

The sprinkler system dumped water onto the concrete landing outside the apartments but very little got inside anyone’s home, firefighters said.

There were no reported injuries.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wheaton, IL – Apartment fire stopped by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Fire officials say a faulty dryer may have been to blame for a blaze that broke out in a Wheaton apartment building Wednesday evening. The incident took place around 9 p.m. in the 100 block of North Cross, according to a press release.

When fire crews got to the scene and found a dryer on fire in a fifth-floor apartment. They say the unit’s fire sprinkler system brought the blaze under control, but that smoke and water damage left it uninhabitable.

No other units were affected and no injuries were reported, fire officials say.

According to the Wheaton Fire Department, the cause of the fire appears to be accidental.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Corpus Christi, TX – Fire sprinklers help put out fire at local restaurant

Flames broke out at a popular thai food restaurant during the early morning hours on Tuesday. The Corpus Christi Fire Department was called to the BKK thai kitchen and bar in the Lamar Park Shopping Center to investigate reports of smoke. The call came in around 3:00 a.m. Tuesday of smoke pouring from the business.

When firefighters got to the scene, they saw the smoke and had to track down the flames. The fire was contained to a storage room in the back of the restaurant. Fire officials say a ceiling sprinkler system helped to contain the fire to the area and ultimately helped firefighters put out the flames. 

A fire investigator was called to the scene to try and determine a cause.

Some neighboring stores did have smoke damage. There is no word when the restaurant will open back up.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sedona, AZ – Fire at assisted living facility extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Sedona firefighters were dispatched to the Sedona Winds assisted living facility at 475 Jacks Canyon Road for a fire in one of the residential units on Saturday at 1:56 a.m., according to the Sedona Fire District.

“The automatic fire sprinkler system had extinguished most of the fire before we arrived,” said Captain David Rodriguez, “limiting fire damage to the one room.”

The fire was discovered by a nurse’s aide when the sprinkler system activated and triggered the buildings fire alarm system.

The aide was able to evacuate the resident from the room and unplugged the HVAC unit, which appeared to be the cause of the fire, stated the SFD press release.

“This was an amazing success story,” said Fire Marshal Jon Davis in the press release. “A working fire sprinkler system, combined with a well-trained staff and a quick response by firefighters resulted in the best possible outcome.”

“I have no doubt that without all of those elements coming together, the outcome would have resulted in injury or death to occupants of the building and damage to the structure would have been extensive.” said Davis, “Incidents like this really highlight how a comprehensive fire safety strategy can benefit a community.”

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Deputies along with YCSO Search & Rescue members and Sedona Police Department assisted at the scene with the temporary evacuation of residents from the wing of the building where the fire occurred. Approximately 20 residents were displaced for a couple of hours and the resident of the room where the fire occurred, had to be relocated to another room while theirs is repaired.

Sedona Fire District investigators determined that the fire started when the in-room, wall mounted HVAC unit malfunctioned.

There were no injuries reported and damage is estimated at $20,000, the SFD press release said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Rockland, MA – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading after women drives through front of pizza shop

A Massachusetts woman has been charged with operating under the influence after she police say crashed her car through the facade of a pizza shop in Rockland late Sunday.

The car ended up completely inside Mike’s Pizza at 315 Union St. after the crash, which happened around 11:50 p.m. The vehicle was on fire before firefighters doused the flames, authorities said.

The driver, identified as 40-year-old Rockland resident Lauren Hutcheon, was out of the vehicle by the time officers arrived. She received aid before being taken to a local hospital, police said.

Neighbors Jason Webb and his fiancee said they heard the crash and came running to help.

“I’m looking out my window and saw flames before I even got her out of the car,” Webb said. “It was instant flames.”

Before crews even arrived, the restaurant’s sprinkler system went off and helped keep the flames from spreading.

“She actually opened the driver side door herself, threw herself on the ground and screamed, ‘help me, help me,’ as we were running up there,” Webb said.

Hutcheon was charged with speeding, failure to stop, negligent operation and driving under the influence, among other charges.

Firefighters arrived at the pizza shop shortly after midnight and successfully extinguished the flames, searched the building and temporarily evacuated the apartments above the shop, according to the Rockland Fire Department.

Ron Lopes, the owner of the pizza shop, had to close Monday due to the damage. He said he’s just glad nobody was inside the restaurant when the crash happened.

“Glad nobody was hurt,” Lopes said. “It’s mostly just a mess.”

Lopes said he hopes to have the doors back open before Halloween.

Hutcheon is expected to appear in court sometime in the next few weeks.

“Luckily she wasn’t hurt more seriously. Three feet to the right she would have hit a steel beam,” Lopes said.

The incident remains under investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Winter Park, CO – Kitchen ductwork fire contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A fire in the kitchen ductwork at Casa Mexico caused the evacuation of the third floor of the Cooper Creek shopping center in Winter Park on Saturday.

The East Grand Fire District responded to reports of a fire on the roof around 11:40 p.m. Saturday and found smoke inside and outside the restaurant.

The smoke was coming from a small fire in the kitchen ductwork, and crews extinguished the blaze. The exhaust fan on the roof was damaged, but no cooking equipment was harmed by the flames.

However, the restaurant and the former location of Smokin’ Moe’s below it both suffered some water damage when the hood system discharged fire retardant and the sprinkler system came on.

East Grand Fire Chief Todd Holzwarth said the system worked as it was designed to and contained the fire. Crews had the sprinkler system and alarm back in service, as well as all flames out, by 1:10 a.m.

Firefighters suspect grease built up in the ductwork contributed to the fire, but they are not sure what ignited it. The restaurant closes at 10 p.m.

Owner Esteban Rocha said the restaurant would remain closed for repairs and wasn’t yet sure how long that would take. He said he is just glad no one was hurt.

Staff living on the third floor of the building were evacuated, but there were no injuries related to the fire.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Kearney, NE – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at court house; No injuries reported

Crews responded to an early morning fire in Kearney.

According to the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, correction officers called the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department after seeing smoke in an office around 2:30 a.m.

When fire crews arrived, the Sheriff’s Office said the small fire had been extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system.

Water from this system caused damage to the office’s furniture and carpet.

While crews are investigating the cause of fire, the Sheriff’s Office said they do not believe the flames were criminal.

The Sheriff’s Office said the jail on the property was not damaged but crews remained on scene to continue check air quality.

No injuries were reported.

Residential, Single Family Home

Middle River, MD – House fire contained by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Crews are on the scene of a Monday night house fire in Middle River.

The fire was reported at around 10 p.m. in the 900-block of Manorgreen Road (21220).

Arriving units found that a fire had begun in the kitchen of the house.

The home’s sprinkler system had mostly extinguished the blaze by the time firefighters arrived on scene.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Champaign, IL – Accidental cooking fire extinguished by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

An accidental cooking fire has displaced the resident of an apartment on Champaign’s west side.

Fire department spokesman Randy Smith said crews were called to the 2000 block of West White Street around 2:25 a.m. Friday for a report of a stovetop fire.

Smith said the flames were contained to the kitchen and were controlled and extinguished by the apartment’s sprinkler system.

He said firefighters ventilated the residence.

Smith said there was minor fire, smoke and water damage to the kitchen. Damages are estimated at $5,000.

There were no injuries.

Apartment Building, Residential

McKinney, TX – (no media coverage) Fire sprinkler stops flames after explosion at apartment; No injuries reported

(Oct. 18, 2019) – The McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded for a call about an explosion and fire at the Lakes of Eldorado apartments, 1400 Eldorado Pkwy., at 10:38 p.m. Thursday. MFD crews arrived to find the fire sprinkler system activated and a window and the patio doors blown out. Fire investigators determined that the resident had sprayed pressurized cans of insect killer in an enclosed area. When the clothes dryer was turned on, it caused the fumes to explode. Fortunately, a single fire sprinkler activated, putting out a fire in a trash can. The force of the blast pushed two walls back approximately 2-3 inches. Because of the potential structural damage, the residents of 8 units have been evacuated. The Red Cross is helping those people find places to stay. No one was hurt.
“This is a great reminder to always read the warning labels on pressurized cans,” said McKinney Fire Marshal Mike Smith. “This can clearly said not to use in confined spaces or near any active appliances.”