Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Apartment Building, Residential

Colorado Springs, CO – Sprinkler system kept fire from spreading after women set chair on fire for burglary diversion

One woman is in custody after police say she lit a fire inside an apartment building as a ploy to burglarize residents.

A lieutenant with the Colorado Springs Police Department says the suspect succeeding in stealing from multiple units before officers caught her.

The fire was reported at 4:20 a.m. Saturday at The Lodges of Colorado Springs, a complex near UCCS where many students live.

“Crews found a small fire in an upholstered chair on the third-floor hallway,” Capt. JJ Halsey told 11 News. “Fire had activated the sprinkler head above the chair and kept the fire from spreading.”

The third floor sustained moderate smoke and water damage, Halsey said.

According to police, the woman was using the fire as a diversion tactic to get residents out of the building.

She was found walking around the building and arrested. Police identified the woman as Tiosha Chitman.

Sgt. Alterae Rogers, from the Colorado Springs Police Department, said Chitman is facing a number of burglary charges. This is an ongoing investigation.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Longwood, FL – Fire sprinkler keeps trash fire at recycling center in check until firefighters arrived

Several fire departments responded to a fire at Seminole County’s Central Transfer Station early Thursday morning.

Firefighters from Longwood Fire Department, Sanford Fire Department, Lake Mary Fire Rescue and Seminole County Fire Department responded to the fire at 1950 SR 419 just before 3:00 a.m.

A spokesperson for the Seminole County Fire Department said the person who called 911 and reported the fire said the flames could be seen shooting into the air.

“Our units arrived on scene and they could see heavy smoke and a glow in the building,” said Paula Thompson, the public information officer for the Seminole County Fire Department. “Once they made entry they realized they had a trash fire and it appears a sprinkler did keep it in check until our units arrived to extinguish it.”

Crews used front loaders to pull apart the smoldering trash in order to completely extinguish the flames. The center was scheduled to open on-time Thursday morning.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Guelph, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system stops fire from spreading after 3D printer catches on fire at condo

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A 3D printer caused a fire at a Guelph condo building, leading to water damage for several units and displacing tenants, according to the Guelph Fire Department.

Police got the call just after 11 p.m. on Thursday.

The fire and smoke were coming from a bedroom on the fifth floor at 1291 Gordon Street. That’s where a 3D printer had overheated and started the fire, police said. 

“It was determined 100 per cent the 3D printer was the source. It’s the only ignition source in the room,” said Ian Hickey, fire prevention officer with the Guelph fire department.

The building was evacuated, the fire was extinguished quickly, but the sprinkler system caused water damage for all units below, including on the ground level, according to police.

A number of tenants were displaced because of the water damage. Guelph Hydro-Alectra arrived on the scene because of the water’s impact on the electrical system, police said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

San Antonio – Early morning hotel fire extinguished by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Guests at a downtown hotel received an unexpected wake-up call early Tuesday morning when a fire broke out.

The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. at the Valencia Hotel on East Houston and Soledad.

Firefighters say it started in a utility closest on the second floor.

Everyone was evacuated from the building. The sprinkler system put the fire out, preventing any significant damage to the hotel.

Eventually, everyone was allowed back to their rooms.

Arson is now investigating.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Pekin, IL – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at local pizzeria

The Godfather’s Pizza in Pekin was damaged in an early morning blaze Monday.

Pekin Fire Chief Kurt Nelson said the call came in at 12:44 a.m. Monday from employees who lived in the area. Smoke was seen coming out of the building and first responders found heavy smoke conditions in the kitchen.

Firefighters found a small fire in a closet, which was contained due to the sprinkler system preventing the fire from spreading, Nelson said.

The cause is still under investigation and initial estimated damage is between $10,000 and $25,000.

In a Facebook post by Godfather’s, the company said it’s a landmark location and one of the oldest Godfather’s in the country.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hutchinson, KS – Third floor apartment fire contained to kitchen thanks to fire sprinklers

Fire officials say a sprinkler system prevented a kitchen fire from spreading in the Plaza Towers apartments in downtown Hutchinson early Saturday.

Firefighters responded to the five-story apartment complex at 17 E. Second Ave. just before 1:30 a.m. after fire alarms in the building were triggered by smoke.

An undetermined number of people evacuated the building while firefighters searched for the cause.

On the scene, crews traced the fire to the third floor from smoke in the hallway.

When they entered the apartment where the fire had occurred, they found an overhead sprinkler system in the kitchen had already doused the fire and damages were minimal.

Fire Chief Steve Beer could not say explicitly that food left on the stove caused the fire, but he said the occupant of the apartment had left the building, and the fire was limited to the kitchen.

“Sprinklers do save lives and property,” Beer said in a news release.

“The fuel loads in today’s structure plays a critical role in our fire operations,” he stated. “Petroleum-based plastics in furniture and accessories allow the fire of today to burn quicker and hotter than ever before. Remember, you only have three minutes to exit your structure when your fire alarm sounds. The Hutchinson Fire Department will be canvassing the immediate area to remind citizens and businesses of these safety facts.”

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Ogden, UT – Warehouse fire controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Crews from multiple fire departments were at the scene of a fire in a commercial warehouse in Ogden early Saturday morning.

Firefighters were dispatched at 2:42 a.m. to 2048 Washington Blvd.

The blaze caused Washington Boulevard to be closed to traffic from 20th to 21st Street, and the public was asked to avoid the area.

“Crews are working to vertically ventilate the structure. Crews continue to work to extinguish the fire inside the building. The building has a working sprinkler system that deployed prior to fire department arrival,” the department tweeted.

Firefighters were supplementing the structure’s sprinkler system through the fire department connection, and everything was under control at 3:47 a.m.

By 3:50 a.m., the fire was out and crews were continuing ventilation and performing overhaul procedures. Loss Stop benchmark established at 4:01 a.m., the tweet said.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and is under investigation by the Fire Marshal.

There were no injuries as a result of this fire.

Thirty firefighters from Ogden City, Roy City, and Riverdale Fire Departments are on scene, OFD tweeted.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Winston-Salem, NC – Overnight fire at auto body shop held in check by fire sprinklers

Fire crews fought back smoke and flames at a Winston-Salem business overnight, according to the Winston-Salem Fire Department.

At about 11:43 p.m., the fire department shared video of smoke pouring out of Modern Auto Body Shop at 1020 Southpark Boulevard.

At about 1:42 a.m., officials said the fire was held “in check” thanks to the building’s sprinkler system which helped keep the fire in a small area of the building.

Office Building, Other Business

Elkhart, IN – Fire sprinkler activation helps control fire started by laminating machine

A laminating machine caused a fire at an Elkhart business early Wednesday morning, according to the Elkhart Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Interior Components Plus in the 2300 block of W. Mishawaka Road on Wednesday morning around 4 a.m.

At the scene, firefighters reported seeing heavy smoke in the area and throughout the building.

Workers on site told firefighters that a glue laminating machine had caught fire and set off a sprinkler.

Attempts made by workers to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful.

After putting out the fire, officials found that the fire was caused by a malfunction in the laminating machine which overheated oil, causing it to ignite, the fire department said.

The company was able to continue normal operations on Wednesday.

The fire department did not say whether or not there were any injuries sustained in the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Greer, SC – Mattress fire doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Greer Fire Department says their crews responded to a fire that broke out Thursday evening at a local apartment complex.

The department confirmed their response around 9:30 p.m. to the Avalon Chase complex on Avalon Chase Circle.

Crews later told us a mattress in a bedroom caught fire, and the flames were doused by the sprinkler system. Nobody was injured, but two families are displaced by water and smoke damage. The Red Cross is aiding them.