Restaurant San Antonio, TX – Sprinkler system keeps overnight restaurant kitchen fire from spreading April 11, 2019 viking210 Food left cooking on a stove all night long is believed to be the cause of a fire at Scuzzi’s Italian restaurant overnight. Firefighters say they found a small fire inside the restauarant, located near Loop 1604 and NW Military, when they arrived shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday. They had to break open the front door of the business, then quickly knocked down the fire. Firefighters said it appears someone left the stove on all night with food cooking on it, and that is what caused the fire. The sprinkler system activated and kept the fire from spreading, firefighters said. A food inspector from San Antonio Metropolitan Health District was called in to have a look around after the fire. The outcome of that investigation will determine what repairs need to be done before the restaurant can reopen. From outside, the damage appeared to be minimal, although the fire did leave an odor of smoke throughout the building.
College/University (on campus), School / University Princeton, NJ – Overnight fire at Princeton University extinguished by sprinkler system April 11, 2019 viking210 A fire broke out at Fine Hall on the Princeton campus around midnight Saturday and was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The building is closed as crews clean up water damage. The fire was contained to a classroom on the 12th floor. Sprinkler water runoff affected that floor and most of those below it. Classes will not be held in the building Monday and Tuesday. University officials are working to move the classes to other locations. Affected students and faculty members will be notified by email. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A firefighter from the Princeton Fire Department needed medical assistance and was taken to a hospital and released. No one else was hurt. Other agencies responding to the fire included Kingston Fire Company, Lawrence Road Fire Department, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Plainsboro Fire Company, Princeton Fire Marshal, Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, and West Windsor Emergency Services. From the University, responders included the Department of Public Safety, the Facilities organization, Site Protection and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Emergency Services.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Madison, WI – Restaurant kitchen fire kept in check by sprinkler system until fire crews arrived April 8, 2019 viking210 An east Madison restaurant sustained significant damage in an early morning fire Friday, officials said. The Madison Fire Department said the fire at Sumo Steakhouse and Sushi Bar on Parkside Drive was kept in check overnight by an automatic fire sprinkler. According to the report, it’s unknown how long the fire had been burning before a passerby called 911 at 2:30 a.m. to report smoke in the area. A crew went to the roof of the restaurant and entered the building through a hatch, officials said. That’s when they discovered light smoke coming from a kitchen vent. Firefighters pulled an attack line and proceeded to the kitchen, where an automatic sprinkler was holding a fire at bay, according to the report. Crews extinguished the remainder of the kitchen fire. Meanwhile, firefighters found fire in the kitchen exhaust system and were able to put it out it with a water can extinguisher. Fire officials said the kitchen suffered significant damage, but without the automatic sprinkler holding the fire in place while nobody was around to report the fire, it is believed the entire building would have been consumed by fire. Public Health Madison-Dane County was notified of the incident. The fire department said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Fort Collins, CO – Sprinkler system controlled fire that started at fire pump April 8, 2019 viking210 Residents of the Northern Hotel were evacuated in the early morning hours Thursday as firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the historic Old Town Fort Collins building. Poudre Fire Authority responded to 172 N. College Ave. about 2 a.m. Thursday after a fire pump — which provides water to the building’s sprinkler system — in the basement caught fire, causing smoke in the building, Poudre Fire Capt. Matt Housley said. The fire triggered a sprinkler head, which controlled the fire until firefighters arrived a few minutes after the automatic fire alarm was triggered. Poudre Fire, UCHealth EMS, Fort Collins Police Services and Larimer Humane Society responded. The fire was fully controlled by 3:01 a.m., Housley said. A total of 45 people were evacuated to the nearby Opera Galleria while firefighters worked. All were able to return home Thursday morning, Housley said. Northbound College Avenue was closed between Laporte and Mountain avenues for about three hours Thursday morning while crews responded and worked on cleanup. Housley said crews planned to repair the fire pump Thursday and that all residents would be able to stay at the building. “It’s not every day you get a fire pump that catches on fire and puts itself out,” he said. Once considered the “pearl” of Fort Collins, the Northern Hotel hasn’t welcomed guests for decades, but its top three floors have provided shelter for low-income seniors while the ground floor has flourished with stable retail, including Starbucks. The building underwent a renovation to its 47 small apartments last year, when owners rehabbed the plumbing; installed air conditioning; and replaced windows, flooring, cabinets, bathrooms and appliances.
Department Store, Retail Bellevue, WI – Fire outside Home Depot activated sprinkler system; No injuries reported April 8, 2019 viking210 Bellevue Fire and Rescue says a burning cigarette butt receptacle and a trash receptacle lead to a small fire outside the Home Depot at 2595 Eaton Road on Wednesday just before midnight. Crews say the fire set off the sprinkler system outside the building. The store was not open at the time, but a cleaning crew was inside. Nobody was injured. Firefighters quickly put out the fire and shut off the sprinkler system. Besides a broken window, the building was not damaged. The heat however did damage some outdoor furniture outside the store. Crews say the fire started in the cigarette butt receptacle outside of the entrance door.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant East Greenwich, RI – Fire at restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system before fire crews arrived April 3, 2019 viking210 Police were called to Besos Kitchen and Cocktails on Main Street to assist East Greenwich Fire with a call for a fire to the exterior of the building by the front door. Firefighters said the fire started in a planter near the front door and spread to an exterior wall, setting off the overhead sprinkler. The sprinkler put out the fire before firefighters arrived. The fire marshal said he thought the fire may have been caused by a cigarette dropped into the planter.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Nicholasville, KY – Overnight fire controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported April 3, 2019 viking210 A Nicholasville restaurant will be closed for a while after an overnight fire left the building damaged. Fortunately no one was inside when the fire broke out at Copper River Grill. The fire started after the restaurant had closed. Crews tell us they responded to the scene just before 2:00 a.m. Firefighters say when they arrived they saw smoke coming from the back building. They think the fire may have started in the kitchen. “The sprinkler system did activate and help control the spread of the fire,” says Fire Battalion Chief Johnny Adams. Crews tell WKYT the restaurant will probably be closed for a while for cleanup and repairs. They say inspectors will determine when the restaurant will reopen. Fire investigators are trying to determine what started the fire.
Apartment Building, Residential Greeley, CO – Arson fire at apartment 70-unit complex extinguished by sprinkler system April 1, 2019 viking210 A woman is in jail after police say she set fire Tuesday evening to an apartment after an argument with her husband. Mindilynn Zekan, 39, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson after a fire at the Meeker Commons Apartments, 505 9th Ave., according to a news release from the Greeley Police Department. An engine, ladder truck and battalion chief responded to the fire about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. By the time crews arrived, no one was inside the apartment and the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire, according to a Greeley Fire Department release. After shutting down the water flow to the activated sprinkler, crews ventilated the apartment to remove smoke and residents were allowed back into the building that night. The complex has more than 70 apartments and more than 100 residents. Zekan was present at the scene and interviewed about the incident. Greeley Police say Zekan was upset about an argument with her husband and began setting his property on fire. Zekan was taken to the Weld County Jail on suspicion of first-degree arson. She remained in custody Wednesday morning pending an appearance in court. The dollar amount of fire and water damage has not been established.
Apartment Building, Residential Yuma, AZ – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported and fire damage limited March 29, 2019 viking210 The Yuma Fire Department responded to an apartment fire Tuesday morning that was extinguished by a fire sprinkler. YFD said just before 10 a.m. firefighters arrived to find an extinguished fire that started on the stove top due to an unattended pan of oil. YFD said the sprinkler head was shut down by YFD personnel who also confirmed the fire was extinguished and had not spread. Firefighters worked quickly to vent the heat/smoke from the apartment and remove the water that had been released during the activation. Most house fires start in the kitchen and the stove top is the most common place for these fires to start. Due to the sprinkler system quickly extinguishing this fire, the fire damage was limited to soot stains on the wall behind the stove and heat damage to hood above the stove, according to YFD.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Nashua, NH – Factory fire held in check by sprinkler system; Firefighters extinguish blaze March 29, 2019 viking210 Fire officials credited the sprinkler system in a large Crown Street factory with holding a smoky fire at bay until firefighters were able to get inside and attack the source of the flames late Saturday night. Capt. Karl Gerhard said crews responded shortly after 10 p.m. to Greenerd Press & Machine Co., 41 Crown St., after an activated sprinkler head triggered the building’s fire alarm system. At first, Gerhard said, firefighters found no indication of smoke or fire on three sides of the building. However, upon entering a secured fenced-off portion of the property and checking the fourth side, they cold see heavy smoke inside and water flowing from the sprinkler. Crews forced their way in, and were met with “a heavy smoke condition” that caused “near-zero visibility,” Gerhard said. Due in large part to the size of the building, Gerhard said officials called for a working-fire response, which brought an additional engine and ladder truck to the scene. Meanwhile, firefighters, operating a hose line, made their way to the fire, which, Gerhard said, was being kept in check by water from the sprinkler. Crews promptly extinguished the fire, which was declared under control 19 minutes after the first dispatch. Gerhard said crews spent an hour setting up large fans to remove smoke from the building. Nobody was inside at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. Gerhard said it appears the fire damage is minor, and that Greenerd employees will be able to conduct business as usual. He said fire officials, after investigating the scene, ruled the fire accidental. Its likely cause, Gerhard said, was the improper disposal of rags containing chemicals used for staining, which resulted in spontaneous combustion. He pointed out the importance of reading and following manufacturers’ instructions regarding the proper disposal of cleaning rags, and cloths and rags used to apply finishing products.
