Tag Archives: Ohio

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Carlisle, OH – Dust explosion contained with help from sprinkler system

Static electricity built up caused a spark and small explosion, said Brad Wymore, director of marketing and sales at Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions. He said there were some flammable materials within the solvent-based product manufactured in the Carlisle facility. Wymore said the on-site sprinkler system was triggered, and there was a fast response from the fire departments. There were no flames at any time, but a foam used to put out the small explosion does cause some smoldering. Wymore said 10 people were inside the building at the time, but only one was in the back near the explosion.

A small explosion at Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions led to no structural damage at the business. Just a wall panel was torn off. Lt. Dustin Perry, Franklin Twp. fire, said the damage was contained to a mixing tank. He said a dust explosion caused the incident.

UPDATE @ 11:33 a.m.
A small explosion was reported inside the business around 10:30 a.m. Crews on scene report part of a wall is laying out from the side of the building.

No injuries are reported, and all employees are accounted for.

On scene were fire department crews from Carlisle, Franklin, Madison Twp., Middletown, Miami Valley, Clearcreek Twp., Franklin Twp., Germantown and the Joint Emergency Medical Service.

The company, Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions, has been located here for less than a decade.

Multiple fire crews have responded to a reported fire at a factory in Carlisle Monday morning.

Crews were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. to Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions at 500 Business Parkway on reports of a fire and possible explosions from the building.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Salem, OH – Sprinkler system brings chemical fire under control at manufacturing facility

Investigators say a fire forced the evacuation of a Salem manufacturer and shut down one of the production lines.

According to the Salem Fire Department, crews were called out to American Standard on South Ellsworth Avenue shortly before 4:30 am Tuesday when a machine caught fire on the third floor.

Workers were evacuated from the building.

First firefighters on the scene saw smoke coming from the side of the building and called out Perry Township firefighters to assist.

According to investigators, the building’s sprinkler system brought the fire under control and no one was injured.

It’s believed the fire may have started from a chemical reaction.

Damage to the burned machine is estimated at $50,000.

Other Business

Bowling Green, OH – Electrical fire at business put out by sprinkler system; No injuries and operations not impacted

Middleton Township, Bowling Green and Troy Township fire departments responded to a report of smoke in a building at Principle Business Enterprises, 20189 Pine Lake Road, around 9:30 a.m. Friday.   The smoke was reportedly coming from Building B on the PBE campus. According to Middleton Township Fire Chief Steve Asmus, smoke was emanating from a bad fixture, which triggered the sprinkler system, putting the fire out. Fire crews dealt with some hotspots and smoldering product in cardboard boxes, which they extinguished. No injuries were reported.

A statement issued by Principle Business Enterprises co-CEO Charles A. Stocking said the small fire occurred as a result of an “electrical fluke” but it was quickly extinguished by PBE’s sprinkler system. “There were no injuries and the building was not impacted by the event, but the use of water has an effect on packaged ‘super absorbent products,’ which were in the affected area. PBE’s team and insurers are working together to clean up the impacted area.

“We are most grateful for the rapid response of the Dunbridge and other area fire crews. They were terrific,” the statement read. Stocking also noted the company is “experiencing significant growth and expects no interruption in scheduled operations or work schedules of its associates.“

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Moraine, OH – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at garbage hub transfer station

The garbage hub for Montgomery County is back in business after being shut down much of Thursday from a trash fire believed to have been caused by recently dumped, smoldering materials.

The county’s Solid Waste Transfer Station on Sandridge Drive reopened to both commercial and public customers by mid-afternoon, about 10 hours after fire crews responded the Moraine site near I-75.

“Our operations are getting back to normal,” county Environmental Services Communications Coordinator announced in a statement. “We will be open for regular business hours the rest of the week.”

Crews responded to the fire at the facility shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday, forcing employees and haulers off site, and the postponement of the start of a free, three-day appliance disposal program, which will begin Friday.

No injuries were reported and the blaze was put out by early afternoon, a county official said.

Thursday afternoon there was no dollar value estimate of the damage. But it was limited to some offices and the tipping floor where garbage is deposited after haulers make their pick-ups from customers throughout the county, Moraine Fire Chief David Cooper said.

“It’s a big building. There’s not much to burn other than the trash that’s in there,” he said.

Cooper said a definite cause had not been determined. However, it’s not uncommon for trash fires to flare up after haulers empty loads that can contain smoldering material, he said.

“And basically what happens is a fire starts down deep inside of it and it kind of snakes through,” Cooper added. “So you have to just dig it out and keep applying water.”

Moraine fire personnel were on the scene for more than seven hours, aided by crews from Dayton, Kettering and the Miami Valley Fire District, Cooper said.

The transfer station was not staffed overnight, he said, allowing the fire to get “a pretty good head start” before crews arrived. Yet he noted the “sprinkler system actually held it in check” for “quite some time until we got there.”

Crews used back hoes to separate the trash while using some 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames, Cooper said.

“You almost have to move every bit of trash that’s on that floor,” he said. “So we just have to move it from one side to the other and we spray it down.”

While the transfer station was closed because of the fire, county employees were diverted to alternative work sites, and haulers were directed to dump their loads at landfills, Wooten said.

The blaze also set back the start of the Appliance Amnesty program. The appliance disposal program – free to county residents – is a twice-a-year opportunity for people to unload large, unwanted household items.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Dover, OH – Fire at pallet manufacturing company extinguished with help from sprinkler system

A melted water tank is believed to have helped to extinguish a fire at Inca Pallets on Sunday evening.  Firefighters arrived to find no fire, although a sprinkler had activated and there was heat damage to a building, according to Dover Fire Capt. Michael Mossor. Water was also found flowing from the top of a wall.

An incident report said firefighters drained the sprinkler system and a section of fiberglass insulation ignited.  Firefighters found damage to a large plastic water tank near the suspected origin of the fire. The report said fire affected the tank, releasing water which contributed to extinguishing the fire.  Damage was estimated at $50,000 to the contents and $5,000 to the property.

Six departments were dispatched to the business at 3005 Progress St., where the fire alarm was triggered at 6:29 p.m. Firefighters arrived six minutes later and left the scene by 8:10 p.m.  In addition to Dover, fire departments came from New Philadelphia, Strasburg, Sugarcreek, Uhrichsville and Bolivar.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Macedonia, OH – Fire chief credits sprinklers with putting out arson fire at hotel

A Virginia man has been charged with first-degree felony aggravated arson in connection with an allegation that he set a mattress on fire at the Highland Road Motel 6 on July 29.

Fire Chief Tim Black said the only reported injury in the late night fire was a 4-year-old boy sleeping in a neighboring room who suffered mild smoke inhalation. He said the boy was not taken to a hospital, but “was just checked out” at the scene.

Black said that thanks to the motel’s sprinkler system, damage was limited to the room with the fire. About half of the mattress was burned and there was some water and possibly some smoke damage in the room, said Black. He did not have a damage estimate.“

[Sprinklers] work. They work well,” said Black.

He said the motel was evacuated for an unspecified period of time.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

New Philadelphia, OH – Dust collector fire at manufacturing facility limited by sprinkler system

A dust collector fire Monday evening at a Ohio manufacturing plant caused $100,000 in damages, the New Philadelphia Times-Reporter said in an article published Tuesday. Responding to the Gradall Industries Inc. facility in New Philadelphia, OH at about 10:15 p.m., firefighter discovered smoke coming from the building’s powder coating area and determined the fire’s source was the dust collector, New Philadelphia Fire Department Capt. Jim Sholtz told the newspaper. A sprinkler system in the powder coating area helped contain the flames to the immediate area. Fire crews remained on scene for about an hour and 45 minutes, the Times-Reporter said.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Greenville, OH – Sprinkler system keeps flames from spreading in retirement home fire

Authorities say a sprinkler system helped prevent flames from reaching the living quarters during a garage fire at the Brethren Retirement Community’s Chestnut Village Monday night.

The fire departments from Greenville City, Greenville Township and New Madison responded to the structure fire 9:20 p.m. at 888 Chestnut Circle after neighbors saw flames coming from the attached one-car garage.

According to the Greenville Fire Department, the fire was contained to the garage and did not have a chance to damage the inside of the unit or the joining unit to the north.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The contents of the garage including a vehicle were destroyed by flames and water. The homeowner was alerted to the fire by a neighbor. No injuries were reported.

Greenville Township Rescue and the Greenville Police Department also responded to the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Youngstown, OH – Fire on 15th floor of residential high-rise extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire on the 15th floor of the International Towers in downtown Youngstown resulted in the building’s evacuation Friday. Youngstown Fire Department Battalion Chief Ron Russo said the department first became aware of the fire shortly after 6 p.m. Russo was dispatched alongside a pair of fire engines to the scene. There were no injuries from the fire and no external damage to the building. When the firefighters arrived, the fire was already extinguished thanks to the building’s sprinkler system. The firefighters remained to help mop up the water and investigate the fire source. Though the official cause of the fire was not determined at the time of this report, Russo suggested it likely began due to clothing or other items accidentally igniting after coming into contact with a heat source, such as a furnace. A small number of residents said they experienced some water damage to their property due to the sprinklers, but the majority of the individuals evacuated expressed relief that no one was hurt and that the fire did not spread to other parts of the tower.

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

Chillicothe, OH – Laundry fire at correctional facility controlled with help from sprinkler system

Chillicothe firefighters responded early today to the Chillicothe Correctional Center, and upon arrival, moderate smoke was coming from the south side of the north service building where they discovered a fire in a large clothes dryer.

A report by Fire Chief Darrell Wright says a pressurized water can was used to extinguish the fire. Materials in the dryer were then removed to the outside of the building and two fans were used to remove smoke from the room.

The fire sprinkler system also was going off above the dryer. The correctional center maintenance crew had shut off power to that area of the building prior to the arrival of the fire department and also shut down the sprinkler system upon firefighters request.

Fire damage was limited to the inside of the dryer with smoke damage throughout the laundry room. There was some water damage from the sprinkler system in the dryer service area as water was also running across the floor into a storage area.

Personnel stated that they were alerted to the fire by the fire alarm system and investigated a nearby room and smelled smoke. Their security staff pulled up the camera in the laundry service room and saw smoke rolling across the ceiling in that room. They attempted to extinguish the fire with 2 dry chemical extinguishers but were unable to put out the fire as smoke got too heavy for them. They then called the Chillicothe Fire Department which was at the scene nearly two hours.

It was just past 12:30 this morning when Chillicothe fire responded to the scene at 3151 Litton Road with two fire engines and six personnel.