Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

St. Thomas, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system helps control nursing home fire

Clean-up efforts continued Monday at a St. Thomas retirement home after a fire last Saturday night. A few dozen residents remain displaced by the fire, but officials are saying things could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the safety precautions in place. A recent fire safety drill at Caressant Care may have prevented mass casualties over the weekend.

Bill Todd, St. Thomas fire prevention officer, says, “In November we did a timed drill in that wing, with staff…Here we are less than two months later doing the real thing…So training helps.” When first responders arrived four minutes after a 911 call, staff were already transporting patients from the nursing home wing, to the retirement side.

Clive Hubbard, an investigator with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office, says “The staff at this facility did a great job of following their fire safety plan and getting [patients] from the fire zone to a safety zone.” Not only were staff prepared, but the building was as well. After a massive fire in Orillia, Ont. in 2009 new legislation required nursing homes to have sprinkler systems in place by 2025. Caressant Care did a proactive retrofit five years ago. Todd says, “This fire would have been a whole lot worse if it wasn’t for sprinklers…It doesn’t put out a fire but delays, in this case it did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

And first responders kicked into high gear as well. At the height of the fire there were 36 firefighters and more than ten EMS vehicles on Bonnie Place, with others alerted

Other Business

Las Vegas, NV – Attic fire in commercial building contained by sprinkler system; Firefighters extinguish blaze

Fire sprinklers prevented a blaze in the attic of a downtown commercial building from spreading before firefighters could extinguish it, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said. The fire was initially reported Thursday at 4:10 a.m. burning along some railroad tracks and extending to the rear of a large commercial building in the 800 block of Bonanza Road, officials said. A set of wooden stairs was on fire, but it appeared the fire was outside the building, officials said. About 20 minutes later, a fire alarm was received from the building location, indicating the fire might have gotten inside, officials said. Firefighters forced their way into the building and found it full of smoke, officials said.

Fire was discovered in the attic, but it was being held in check by the sprinkler system and was quickly extinguished, officials said. Investigators believe the fire started around the wooden stairs at the rear of the building, officials said. They also received information that shortly before the fire was reported, a homeless woman was picked up nearby by an ambulance and taken to a hospital with burns, officials said. Investigators a looking into whether she has a connection with the fire, officials said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Columbus, IN – Sprinkler system activates in fire at aluminum plant; Assists firefighters in controlling blaze

Columbus firefighters battled an early morning industrial fire at Nikkei MC Aluminum America Inc. in bitterly cold temperatures Tuesday morning. Firefighters were sent to the manufacturing facility at 6875 Inwood Drive at 3:32 a.m. Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported. Nikkei MC Aluminum America, Inc. (NMAA) is a secondary aluminum manufacturer who supplies aluminum alloys to the die-casting and gravity-casting industries.

The fire was reported by an employee who saw flames within the facility and called 911, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke and flames showing and were told all 10 employees inside the building had evacuated prior to the firefighters’ arrival.

Firefighters found heavy smoke and an activated sprinkler system which was working as they made their way into the interior of the smelting facility, Wilson said. They reported to the command that there were two fires in the facility, one located overhead as well as fire located at a dust collector on the exterior of the building, Wilson said.

As additional firefighting crews arrived on the scene, company representatives cautioned the firefighters about applying water to the smelting furnace and associated machinery. With two interior crews operating within the interior of the building, and fire visible above the sprinkler system, command ordered that the sprinkler system be turned off, Wilson said.

With the sprinkler system off, interior crews could see smoldering material located on several steel I-beams overhead. This material was a collection of dust and particulate matter that had ignited. MC Aluminum representatives told investigators that the flames were originally located near an afterburner furnace, which limits the amount of unburned pollution material being expelled into the atmosphere. Heat and flames spread to a collection of dust within the facility, causing several spot fires near the interior ceiling of the plant. A dust collector was also on fire, Wilson said.

Firefighters went to the roof of the facility and learned it was clear of fire.

At about 5:25 a.m., firefighters reported that the fire was under control, Wilson said.

With a few spot fires still located on the steel beams overhead, MC Aluminum maintenance crews used an articulating boom lift to access and extinguish the remaining smoldering materials.

Fire Command was terminated at approximately 5:47 a.m. and the facility was turned over to MC Aluminum, Wilson said.

A total of 13 Columbus Fire Department units responded to the fire, which included four engine companies and two rescue companies. The remaining seven units were command and support staff.

Wilson said no damage estimate was available and the fire has been ruled accidental.

Apartment Building, Residential

Mesa, AZ – Sprinkler system limits spread of apartment fire caused by unattended cooking

One person was taken to the hospital after they may have fallen asleep while cooking and started a fire in Mesa on Monday night. It happened at the La Mesita Apartments on Main Street near Dobson Road. The Mesa Fire and Medical Department say the small cooking fire spread to the cabinets and that activated the building’s sprinkler system. Firefighters arrived and got the person out of the apartment. The victim was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, the fire department said. No firefighters were hurt. Only the adjacent apartments were evacuated.

Other - School / University, Other Business

Rockton, IL – Fire at performing arts center extinguished by sprinkler system

No one was injured after a small fire erupted about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in back of the stage inside the Hononegah Community High School Performing Arts Center. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire before the firefighters arrived, a news release said. An investigation has been started as to the cause and the damage is being assessed. No one was in the performing arts center when the fire began. Crews are attempting to mitigate the smoke and water damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Temple, TX – Early morning apartment fire caused by bathroom exhaust fan is controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries

A sprinkler limited damage early Thursday after a fire broke out in an apartment in Temple, displacing seven residents. Firefighters responded just before 5 a.m. to a report of the fire at the Courtyard Apartments at 2315 South 1st St. in Temple. A malfunctioning bathroom exhaust fan started the fire in the second-floor apartment. Residents, alerted by smoke alarms, escaped safely. Fire damage was limited to the bathroom of the apartment, which also received smoke and water damage. Two first-floor units were also damaged by water. No one was injured.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Abilene, TX – Sprinkler system activated in fire at boat manufacturing facility

One Tigé Boats employee was treated for smoke inhalation after a boat caught fire at the manufacturing facility at 1801 State Highway 36 on Monday. The Abilene Fire Department arrived at the plant at about 10:20 p.m. to find employees had pulled a boat on fire outside. The firefighters extinguished the fire in the boat and ventilated the building with large fans, according to an AFD news release. The fire started in the boat’s motor compartment while about half-way through the assembly line process, the AFD stated. “Employees used numerous fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire, and the sprinkler system was activated,” according to the news release. The boat sustained an estimated $100,000 in damage. There also was minor water damage to the building, AFD stated.

Apartment Building, Residential

Pearland, TX – (No Media Coverage) Apartment fire caused by improperly disposed cooking coals extinguished by sprinkler system

**No Media Coverage — Fire Department Reported** Allow cooking coals to cool for 24-48 hrs or extinguish with water prior to discarding into combustible trash cans. Fire crews responded to an apartment fire call on Tuesday, January 15 at approximately 1 a.m. The crews arrived on scene and found the fire had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. The fire had been caused by improperly discarded cooking coals. No injuries were reported and there was minimal damage to the outer building wall.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Racine, WI – Large structure fire in wood shop kept in check by sprinkler system

A potentially large structure fire was kept at bay by an active sprinkler, Racine Fire Department officials said in a release issued Wednesday.

At 9:12 p.m. Tuesday, the Fire Department was dispatched to 1509 Rapids Drive for an active fire alarm.

Fire officials found a small, smoky fire inside of a tenant’s wood shop. The fire was kept in check by an active fire sprinkler, and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

After investigating, the cause of the fire was determined to be improperly stored oily rags. The property was then turned back over to the wood shop tenant.

The fire caused an estimated $2,500 in damage. There were no injuries, fire officials said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lafayette, LA – Early morning balcony fire at student apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler

The Lafayette Fire Department says they responded to a balcony fire on Thursday morning at The Quarters student apartment complex in Lafayette. Officials say a sprinkler alarm was activated around 2:30 am at the complex prompting the investigation. When firefighters arrived, complex residents were outside and several witnesses indicated the fire was on the balcony of a second-floor apartment.

Firefighters gained access to the apartment and conducted a search for occupants. Officials say those occupants all exited the apartment without injury. Light smoke was observed on the balcony and officials say that a sprinkler on the balcony had extinguished the fire. The area received moderate damage. A quick investigation by firefighters determined the fire started due to improperly discarded smoke material. The fire has been ruled accidental.