Tag Archives: North Dakota

Auto Dealership, Other Business

Bismarck, ND – Fire at auto body shop extinguished by sprinkler system; Business resumes operations quickly

A fire, caused by welding sparks which ignited the filters of a spray booth ventilation system at an auto body shop, was largely contained by the business’ sprinklers on Tuesday. The Bismarck Fire Department was dispatched at about 4:23 p.m. to the 1800 block of Commerce Drive, where heavy smoke was showing from the shop area of the single-story building.

Fire had spread to the roof top HVAC system, but flames inside the shop had been extinguished by the activation of two heads on the fire sprinkler system, according to Owen Fitzsimmons, a fire marshal with the Bismarck Fire Department, who deemed the incident was accidental. Fire crews removed a roof top ventilation fan and a portion of the roof to access and extinguish the blaze. Afterward, a thermal imaging camera was used to scan for any fire spread, and firefighters left the scene at about 7:24 p.m.

Bismarck Police Department assisted with scene control. Metro Area Ambulance was on scene to provide assistance. There were no injuries to building occupants or firefighters. The sprinkler system has been reactivated, the business remains in operation.

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

Grand Forks, ND – Fire in university residence hall caused by unattended candle extinguished by sprinkler system

The Grand Forks Fire Department says the cause of the fire reported at Walsh Hall on the campus of the University of North Dakota on March 2nd.

The newly released fire investigation report revealed an unattended candle ignited a towel handing nearby. The 5 to 6 foot flames from the candle, towel and cardboard stored near the bed, activated the fire alarm and sprinkler system.

Fire crews say residents tried to put out the fire with a wet towel but were not able to. The sprinkler system was able to extinguish the fire.

The activation of the sprinkler system in the dorm room minimized the building damage to only $35,000 with $500 of personal contents lost. Walsh Hall is valued at $2.5 million and has a total content value of $750,000.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

West Fargo, ND (No Media Coverage) – Early morning fire at kindergarten center extinguished by sprinkler system

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE — READER REPORTED ***

A blog reader reported this sprinkler save from the Lodoen Kindergarten Center. The following message was sent from the school:

“At approximately 6:00 AM this morning, the West Fargo Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at our school. The alarm went off due to a small fire on the stove in the staff lounge. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system by the time the Fire Department arrived, but they did check our facility to ensure there were no further issues and that we could have school as normal. None of our classrooms were impacted, and students had a normal day today.”

Department Store, Retail

Fargo, ND – Overnight fire at Macy’s department store extinguished by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system is credited with minimizing what most likely would have been significant fire damage at Macy’s in West Acres. Fargo firefighters responded to an alarm at 2:42 a.m. Sunday and discovered a sprinkler head had activated and put out a fire in an office at the department store. The fire was determined to have started due to an overheated electrical device. The fire spread to office furniture before being extinguished by the sprinkler system. A damage assessment was not available

Apartment Building, Residential

Williston, ND – Apartment fire contained by sprinkler system; No injuries and dog saved

The Williston Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire at 5:17pm Wednesday to 4915 11th Ave W, or Renaissance Heights Apartments. Units arrived on scene at 5:23pm with smoke showing from the front of the building on the fifth floor. The fire was contained to a kitchen in one apartment and was controlled within about 5 minutes.

The fire sprinkler in the apartment contained the fire until the fire department arrived. Firefighters did rescue one dog from the apartment that was on fire.   There were no injuries reported. Approximately 49 residents were temporarily displaced overnight with 16 apartments that suffered smoke and/or water damage. Thirty-five firefighters were on-scene as well as police and emergency management. The building was released to management at 10:10 p.m.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Fargo, ND – Garage fire in row house building held in check by sprinkler system

A sprinkler system helped contain a fire in a south Fargo garage Monday, Sept. 18, according to the fire department.  Firefighters responded about 12:45 p.m. to a report of a fire in a garage of a row house building with eight residences at 4648 44th Ave. S.  The first arriving crew found a fire sprinkler operating in the garage of one of the homes. While the sprinkler had not extinguished the fire, it kept it in check until crews could put it out, fire officials said.

The fire appears to have started on a stovetop in the garage. Damage was limited to items in that part of the garage. There was no fire, smoke or water damage inside the house, fire officials said.  The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage is estimated to be $6,000 to the building and $2,000 to the contents of the garage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fargo, ND – Apartment balcony fire contained by single sprinkler

A sprinkler contained a fire on a second-floor balcony, which firefighters credited with helping to prevent the spread of the fire on Sunday, Sept. 10. Firefighters responded to a call of “smoke and flames coming from inside a second floor apartment” at 4948 47th St. S. When they arrived the firefighters found the fire sprinkler operating.

“Crews checked the apartment and found that the fire was contained to the balcony and there was no one inside,” Battalion Chief Dane Carley said in a statement.  Some vinyl siding was damaged before the sprinkler doused the fire. The initial damage estimate is $2,000. No apartment contents were damaged. The fire remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Grand Forks, ND – No injuries in apartment blaze put out by sprinkler system

The Grand Forks Fire Department was dispatched to 8½ S. Third St. for a fire alarm at 9:09 a.m. last Wednesday, according to Battalion Chief Mike Sandry. A fire marshal was working to determine the cause of the fire Wednesday morning. Sandry said it appeared there had been a fire that was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system in an apartment on the third floor.

Water had been coming through the floors in the building, dripping from third-floor apartments to second-floor apartments and into Trojan Promotions and True Colors, two businesses on the ground floor. By 9:45 a.m., the situation was under control and firefighters were mopping up water with squeegees. “We’ll see what the extent of the damage is and go from there,” Sandry said.

Duane Bundy lives on the third floor and said he heard the fire alarm shortly before 9 a.m. At first, he paid the noise little mind, but when it didn’t stop he went out to investigate. Water was flowing from the third to the second floor of the building, he said. Bundy decided to not go back to his apartment for his phone and was heading to a local business to call the fire department when he saw a police officer pull up, followed shortly by three fire engines. A four-year resident of the building, Bundy said he was concerned by not seeing any of his neighbors vacate their units. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Fargo, ND – Kitchen fire at senior living center extinguished by sprinkler system

 A kitchen fire in a senior living center unit caused an estimated $18,000 of damage Saturday, Feb. 25.  Fire crews responded just after 5 p.m. to a possible fire at the Touchmark by Harwood Groves complex, 1200 Harwood Drive S. They found smoke in the hallways, but an in-unit sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire.

No one was in the unit at the time of the fire, and most tenants in the three story building had already evacuated before firefighters got there, according to the Fargo Fire Department. A small dog was in the unit and uninjured. A Saturday news release said the fire was accidental and started from combustible materials that were left on the stove. There was minor fire damage.

 

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Other Business

Fargo, ND – Sprinkler system helps limit damage in fire at beverage wholesale business; No injuries reported

No one was injured Wednesday morning, Oct. 12, in a fire that was reported about 10:15 a.m. at Beverage Wholesalers, 701 4th Ave. N.  Employees at the business said the fire started in materials surrounding a loading dock door after some work had been done on the door.

The workers said everyone got out safely and no one was injured.  A Fargo Fire Department report on the incident said when crews arrived they found a fire that was being contained by a single fire sprinkler.

The fire was burning on and in a wall separating the loading dock area from the warehouse. Thanks to the sprinkler system and fire walls and doors that functioned as they should, fire damage was limited to a small area in the loading dock area and smoke damage was limited, the report said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.  The Fire Department estimated damage from the fire and smoke at $10,000.