Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Waterbury, CT – Fire at lumber business caused by improperly discarded oily rags suppressed by sprinkler system

Ed Bushka’s American Millwork and Lumber remains open after a backroom caught fire early Thursday.  At about 12:20 a.m., firefighters responded to the business at 625 Wolcott St. for an automatic fire alarm.  The first firefighters on scene saw smoke coming from the building and upgraded the call to a structure fire, Fire Chief Dave Martin said.

The fire occurred in a back area of the shop, where workers had finished wood with an oil-based urethane, Martin said. The fire was contained to that room.  “The sprinklers did their job and we were able to extinguish the little bit of fire that was left,” Martin said.

The cause of the fire was traced to rags containing urethane that were discarded in a plastic garbage can, Martin. The rags emitted volatile organic compounds, causing a spontaneous combustion, he explained.  The blaze was found to be accidental.

The fire department recommends discarding rags containing oil-based products in a metal container with a lid, preferably outdoors. Also, soak them in water to prevent a chemical reaction.  American Millwork and Lumber is open for business today.

Sioux Falls, SD – Sprinkler system keeps arson fire set outside building from spreading inside

Police have arrested a man in connection to a fire that destroyed two porta potties in downtown Sioux Falls.  Forty-eight-year-old Aaron Gruenewald was arrested Thursday morning.  Firefighters extinguished a blaze at the new Washington Square Complex early Thursday morning. No one was hurt, but two porta potties were destroyed.

Police say surveillance video showed a man walking into one of the porta potties, then the fire broke out shortly after he walked away.  Gruenewald was found a few blocks away. Police say he had a lighter in his possession. He faces one count of reckless burning and intentional damage to property.

Original Story

No one was hurt, but two porta potties were destroyed in an overnight fire in downtown Sioux Falls.  The fire broke out around 1:20 a.m. at the new Washington Square complex on Main Avenue.  According to Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, a porta potty near the entrance to the first floor garage caught fire. The building’s sprinkler system was able to stop the flames from spreading. Firefighters put out the blaze a few minutes after arriving.  No one was hurt in the fire. The fire triggered the building’s alarm system, and residents had to wait outside on a rainy night for about 15 minutes.

Firefighters did not find any damage to the building, though two porta potties were destroyed.  The cause is still under investigation.

Reno, NV – Fire at Tesla factory extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A Tesla’s factory building in the state of Nevada was evacuated late Saturday after a large oven used in the manufacturing process caught fire.

According to a statement issued by the U.S. leading electric vehicle manufacture on Sunday, there were no injuries in the incident and production began again on Sunday morning.

“Last night, there was a fire in the cooling tube coating oven on the 3rd floor of Gigafactory 1 that was quickly contained. Employees were evacuated out of an abundance of caution, there were no injuries, and production began again this morning. We would like to thank the Fire Department and our employees for their rapid response.” the statement said.

KTVN Channel 2, a news channel in Reno where the Tesla’s factory located, reported that the Storey County Fire Department responded the blaze about 10 p.m. Saturday night and the crews found on scene that the fire started in a baking oven where employees make a powder coating.

Joe Curtis, the Emergency Management Director was quoted as saying that the fire was located on the third floor of the factory and did not extend to other parts of the building before it was mostly extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system.

The fire was fully extinguished before 2 a.m. Sunday.

Saturday’s fire was the second time in one month for Tesla to contend with fire at one of its facilities. There was a minor fire last month on the grounds of the Tesla factory in Fremont of California.

The factory in Reno of Nevada produces Model 3 electric motors and battery packs.

Janesville, WI – Sprinkler system limits spread of suspicious fire at Texas Roadhouse restaurant

Janesville police are investigating the cause of a fire at Texas Roadhouse overnight.  According to a news release, the Janesville Fire Department responded to the Texas Roadhouse in the 3200 block of Deerfield Drive around 12:15 a.m. Friday for a report of a commercial fire.  Responding units said they found an active fire and smoke visible in the front of the building when they arrived at the scene.  According to fire officials, the first engine to arrive was able to confine the fire to the exterior of the building’s front. A sprinkler was able to contain the fire inside the building until firefighters were able to extinguish it.  Crews were on scene for about two hours. No injuries were reported in the incident.  The Janesville Fire Department is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire. Damage estimates have not been released.

Sturgis, MI – Clothes dryer fire at Culver’s restaurant controlled by sprinkler system

A Sunday morning fire damaged a Culver’s restaurant.  At 2:28 a.m. Sunday, the Sturgis Fire Department was dispatched to Culver’s at 830 S. Centreville Road for a report of smoke in the building. Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters found the building full of smoke from an unknown origin.  After entering the restaurant and investigating, firefighters found a clothes dryer burning in the rear of the restaurant. The fire had been contained to only the dryer by a working sprinkler head.

The remaining fire was put out and the washer/dryer unit was removed from the building.  The building sustained minor smoke damage and no structural damage. However, there was a large amount of water from the activated sprinkler head and due to water in the electric panels the main power meter to the building had to be turned off.

Gainesville, FL – Apartment kitchen fire contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to a report of a kitchen fire in an apartment complex Saturday night. Crews arrived at the Gainesville Place Apartments on SW 35th Place at 10:20 p.m. and found an apartment filled with smoke. Residents reported that they had a fire on the stove in the kitchen of the apartment. Heat from the fire activated a sprinkler head located in the kitchen which contained the fire, and gave residents in the building a chance to exit the structure safely. Several residents were displaced due to the damage, but fortunately no one was injured. Gainesville Fire Rescue crews used Positive Pressure Ventilation to remove smoke from the apartment and capped the sprinkler to avoid any further water damage.

Lee’s Summit, MO – Truck fire in state vehicle maintenance facility contained overnight by sprinkler system

A dump truck fire early Friday morning caused minor damage to the service area at the MODOT Maintenance Facility in Lee’s Summit.  Firefighters responded to the building at 2050 NE Independence Ave. at 1 a.m.  Firefighters saw smoke coming from a garage when they arrived.  A fire sprinkler helped control the fire. Firefighters said it was under control by 1:35 a.m.  The fire damaged the dump truck and the smoke caused minor damage to the service area.  No one was inside the building when the fire started. It’s not clear what caused the fire.

Napa, CA – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire in home

St. Catharines, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for suspicious fire at sports bar and grill

Police and fire officials are investigating a suspicious fire at a bar on Glendale Avenue in Merritton early Monday.

St. Catharines firefighters were called to The Beach Sports Bar and Grill at 290 Glendale Ave. around 3:50 a.m. Monday.

The building was surrounded by yellow tape later that afternoon and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office was on scene investigating with Niagara Regional Police.

A damage estimate was not immediately known. The sprinkler system activated and damage was not visible from the outside of the building. No other information was available.