Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Quesnel, BC, Canada – Early morning fire at sawmill controlled by plant’s sprinkler system

A fire at Tolko Mills on Two Mile Flat had Quesnel Volunteer Firefighters out in force at 2:30 a.m. today (Jan. 17).  A total of 18 fire department personnel attended, along with three engines and one ladder truck, says director of emergency services Sylvain Gauthier.  The fire was in the main sawmill, and was contained to this area by the mill’s sprinkler system. There was some damage to the mill’s structure and to electrical wiring.  Gauthier told the Observer that the fire was caused by a spark from a welder.  The Quesnel Fire Department was on the scene for just over three hours. Representatives at Tolko have said they are doing their best to get the mill back up and running as quickly as possible. This could happen as early as this afternoon or tomorrow (Jan. 18).

Residential, Residential High Rise

Hutchinson, KS – Fire in residential high rise contained to kitchen area by sprinkler system

A Hutchinson man “narrowly escaped the smoky conditions” of a kitchen fire late Friday night on the 11th floor of the Plaza Towers that caused other residents to flee their apartments in the 12-story building, the Hutchinson Fire Department stated.

The man used a stove burner to heat the apartment when other material on the stove ignited, according to a press release. A single sprinkler went off, and the man made his way through the dense smoke and out of the apartment. The sprinkler helped contain the fire to the kitchen area. Firefighters found the blaze spread to the kitchen cabinets when they arrived after 11:45 p.m.

Firefighters used thermal-imaging equipment to locate the fire, the release said, while other firefighters evacuated the 11th and 12th floors of the apartment building at 17 E. Second Ave. Approximately 45 apartments are being rented, the fire department said.

The man was the only one in the apartment at the time, fire Chief Steve Beer said. He was treated on site by Reno County EMS and is being assisted by the American Red Cross. Beer said the man and his son were the only residents displaced by the fire

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Salem, OH – Sprinkler system brings chemical fire under control at manufacturing facility

Investigators say a fire forced the evacuation of a Salem manufacturer and shut down one of the production lines.

According to the Salem Fire Department, crews were called out to American Standard on South Ellsworth Avenue shortly before 4:30 am Tuesday when a machine caught fire on the third floor.

Workers were evacuated from the building.

First firefighters on the scene saw smoke coming from the side of the building and called out Perry Township firefighters to assist.

According to investigators, the building’s sprinkler system brought the fire under control and no one was injured.

It’s believed the fire may have started from a chemical reaction.

Damage to the burned machine is estimated at $50,000.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Chicago, IL – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling blaze at mattress warehouse

Additional crews were called to a fire Monday night at a mattress factory in the Canaryville neighborhood on the South Side.   Firefighters responded shortly after 8:30 p.m. to the fire at the mattress at 4041 Emerald Ave., according to the Chicago Fire Department. Crews were battling the fire from the outside of the building, eventually putting it out by 10:49 p.m.  The block-long building was a “large warehouse” with a heavy fire load as mattresses caught on fire, the fire department said. It had a sprinkler system which helped put out the fire as a fire engine fed it with water.  The building remained structurally sound with only damage to the mattresses on the inside, fire officials said. No injuries were reported.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Jersey City, NJ – Sprinklers assist firefighters in containing early morning fire in luxury high-rise; No injuries reported

The Jersey City Fire Department responded to a small fire at the Monaco luxury high-rise early last Wednesday morning, authorities said. After arriving to the Washington Boulevard apartment complex at 1:30 a.m., firefighters located a fire in the heating component of one of the building’s units, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Scalcione said. The small fire, which set off two sprinkler heads, was determined to have been caused by a faulty heating system, Scalcione added. One apartment sustained fire damage and two others had minor water damage, the spokeswoman said, adding that no injuries were reported.

Other Business

Duluth, MN – Fire at convention center is put out by sprinkler system

The Duluth fire department responded to a call at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on Tuesday night. Assistant Fire Chief Chris Martinson says crews arrived to smoke in the lower part of the DECC. It turned out to be just a small fire in a garbage can down in the wood shop. Martinson says it isn’t clear yet what started, but added that a sprinkler did get set off and that’s what extinguished the fire. There was no damage, just water on the floor to be mopped up.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bremerton, WA – Overnight arson fire at apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system

Bremerton police have arrested a 45-year-old Gig Harbor man who they say was a person of interest in a Monday arson. Police said the man called detectives and later agreed to come to the police station for an interview. At the end of the interview, the man was arrested and booked into the Kitsap County Jail for the crimes of burglary, theft of a firearm and arson. The Bremerton Police Department said it is waiting to release the suspect’s name pending the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charging decision.

Our earlier report from Jan. 2, 2018:
Bremerton police are asking the public’s help in identifying a man who they say is a person of interest in an arson on Monday. The fire happened Monday at about 2:15 a.m. Bremerton firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the Spyglass Hill Apartments in the 600 block of Highland Ave. The building was evacuated, and hundreds were forced outside in the cold according to Fire Marshals who are now investigating the incident as arson. Bremerton Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Prichard said the building’s sprinkler system managed to extinguish the fire. He also said the building is only a few blocks from the firehouse on Park Ave so the response went relatively smoothly.

“We identified a person that didn’t belong in the building didn’t know who he was so he’s a person of interest we want to find this guy and chat with him.”

Bremerton Police shared the man’s photo on social media, and even said they believed they knew who he was.

Fire investigators wouldn’t identify him by name but said the surveillance cameras at the apartment complex helped them start the arson investigation.

Resident Andrew Feliciano said that both he and his dog Roosevelt escaped when the fire broke out. They live adjacent to the unit where the fire happened. He was surprised that authorities said a man who didn’t live there managed to get in, “this place is like Fort Knox, it’s very secure. I’m not sure how that guy got in.”

Fire investigators said nobody was hurt in the fire, and it didn’t spread to any other buildings, in fact there never appeared to be a danger of that happening. They said roughly a dozen residents may have been displaced by the fire.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 360-473-5228.

Apartment Building, Residential

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system helps prevent damage, injuries in apartment fire

A sprinkler system helped avoid fire damage to an apartment at the San Carlos Hotel Monday night. Yuma Fire Department arrived at the San Carlos Hotel shortly after midnight Monday where a fire was reported on the 5th floor of the hotel. An investigation revealed the fire had happened in one of the apartments where the fire suppression sprinkler head had activated. Firefighters confirmed the fire was put out. Fire investigators determined the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette. The fire began and only caused damage to a pile of clothing.

Besides the apartment where the fire happened, some apartments were affected by the water flow of the sprinkler system. The American Red Cross was called to the scene providing assistance to residents waiting to reoccupy their homes and later provided temporary lodging for the 6 individuals who were not able to return to their apartments until further clean-up could occur. This is just the latest of 9 sprinkler saves over the last year in Yuma and the second at the San Carlos Hotel. The previous fire was on July 28th.

Government/Military, Public Library

Dallas, TX – Sprinkler system protects downtown public library from overnight fire

An overnight fire damaged the main public library building in downtown Dallas.

Firefighters were called to the Erik Jonsson Central Library at 12:15 Sunday morning on a report of smoke inside the building.

Dallas Fire Rescue called in backup crews because of the size of the building.

The source of the smoke was a light fixture, which experienced an electrical short in a lower storage area of the library, according to Dallas Fire Rescue.

The fire was extinguished immediately after the sprinkler system activated, which limited the damage to the light fixture and the ceiling nearby, Dallas Fire Rescue said.

No one was injured.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Anchorage, AK – Suspicious fire at elementary school contained with help from sprinkler system

A “suspicious” fire early Sunday morning caused more than $100,000 in damage at College Gate Elementary School, according to the Anchorage Fire Department.

A witness called to report the fire in the East Anchorage school at about 12:30 a.m, AFD said in a release. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from a classroom at the corner of the building. The fire triggered a sprinkler system in the classroom. Thirteen fire vehicles responded and brought it under control by 12:52 a.m., AFD said.

Several classrooms were damaged by water, flames and smoke, according to school officials. The classroom where the fire began belonged to Heather Helgeson, who has 28 fourth-grade students returning to school in a week. She went to see her room on Sunday morning and made a video.

Her classroom window had been broken. “A flare got put in my room and it caught fire,” she said.

“The District will continue the clean up until school resumes,” Esary said.

Insurance will likely cover the cost of replacing the damaged electronics, she said.

A neighbor witnessed the vandalism and it was caught on camera, said Rob Holland, the District’s director of operations.

“At least one person is visible on the video. We can’t determine who that is. The police may or may not be able to,” he said.

A cleaning crew, four of them custodians, were summoned from their beds early Sunday and showed up within an hour of the fire, he said. Everyone is focused on minimizing the disruption for the children.

“The staff that deployed at 1 and 2 in the morning were heroic people,” he said. “We aren’t going to be held down by acts of violence. We’re going to turn this around and make it seamless.”