Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business Elmont, NY – Barn fire at Belmont Park race track extinguished by sprinkler system; No horses or people injured February 25, 2017 viking210 As reported on ESPN.com, there were no injuries to horses or humans reported as a result of a small fire in a tack room in Barn 61 at Belmont Park on Thursday night. Michelle Nevin has most of the horses stabled in that barn. According to Glen Kozak, the New York Racing Association’s vice president of facilities/racing surfaces, some equipment was placed too close to an electric heater in a tack room, sparking the fire. The sprinkler system in the barn went off and doused the fire before the Elmont Fire Department arrived. “No horses were moved, no horses were hurt,” Kozak said. “We were lucky, it was a very minor event with minimal damage.” Kozak estimated the damage to be $2,500 and mostly to a wall in the tack room.
Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail Reidsville, NC – Arson fire at Food Lion grocery store suppressed by sprinkler system February 24, 2017 viking210 Two fires ignited in Reidsville businesses on Saturday, Feb. 18, but officials say there is no connection … Less than 22 hours later, at 11:24 p.m., Reidsville Police, Reidsville Fire and the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to Food Lion in reference to a fire. Inside, officials found a man actively damaging property. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Annie Penn Hospital, according to a news release. Harris said a suspect broke a window, entered the store, caused damage and used a lighter to ignite paper products on aisle eight, including toilet paper and paper towels. This set off two overhead sprinklers which suppressed the fire. There was limited fire damage to the building. The officials arrived at 11:28 p.m. and the situation was under control by 11:37 p.m.
Other - Residential, Residential Charleston, SC – Early morning fire at short-term rental property contained by sprinkler system February 22, 2017 viking210 Firefighters with the City of Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire in downtown Charleston this morning just after 3:30 a.m., according to Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. The alarm company reported an automatic fire alarm at a residential short-term rental property on Spring Street. Emergency responders from the Charleston Fire Department were dispatched to the alarm and arrived in less than three minutes, according to Julazadeh. Additional information was provided by a 911 caller advising that a fire had occurred in the kitchen and the incident was upgraded to a structure fire, sending additional resources from Charleston, North Charleston, and Saint Andrews Fire Departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department, he said. Emergency responders arrived to a four story building, that included retail sales on the first floor and a three story rental unit above, as the tenants were self-evacuating. Responders searched the property, verified the fire was contained by the fire sprinkler system, controlled the water flow from the sprinkler, and ventilated the building. Investigators from the Fire Marshal Division Fire Investigation Team responded to the scene to review the incident. The home was occupied at the time of the emergency and the residents woke to the sound of the activated fire alarm, he said. Occupants discovered the fire in the kitchen area and noted an activated fire sprinkler, called 911, and utilized a fire extinguisher to further suppress the fire. The occupants then proceeded out of the building as the fire department arrived on scene. Investigators determined the fire originated within the kitchen trashcan and was likely caused by discarded cooking items. “A number of critical fire safety elements were instrumental in providing for the safety of the occupants and minimizing the damage to the building,” said Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. “First, fire inspections were previously completed as part of the approval process of the rental in order to verify code compliance and maintenance of the fire protection systems. Second, the fire alarm system detected the incident, alerted the occupants, and provided automatic notification to 911. Third, the fire sprinkler system contained the fire and prevented a significant loss to the property or the adjoining properties that are in close proximity. All of these components created a life safety system that prevented injury and minimized the potential loss.”
Apartment Building, Residential San Antonio, TX – Sprinkler system limits spread of apartment fire; No injuries and fire damage minimized February 21, 2017 viking210 The fire happened just before 1 a.m. Sunday in the 9600 block of Bandera Road. According to police, the people inside the apartment left food on the stove unattended. The sprinkler inside the apartment put out most of the fire before the fire department arrived. No one was injured in the fire.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Armstrong, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system douses fire; Assist firefighters in controlling fire in commercial building February 19, 2017 viking210 There was very little sleep for Armstrong-Spallumcheen firefighters. The volunteer firefighters were first called to a blaze in downtown Armstrong Wednesday night and then to a fire at a Spallumcheen farm early Thursday morning. “Our crew did a terrific job,” said Ian Cummings, fire chief. The first call came in at 10:21 p.m. Wednesday at the Rose Valley Square on Pleasant Valley Road in Armstrong. “The sprinkler was activated and there was smoke in the building,” said Cummings. It’s believed spontaneous combustion caught some oily rags on fire, but the sprinkler was able to douse the flames.
College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory Flint Twp, MI – Fire at Baker College residence hall put out by sprinkler system; No injuries February 19, 2017 viking210 All 46 residents have been cleared to move back into their rooms at Baker Hall East, except for three who live in the fire-damaged room. According to Baker College, they were the only students with property damage after the Wednesday evening incident and they’ve since been relocated. The Flint Township fire department says it was a small cooking fire in their suite that was put out quickly when the sprinkler system activated, which caused water damage. Baker College plans to cover the cost of their lost items. (02/15/17) – A small cooking fire forces a Baker College dorm to be completely evacuated Wednesday night. The Flint Township fire department says the fire activated the sprinkler system at Baker Hall knocking out the flames pretty quickly. The unit was on the second floor, causing water damage on the first and second floor. Crews had to evacuate everyone in the three story building for the night. Power was also cut to the first two floors. No one was hurt.
Apartment Building, Residential Hickory, NC – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight apartment kitchen fire; No injuries February 18, 2017 viking210 Hickory firefighters were dispatched to a reported fire alarm at Kenworth Hall located at 426 2nd Ave SE. Firefighters responded with two engines, one ladder, one rescue truck, and two command units. The first crew arrived to find heavy smoke on the second floor of the apartment complex. Firefighters also found the sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire in the kitchen. Firefighters worked to remove the smoke from the building and minimize the water damage. One apartment was damaged by the fire and two apartments sustained water damage, the Red Cross responded to assist the tenants. There were no injuries.
Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant Harrisburg, PA – Overnight fire at popular downtown restaurant extinguished by single sprinkler February 13, 2017 viking210 A single sprinkler saved a Harrisburg restaurant from a catastrophic fire early Friday, city Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. The fire call came in just before 2 a.m. from the Capitol Gastropub in the 300 block of North Second Street. Only light smoke was in the building when firefighters arrived. Enterline said they found “a small fire in the basement that had been controlled and extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head.” The fire started in a plastic laundry tub filled with cleaning rags, he said. The tub was ruined and there was minor water damage, but that was it, the chief said. The damage totaled about $2,500. The restaurant was able to open without a hitch. “If this business did not have an operating sprinkler system to control the fire, the loss to not only the building but the lost revenue for the restaurant could have easily been in excess of $1 million,” Enterline said. “Fire sprinklers are a proven life safety and property loss reduction system that often comes under fire by the building industry as being overpriced and unnecessary.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.
Apartment Building, Residential McKinney, TX – Fire officials credit sprinkler system with minimizing damage in apartment fire February 13, 2017 viking210 McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to a multifamily structure fire Feb. 7, just days after another apartment complex fire. Tenants reported heavy smoke throughout Orion McKinney Apartments, 2508 Collin McKinney Parkway just after midnight. Responding units discovered the fire sprinkler system had activated and controlled and extinguished the fire in one of the apartments outside patios. A sprinkler head is credited for the minimal damage, and once again reinforced the value of fire sprinkler systems. No injuries reported from the fire. “This successful save by the sprinkler system shows the probability that the fire will be contained within an area, making it easier for occupants to leave and making the structure safer for our firefighters to work in,” said Fire Marshal Mike Smith. “Plus saving numerous dollars in construction costs.” Approximately 30 MFD personnel and investigators from the Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the fire.
Apartment Building, Residential Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Fire at four story apartment building suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported February 12, 2017 viking210 With cold weather here and a Winter Storm Warning in effect the Chilliwack Fire Department is warning residents not to leave combustibles near heat sources after a fire Monday night. On Feb. 6 at approximately 9:45 p.m. the Chilliwack Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 8900-block of School Street. On arrival crews saw smoke from a second-storey apartment window of a four-storey residential building. Firefighters responded from Halls 1 and 4. The sprinkler system was primarily responsible for extinguishing the fire, minimizing fire damage to the tenant’s unit. The tenant was home at the time of the fire. There were no firefighter or civilian injuries. The cause of the fire appears to be accidental. The Chilliwack Fire Department is reminding residents to keep combustibles at least one metre away from heat sources.
