A fire broke out in the 200 block of West 9th Street overnight Monday.
Calls went out just after 2:40 a.m. on Monday for reported heavy smoke. Upon arrival, crews found a small fire which had been contained by the sprinkler system in the building.
Fire crews used fans to clear the building of the heavy smoke. Minimal damage was reported, and no one was injured.
Firefighters with the Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department responded to Water Fowl Way, off of Watkins Park Drive, around 4:45 a.m. after a report of a house fire in the area. Through an initial investigation, it was determined that the fire in the garage spread to the roof area of the home.
Three people were inside the home at the time of the fire and were alerted to the blaze by smoke alarms. The residential sprinkler system also activated and helped to minimize the spread of the fire in the living areas.
The house fire left three people displaced, but none of the residents were injured. One firefighter was taken to the hospital to be checked out after working the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A sprinkler system contained a kitchen fire at the Marion apartment complex on Friday night.
The small fire happened in a third-floor apartment at Hilltop Manor on Lindale Drive.
The Marion Fire and Police Departments evacuated all residents from the apartment complex while they extinguished the fire.
Firefighters said the sprinkler system contained the fire to the kitchen and limited the fire and smoke damage to the room and the apartment building.
No one was hurt, and firefighters believe the fire was an accident.
The fire occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Monday at the Providence Pointe Apartments, formerly known as Taft Homes. Crews were sent to the 100 block of Green Street and when they arrived, they found a two-story, eight-unit building with smoke coming from a first-floor unit.
The sprinkler system was operating and put out the fire. No one was found to be in the apartment. Damage was found to to the appliances and to the cabinets in the kitchen.
Water and smoke damage was found throughout, according to the department.
Two people will be displaced until restoration takes place and they were able to find their own
temporary housing.
Other residents in the building didn’t have to move temporary. There were no injuries. Damage was estimated at $25,000.
The fire in a commercial building on Northeast 18th Street was reported around 9:35 p.m. by a fire alarm company, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said. As crews responded, the business owners called 911 and reported seeing smoke on their security cameras, so more firefighters were dispatched.
Crews found the fire had been controlled by the sprinkler system in an upstairs bathroom.
“The cause is still under investigation but not believed to be intentional,” Derlacki said in a news release Tuesday. Damages were limited to about $10,000 an the two businesses were able to resume normal operation by Tuesday afternoon.
The cause remained under investigation Tuesday, but Derlacki said it was not believed to be intentional.
Derlacki said the fire sprinkler system extinguished the fire with only one head activating.
“National data show that the presence of fire sprinklers in a building drastically reduce the fire damage and down time for businesses,” the fire official said. “In this case, staff were able to clean up the water within a few hours and prevent any damage to stored goods in the building.”
“With no one in the building at the time of the fire, without the sprinklers, this fire would’ve gotten out control before it was large enough to be noticed in a large industrial park,” Derlacki added.
An early morning fire at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional has been ruled accidental.
The fire was reported at around 1:25 a.m., in an Environmental Services Storage Closet. Crews were able to control the blaze in just over 20 minutes.
Maryland State Fire Marshals say the fire involved an electric vacuum cleaner attached to the wall and was caused by the failure of a lithium-ion battery. The incident reportedly took place in an employee-only area and was controlled by the automatic sprinkler system. No patients were displaced or required evacuation, and hospital operations were not affected. The sprinkler and alarm system were placed back in service.
Fire crews arrived on the scene and were met by employees who had found smoke and flames in the laundry room. Crews found that the clothes in the dryer had caught fire, and the sprinkler system had activated. Fire Crews quickly extinguished the fire and removed the smoke from the building. The cause of the fire is undetermined. One inmate was transported to Altru with unknown injuries. There were no injuries to fire personnel or corrections staff.
The fire department responded with five engines, one aerial truck, one command vehicle, and twenty personnel. The fire department was assisted by the Grand Forks County Corrections Staff, Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office, and Altru Ambulance.
According to the St. Cloud Fire Department, the fire started around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Fire damage was limited to one room because of the sprinkler system.
Lt. Nathan North of the St. Cloud Salvation Army feels fortunate the fire didn’t spread but says the water damage left most of their space needing full renovations.
“In that moment, it just, it fell off, and my heart sank,” North said about getting the phone call about the fire.
“Unfortunately, our shelter [became] unsafe to be in until we can assess everything,” North said. “So unfortunately, it displaces all of our residents that are here with us.”
That’s around 40 people, many of whom are now with Place of Home Ministries.
“It’s terrible for the people,” Pastor Carol Smith, with Place of Home Ministries, said.
“We were able to get [a floor at] our facility ready that we were not occupying at the moment, miraculously,” Smith said.
She adds pillows, blankets, and bedding would be warmly welcomed and that donations can be dropped off at 511 9th Ave. N. in St. Cloud.
“We’re just trying to provide what we can for support and all that this holiday season,” Smith said.
As for the St. Cloud Salvation Army, North is asking people not to share physical donations with them as they work to clean up their facility. He added that donating to the Salvation Army’s red kettles is the best way to help.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
Cedar City public information officer Gabrielle Costello said a fire started inside a trash can inside the Jones Paint and Glass building located at 38 E. 1600 North at approximately 9:11 p.m. Monday.
Chad Barnes, assistant manager of Jones Paint and Glass and also a full-time firefighter with Cedar City Fire Department, was reportedly notified in both capacities that the facility’s sprinkler system had been activated after hours.
According to a news release issued by Costello on Friday afternoon, Barnes wasn’t on duty with the fire department but arrived alongside on-duty fire crews that evening to find that the building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire within 30 seconds of being activated.
Prior to the activation of the sprinklers, the fire and smoke had been building up inside the trash can for approximately four minutes, as seen on the company’s surveillance cameras, the statement added.
“This is a prime example of how a sprinkler system can save a business,” Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said in the news release. “Recovery after a fire can often put a business out for a few days or sometimes forever but there are ways to prevent complete devastation and resume operations soon after.”
Barnes noted that even though the initial cost upfront for a sprinkler system can be costly for small business owners, the benefits are far greater if the sprinkler system is activated and saves the business.
“We are thankful to have resumed normal business operations the very next morning,” Barnes said.
“On behalf of everyone at Jones Paint and Glass, we want to thank the firefighters for their prompt response and the time they spent helping clear the water from the building,” he added.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials said.
Small business owners in Cedar City or Iron County who have questions about fire suppression systems are invited to call the Cedar City Fire Department at 435-586-2964.
