Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

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.”

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Weston, FL – Fire sprinkler activation reduces fire damage to local business; No injuries reported

She received that dreaded phone call about 3 a.m. Wednesday alerting her to a fire in her business and when Eliana Ruiz arrived at Green Wave Body Waxing she saw fire engines everywhere.

“It could be worse,” she said. “I’m so happy and grateful it wasn’t worse.”

About 30 firefighters saw smoke pouring from the business in the 2200 block of North Commerce Parkway in Weston when they arrived shortly before 3 a.m., said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael B. Kane.

“Firefighters were able to quickly contain the small fire which was already mostly extinguished by the business’s fire sprinkler,” he said. “The direct cause is unknown but may be related to a piece of waxing equipment.”

Ruiz said all the equipment is usually unplugged at the end of the day, but she thinks one of the waxing pots was overlooked.

“I’m thinking someone forgot,” she said. “It was turned on because they didn’t unplug it.”

The fire alarm and fire suppression system activated, reducing fire damage to the building and adjacent businesses, Kane said.

“Without proper fire protection, this fire could have grown considerably and quickly devastated the strip mall,” he said.

There were no reported injuries and damage to the adjacent businesses was minor.

Ruiz and husband Carlos Arango were boarding up some glass doors and cleaning up the water inside the business before dawn. She expects to be reopen in a couple of days.

“I’m very optimistic and I know I can push to get it done,” she said.

Uncategorized

Winston-Salem, NC – Sprinkler system contains fire to duct system above restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire broke out at the TGI Fridays in Hanes Mall with flames rising 4 feet off the roof of the mall.

Emergency crews responded to the fire at about 1:37 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the fire department.

The sprinkler activation system helped to contain the fire to the kitchen duct system over the restaurant, and firefighters managed to get the situation under control in 55 minutes.

“Due to the size and the complexity of the structure, we had 53 people, and we had all 53 people at one point doing some type of work,” said Winston-Salem Fire Department Battalion Chief Aaron Noah. “From moving the hose around the facility, ventilating the structure, fire tac to put the fire out, and being up on the roof to monitor the roof.”

The cooking area was left heavily damaged, and crews ventilated the nearby smoke-filled halls in the mall.

Two cleaning workers were in the restaurant when it caught fire. The workers were not injured.

Officials are investigating, but the fire is not suspicious, Noah said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Joplin, MO – Basement garage fire sprinklers keep fire in van from spreading to rest of apartment; No injuries reported

The Joplin Fire Department extinguished a vehicle fire Saturday night in the basement garage of a downtown loft apartment building.

Firefighters responded to a 10:45 p.m. report of fire alarms activated at the Ford Apartments, 228 S. Joplin Ave., and discovered a van parked in the basement garage with a fire in its engine compartment. Smoke from the fire had activated the building’s sprinkler system, which kept the fire from spreading prior to the arrival of firefighters, according to the firefighters.

The building’s fire alarm system alerted occupants to the danger, and the building was evacuated without any reported injuries. Fire crews ventilated the building and tested for carbon monoxide in the aftermath before allowing occupants back inside.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Seattle, WA – Nightclub sprinkler system prevents fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A fire broke out outside a popular Pioneer Square nightclub early Monday morning and fire officials are investigating the fire’s cause as a possible arson.

The fire broke out around 3 a.m. at the Trinity nightclub in the 100 block of Occidental Ave. South, according to Seattle Fire officials.

Investigators say most of the fire damage was outside the front door and in a vacant part of the club. Luckily the building’s sprinkler system activated and helped prevent the spread of flames.

Firefighters arrived moment later and finished dousing the fire. No one was hurt.

Investigators are still looking into how the fire started but have described the fire as “suspicious.”