Tag Archives: Night (9pm-5am)

Other-Government/Military

West Mifflin, PA – Fire at atomic research lab extinguished by automatic sprinkler system

A small fire at an atomic power laboratory near Pittsburgh has been extinguished without incident or injury by the building’s sprinkler system.  Officials at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory say there was no threat to the public from Sunday night’s fire in West Mifflin.  The government-owned facility is operated for the Department of Energy and the U.S. Navy by Bechtel Bettis, Inc.  The technology developed there is used to power U.S. nuclear-powered warships.  The cause of the fire was still being investigated Monday. It occurred in an area that contains low-level radioactive material, none of which was released as a result of the fire.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Phoenix, AZ – No injuries as sprinkler system knocks down fire at Guitar Center

The sprinkler system was the hero of the day after a fire broke out at a Guitar Center off of I-17 and Peoria Avenue overnight Wednesday. 

Phoenix fire officials said sprinklers put out most of the flames before crews arrived. 

The Guitar Center has water damage, but fire officials said had the sprinklers not been in place, the story could have gone much differently.

The Guitar Center doesn’t have a fire wall, meaning the flames could have easily spread to surrounding businesses in the strip mall.

Luckily, no one was injured. 

Detectives will now investigate what cased the fire to break out. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Belton, TX – Overnight apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A stove that was left on led to a fire in a second-floor unit at the River Springs at Barge Ranch apartments, 3300 N. Main Street, on Sunday night. A sprinkler system in the unit put the fire out, according to a press release from Paul Romer, public information officer for the city of Belton.  Nobody was injured in the fire, but it displaced two adults – one in the unit where the fire occurred and another person from the unit directly below.  The Belton Fire Department responded to a call about the fire at about 11:15 p.m. on Sunday by sending two engine trucks and two ambulances. The Temple Fire Department provided mutual aid with an engine and a ladder truck.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, College/University (on campus)

Lewiston, ID – Laundry fire at on-campus college activity center put out by single sprinkler

A fire at Lewis-Clark State College late last night caused an estimated $25,000 in damage. According to a press release, Lewiston Fire crews were dispatched to a reported water flow alarm at the Activity Center at 11:40 p.m.  Once on scene, crews were advised by LCSC security personnel that an alarm was sounding in the activity center. Initial crews began a search and found smoke in the basement.

“The basement had several areas near the locker room with water on the floor. After searching several rooms, it was discovered that there had been a fire in a dryer in the laundry room, and the sprinkler system had a single head that had activated and extinguished the fire,” the press release states.

Fire crews remained on scene for another hour to assist with getting the sprinkler system shut down, evacuating the smoke, and to confirm there was no extension of the fire. The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction with the commercial dryer in the laundry room. The department responded with three structural engines, one ambulance, one truck, one service unit, and one chief officer, totaling 13 personnel. There were no citizen or firefighter injuries to report.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Austin, TX – Fire at Crowne Plaza Hotel extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Austin Fire Department responded Friday night to a hotel just off of I-35 in North Austin after a fire inside a third floor room. Guests were evacuated from the Crowne Plaza Hotel around 9:00 p.m., but were allowed back in a short time later. No injuries were reported.  The Austin Fire Depart. says a sprinkler system extinguished the fire believed to be related to an electrical problem in an HVAC system. One room was damaged with smoke, while other parts of the hotel have water damage. In all, there’s about $250,000 worth of damage.  Guests who cannot return to their room have been relocated by the hotel.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Bolingbrook, IL – Kitchen fryer fire at McDonald’s extinguished by sprinkler system

A Bolingbrook McDonald’s was shut down due to a kitchen fryer fire Saturday.  The Bolingbrook Fire Department responded to the fire at 3:21 a.m. and evacuated the building, located at 100 N. Bolingbrook Drive. The sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire, according to the Bolingbrook Fire Department.

Once firefighters ensured the fire was out, they ventilated the building. The Will County Health Department was notified and cleanup and repairs are continuing. McDonald’s management expects to have all necessary repairs completed by Wednesday. The store could reopen by Thursday.

Apartment Building, Residential

Gainesville, FL – Apartment fire held in check by sprinkler system; Two cats rescued

Two cats were rescued and a fire was contained to a bathroom in a Gainesville apartment Friday night, an incident that shows the value of sprinkler systems in buildings, said Gainesville Fire Rescue.  The fire was reported a 9:45 p.m. at the Pine Hill Estates apartment complex at 1426 NW Third Ave. The fire alarm monitoring company indicated it was a “water-flow” alarm, GFR District Chief Allen Siorek said in a press release.  A neighbor also called in to report smoke coming from the building.

Firefighters forced their way into the apartment and found a fire in the bathroom. Siorek said the sprinkler system had activated, keeping the fire in check. Two cats were rescued but no one was in the apartment when the fire occurred.  “While the fire is still under investigation, the importance of a working sprinkler system cannot be overstated,” Siorek said in the release. “Without these live-saving devices, the fire would have spread considerably, potentially damaging adjacent apartments and endangering the lives of other tenants who were home, including the residents above.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Manchester, NH – Apartment fire held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Two people were rescued from a fire inside an apartment above Caesarios Pizza Friday night. Just before 9:30 p.m. a box alarm sounded at 1061 Elm St.  As firefighters were responding, dispatch received a call from an occupant of apartment 210 indicating that there was an emergency in their apartment and that they were trapped.  Dispatchers could not get clarification from the occupant on what type of emergency that they were reporting. After further inquiry they reported a possible explosion.  Fire crews from Central Station arrived several minutes after receiving the call and discovered a fire in apartment 210 with occupants still inside.

Firefighters accessed the three-bedroom apartment through the only access available which led them into the living room that was on fire. Firefighters searched the two adjacent rooms for the known trapped occupants and rescued them, removing them to the exterior hall through a barricaded secondary egress, and then to the outside where they were evaluated by AMR ambulance personnel. Though shaken up they were not injured and refused transport to the hospital.

Elm Street was closed to traffic during the emergency. Damage is estimated at $10,000.00. Caesario’s Pizza and Element Lounge both suffered water runoff from the sprinkler system.  Manchester Health Department responded and met with representatives of both businesses.

The 911 dispatcher kept the occupants on the phone (helping them stay calm) the whole time, until they were rescued. A working sprinkler system kept the fire in check until firefighters arrived and extinguished the remainder of the fire. Heavy smoke filled most of the second floor and the third and fourth floors had moderate smoke from the fire. The entire building was evacuated for approximately one hour, as were the two effected businesses. The fire was caused by careless disposal of smoking materials into a waste basket next to the recliner in the living room. This fire is classified as accidental.

District Fire Chief Mike Gamache said he attributes the safe rescue of the two people trapped inside the apartment to a combination of a working sprinkler system, the calm professionalism of the 911 dispatch team and the rapid efficient response of the Manchester Fire Department.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Greencastle, IN – Early morning fire at DePauw University residence hall extinguish by sprinkler system; No injuries

No students were injured in a small early-morning Tuesday fire at a DePauw University residence hall.  At 3:12 a.m., the Greencastle Fire Department was dispatched to Mason Hall at 402 E. Anderson St. on the report of a fire alarm.

Fire crews arrived two minutes later and began a search of the building. They discovered light smoke in Room 310, with the sprinkler system having already extinguished a small fire.

Greencastle Fire Chief John Burgess reported the fire appears to have originated from a piece of electrical equipment, but the case remains under investigation. The fire and sprinkler activation were contained to a single room, with an estimated $20,000 in damage occurring due to water.

Burgess reported no structural damage, noting that the sprinkler system performed its function of containing and extinguishing the fire. “Everything worked like it should,” he said.

The alarm led to the evacuation of the building. In an early morning email to faculty and staff, university president Mark McCoy reported that many students went to the Memorial Student Union Building or other campus structures.

McCoy further stated that a total of 140 students are housed in Mason but many had already left campus for Thanksgiving.

“As a campus, let’s give thanks for the fact that everyone is safe,” McCoy wrote to the staff, “and that is in large part to the great work of the Greencastle Fire Department, campus police and our caring and capable student life staff.”

Firefighters remained on the scene until 6:14 a.m. The building was reopened to students later Tuesday morning.

Mason Hall is a four-story structure situated on the Ubben Quad of the DePauw campus.

While false alarms are common in DePauw structures, longtime members of the campus community know they are not something to be taken lightly.

In April 2002 Rector Hall, which had been adjacent to Mason Hall, was destroyed by fire.

Although all students escaped safely, a pair of firefighters were injured in the large blaze that required 12 departments to combat.

The Rector Hall fire was caused by an electrical problem.

Office Building, Other Business

North Charleston, SC – Overnight fire at office park held in check by sprinkler system

Emergency crews have extinguished a fire at a business in Park Circle Tuesday night.  Crews with the North Charleston Fire Department responded to the fire at the ALSCO building on 4921 Chateau Ave.  NCFD officials reported at 10:47 p.m. that the fire was under control.  Authorities said the fire was kept in check by the sprinkler system until crews made entry to extinguish the fire fully.

There were no reported injuries.  Residents in the area reported multiple fire trucks responding to the incident.  A motorist said authorities had shut down a portion of the road as crews worked the fire.