Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Apartment Building, Residential

Oklahoma City, OK – Firefighters say sprinkler system helped halt apartment fire; woman and child safely evacuated

Firefighters say a sprinkler system at an apartment complex helped put out a potentially dangerous fire.

Fire crews were called to the scene around 3 a.m. near I-240 and Penn.

Officials say a woman called saying her door was on fire and that her and her daughter were trapped inside.

OKCFD crews say the sprinkler system put out that fire and crews were able to rescue the woman and the child.

Multiple apartments in the complex were evacuated. There were no injuries to report.

Right now, the fire is considered suspicious and arson investigators were on-scene.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Rockford, IL – No injuries reported as sprinkler system keeps fire under control at fabricating company

No one was reported injured after a fire broke out overnight at the Comet Fabricating and Welding building in Rockford, according to fire officials.

Firefighters were called at 12:07 a.m. today to the building at 5620 Falcon Road after a fire sparked inside, according to the Rockford Fire Department. The first fire crews reportedly found that the building’s sprinkler system had kept the fire under control until firefighters could extinguish it.

The building was closed at the time the fire broke out and no one was inside. When the sprinkler system went off, it triggered an alarm, Fire District Chief Tracy Renfro said, which summoned firefighters.

The cause of the fire is being investigated but is considered accidental.

Renfro said the fire was “most likely electrical” and began in a wooden enclosure in the northeast corner of the building. It occurred in a 10-foot by 10-foot area, he said.

Damage was estimated at $25,000. Renfro said Comet Fabricating was open today.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

De Soto, MO – Overnight fire at residential care facility extinguished by sprinkler system

A small fire Wednesday night (May 17) at the Villas residential care facility in De Soto led to the evacuation of about 35 residents, the De Soto Fire Department reported. At 11:32 p.m., the fire department got a call about an alarm sounding at the facility, 1550 Villa Drive, Fire Chief Craig Block said.  When firefighters arrived at 11:40 p.m., they found light smoke showing in the building, he said.

“Upon further investigation, they found there was a fire in a storage room, but the sprinkler system had put it out,” Block said. “We have an updated sprinkler system and a current digital alarm,” said Beverly Rector, administrator for the Villas.

Because of the fire and smoke, a second alarm was struck and firefighters from the De Soto Rural, Hematite, Hillsboro, Festus and R-7 fire protection districts responded to the scene and helped with the evacuation. They also were joined by emergency medical personnel from Valle, North Jefferson, Joachim-Plattin and Rock Township ambulance districts, Block said. Rector said people were already being evacuated when emergency responders arrived at the facility.

“We evacuated the entire campus to safe zones on the property,” she said. Residents were evacuated to the parking lot of the facility.  Meanwhile, firefighters ventilated the building to remove the smoke, Block said.  One patient, who complained about being injured during the evacuation, was transported to an area hospital, Block said.  The state Fire Marshal’s Office was called in and determined the fire was accidental, Block said.  “We still don’t have a report on the cause of the fire,” he said.

Residents were back in their rooms at about 12:45 a.m., Block said. He said safeguards in the building stopped the situation from becoming worse.  “Luckily, the sprinkler system did its job,” Block said.  Rector said staff at the Villas were grateful to the emergency responders.  “The fire department and EMS should be commended,” she said. “They have our gratitude. They were quick and helpful and efficient in the process.”

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system keeps warehouse fire from spreading; Fire started on exterior roll-up door

An automatic fire sprinkler prevented a warehouse from becoming fully involved after a fire started outside the warehouse early Tuesday morning. Fire dispatchers received a call from a passer-by at 1:40 a.m. that flames were visible on the outside of a warehouse in the alley behind 1510 S. Main St. The alley runs between Wyoming and Utah avenues. When firefighters arrived there was fire on the outside of a large rollup door into the warehouse from the alley. The fire was beginning to burn into the warehouse.  When firefighters cut through the rollup door, they found that an automatic fire sprinkler was activated and was preventing the fire from entering the building.  Smoke did enter the building and firefighters were able to get it out quickly. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A damage estimate is not available.  There were no reported injuries.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Calgary, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system stops high-rise balcony fire from entering building; No injuries reported

Several floors of a southwest Calgary apartment building were evacuated Saturday night after a fire broke out on an upper storey balcony. Around 9:30 p.m., the Calgary Fire Department responded to several calls regarding visible flames coming off a balcony at the London Tower building in the 8000 block of Horton Road S.W.  Calgary Fire Department Battalion Chief Alistair Tobin said residents in units two floors above and two floors below the fire were evacuated and placed onto city transit buses.

No one was injured and fire crews managed to contain the fire and smoke damage to just one unit. “The sprinkler system worked perfect so it stopped the fire from entering the building much. The patio or the balcony was quite heavily damaged but the suite was protected by the sprinkler system,” Tobin said.  Tobin said residents of six units were not allowed back into their homes last night. Everyone else who was evacuated was permitted to re-enter the building after the fire department completed its air quality monitoring.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Austin, TX – Sprinkler system helps limit spread of 3rd floor apartment fire

At least 2 people were displaced after an overnight fire at a southeast Austin apartment complex. Firefighters say the sprinkler system helped contain the fire to a 3rd-Floor apartment.  According to the fire department, an improperly discarded cigarette triggered the fire. Damage is estimated to be $18.000.  None was injured during the incident, according to AFD.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Alliston, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system helps extinguish intentionally-set fire at Walmart

The Walmart in Alliston will be open for business on April 21 after being closed since April 7 when a fire was set inside the store.

“We are reopening the store tomorrow morning (April 21) at 7 a.m.,” said Alex Roberton, senior director of corporate affairs for Walmart Canada.

The Walmart was closed for clean up after multiple fires were set inside the store on April 7.

The Nottawasaga detachment of the OPP charged a 15-year-old girl with arson in connection with the fires. Police believe the suspect hid inside the store when it closed at 10 p.m.

New Tecumseth firefighters responded and extinguished a fire in the central area of store. The sprinkler system inside the store engaged, helping to extinguish the flames.

Lee Jeyes, operation director for Ontario Walmarts, said a number of things had to be done to make sure the store was safe to reopen.

“The first thing we had to do and address was to work with health department,” Jeyes said.

The health department identified what had been damaged by smoke, he said.

“The majority of the food product and consumable product had been smoke damaged so we had to remove anything that the health department deemed as unsafe,” he said.

He said they took out merchandise that was “unsalable” and destroyed it. They then took the merchandise that could be donated and gave it to Salvation Army and a local food bank.

“We were able to donate almost $700,000 worth of product,” Roberton said.

A final dollar amount for the damages still hasn’t been determined.Jeyes said the sprinkler system only engaged in the fashion department of the store, and not every department experienced smoke damage.

The whole store was cleaned and the past week has been spent bringing merchandise back in.

When the doors open again, some product will still be unavailable.

“Not everything will be available, the majority of the food department and consumable department will be available and fully stocked,” Jeyes said. “We will still be working on some of the general merchandise areas, especially fashion and clothing.”

Jeyes thanked the community for their patience.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Hartford, CT – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at commercial building; No injuries reported

Several tenants are assessing damage on Sunday after a fire at a commercial building that housed a church in Hartford on Saturday night.

Firefighters say flames sparked around 10 p.m. on 806 Windsor Street in the Capitol City.

Officials are saying the sprinkler system helped to keep the fire in check.

According to the Hartford Courant, there were no injuries reported.

It is not clear what started the fire or how much damage the building sustained.

Apartment Building, Residential

Passaic, NJ – Sprinklers credited with saving apartments after fire spread from neighboring warehouse

More than a dozen families were forced out of their homes after a warehouse fire spread to nearby apartments in Passaic, New Jersey. Cell phone video of the blaze, which broke out just after 10 p.m. Monday, shows flames and smoke billowing from the warehouse on First Street as it burned for three hours.  Passaic Mayor Hector Lora arrived on scene and took to Facebook, warning residents to take precaution.  “Close your windows, make sure it’s not getting into your house,” he said. “The smoke is obviously right now one of the biggest challenges.”

Food products were being stored in the warehouse along with propane tanks, which posed a hazard to firefighters working to drown out the flames. As the fire spread, the roof of the warehouse collapsed and the flames traveled to a neighboring apartment building facing Market Street. All 13 units were evacuated.

“The five in the back of the building did have fire damage, those were the one right next to where the fire was coming out,” Fire Chief Joseph Cajzer said. “Those apartments are a little worse damage but again, the sprinklers did a good job of keeping the fire in check.” Resident Elder Antoine and his seven family members slept on cots inside of the Passaic senior center along with their neighbors.

“We grabbed everybody and left everything in the house,” Antoine said. “I went down the stairs and I looked and the house was covered in smoke.” Christian Manzanres lives in an apartment with 12 of his family members. They all ran out of the burning building. “I’m scared because I have a cat still in there I’m worried about him,” Manzanres said.

The fire was brought under control after about three hours, tenants in the neighboring apartment were rushed out with at least five units badly damaged. Two firefighters had minor injuries.  The Red Cross says it is helping 50 people with temporary lodging, food and clothing.  The surrounding five blocks in the neighborhood were without electricity.  The fire department said families who were displaced should be able to return thanks to the sprinkler system, but it will be a few days before they can do so.  The cause of the fire does not appear suspicious, but it is under investigation.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Salem, VA – Overnight fire at tire manufacturer controlled with help from sprinkler system

A fire at Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem early Friday morning damaged part of the facility. Salem Fire & EMS went to the building in the 1500 block of Indiana Street about 2 a.m., according to the department. All employees inside the facility were safely evacuated.  The fire started at a mixer machine in the plant, according to a statement from the company. The sprinkler system was triggered. The type of rubber that caught fire causes a lot of smoke, the company said.  The first crew arrived within six minutes of the call and found heavy fire coming from one side of the building. The two-alarm fire also required assistance from Roanoke Fire-EMS and Roanoke County Fire & Rescue. The first firefighters on scene were able to get the fire under control within about 30 minutes.

The fire was contained to one part of the building, which sustained significant damage from the fire. Damage from the fire required extensive salvage and overhaul operations. An estimate of the damage was not available Friday morning. The plant was shut down at 4 a.m. and most areas of the plant resumed operations Friday morning, the company said.  About 32 people from fire and rescue agencies responded to the call. No injuries were reported.  The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Salem plant manufactures passenger, high-performance and light-truck tires and is one of Salem’s largest employers.