Tag Archives: Oklahoma

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Tulsa, OK – Oven fire at manufacturing business suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A Tulsa business was briefly evacuated Thursday morning after a fire inside an oven. Firefighters got the call before 7 a.m. to Sonoco Products in the 10000 block of East 52nd Street. 

Plant manager Lynn Ratliff told News On 6, a fire broke out in an oven in the company’s quality control room. An employee tried to use a fire extinguisher, but when that failed they evacuated the building and called 911.  The fire department said the sprinkler system put out the fire.  They said the fire was contained to just one room. 

Ratliff says the company makes paper tubing mostly for the film industry. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Tulsa, OK – Overnight fire at senior apartment complex is limited by sprinkler system

The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. at Inverness Village near 3800 W. 71st St. A couple woke up to their balcony on fire. The husband pulled the fire alarm and the couple ran outside to safety.

Firefighters with the Sapulpa Fire Department showed up to see several residents outside. According to firefighters, the sprinkler system helped contain the fire until crews were able to put it out completely.

Everyone who evacuated is back inside their apartments. Three people were put in module units until their apartments are repaired.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Stillwater, OK – Sprinklers prevent overnight fire from spreading at popular restaurant

A small kitchen fire at El Vaquero early Sunday morning has forced the restaurant to temporarily close. A pot with oil in it was left on a lit gas burner after all the employees had gone home for the day, according to General Manager Gustavo Villasenor, who Monday said he may need to get more strict with his closing procedures.

The hood above the stove and ventilation system suffered the brunt of the damage from the fire, which started about midnight Sunday morning, about an hour after the last employee had left for the night. Villasenor said a sprinkler system above the stove turned on and prevented the fire from spreading.

Fire Marshal Neal Moore said the fire was pretty much out when firefighters arrived on scene. This isn’t the first time the business has been impacted by fire.

A 2003 electrical fire in the walls of the Mexican restaurant forced them to close for a year as they worked to rebuild the front of the building. “I feel fortunate that it wasn’t worse and that everybody is okay,” Villasenor said.

If all goes well with the cleanup effort and minor repairs, Villasenor said he hopes to reopen Wednesday evening or Thursday in time for lunch.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Tulsa, OK – Sprinklers confine fire at Woodland Hills Mall to small area

A small fire triggered an alarm and was extinguished at Woodland Hills Mall on Monday evening, a Tulsa Fire Department spokesman said.

Fire Capt. Stan May said some boxes in a sub-level storage area near JCPenney, on the south side of the mall at 71st Street and Memorial Drive, caught fire and triggered an alarm about 8 p.m. Three sprinklers were activated and kept the flames confined to the boxes, which were in a hallway area, May said.

Damage was minimal in large part because the storage area has a concrete floor, he said. However, about 2 inches of water was standing in the storage area as of Monday night. A restoration and cleanup company were brought to the scene to survey the damage.

Fire alarms went off in the mall, and an entrance near the store was briefly blocked to visitors, but May said shoppers were able to leave once fire crews determined that everyone in the mall was safe. No public shopping areas were damaged in the incident.

The fire remains under investigation.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Enid, OK – Fire at food production facility controlled with help from sprinkler system

AdvancePierre Foods had a small fire in one of its cooking stacks early Thursday morning. The fire, at 6:03 a.m., may have been caused by grease accumulation, said Enid Fire Marshal Kenneth Helms. The fire is categorized as a cooking fire and activated two sprinkler systems.

Helms said firefighters had to pull back part of the roof membrane, and units were there for a couple of hours. No injuries were reported. The plant was shutdown for a short period.

The plant is now open and the impacted area is closed until repairs can be completed.

Apartment Building, Residential

Tulsa, OK – Sprinklers quickly extinguish sixth floor apartment fire

The 420 Mayo Building in downtown Tulsa was evacuated after a fire on the sixth floor. The sprinkler system quickly put the fire out – but caused water damage on that floor and the two below.

The small fire broke out before 11 p.m. Saturday at the Mayo 420 Building, an apartment building at 420 South Main, according to Captain Justin Banks of the Tulsa Fire Department. It was a kitchen fire caused by something left on the stove, according to TFD.

Water was flooding the floors when crews arrived.

“We’ve got a lot of water running down the elevator shafts right now and a lot of water running down the stairs too,” he said.

Banks said the sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading, but left a significant amount of water to push from the building. 

“You have to get in front of quickly,” he said. 

“It’s got all the beauty of the old, but it’s got all the technology of the new,” he said of the apartment building. “Thankfully it’s just an issue of water damage as opposed to an extensive fire.”

Residents – many with their pets – stood outside the downtown residential complex as firefighters responded. Banks said his crews were helping residents whose apartments were flooded.

“I know if this was my home, I would want to expect this kind of service from my fire department,” he said. “These people shouldn’t expect anything less. We’re there to serve them and try to do everything we can to get them back to at least as close to as comfortable state in their own home as we can.”

Banks said most of the residents would be able to return overnight.

There were no injuries.

Restoration crews are on scene for the clean up Sunday. 

Other - Retail, Retail

Bixby, OK – Sprinklers contain fire at bicycle shop after truck crashes into building

Bixby crews were on the scene of a fire at Bixby Bicycles after a pickup truck crashed inside around 5 a.m. Saturday.  The deputy chief with Bixby fire told said the businesses at The Market Place Center were without water until just before 10 Saturday morning.

Crews blocked off the rear exit of Bixby Bicycles where the pickup truck crashed through the building near 111th and Memorial.   The deputy chief said that it was the sprinkler system that kept the fire from spreading to the other units.

The crash didn’t cause any structural damage to the strip mall.  The bicycle shop was supposed to open at 10 this morning, but the owner says they’re still open for business.  He says they have a warehouse on the other side of their bicycle shop that they can operate out of.  Police are searching for the driver who crashed into the building.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oklahoma City, OK – Sprinklers quickly extinguish fire at retirement community; No injuries

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oklahoma City, OK – Sprinklers contain overnight fire at senior living complex to one room

Around 2 a.m. Sunday, Oklahoma City firefighters responded to Wesley Village housing complex. Fire crews said a sprinkler system was activated, helping keep a fire contained to just one room on the third floor in the building, limiting the overall damage.  Nearly 60 occupants were successfully evacuated.  Officials said it appeared a resident fell asleep smoking, causing the fire.

Hospital/Care Facility, Other - Hospital/Medical

Norman, OK – Intentionally set fire at mental health clinic controlled by sprinklers

Cleveland County sheriff’s deputies arrested a teenager in connection with a Thursday night fire at the Southern Plains Treatment Services, 310 12th Avenue NE.  The 17-year-old was charged Friday as a youthful offender with a felony count of first-degree arson in Cleveland County District Court.

Firefighters were notified of the blaze in a bathroom and laundry room at 9:13 p.m. When deputies questioned the juvenile suspect about the blaze, she admitted to starting the fire, according to an affidavit filed with the charge.

The girl told deputies she started the fire by piling a large group of towels next to the laundry room wall and setting it on fire. She said she acted alone and started the fire because she was “tired of being there and tired of the employees,” the affidavit said.

Video footage also shows the girl walking out of the laundry room after the fire was set, the document states.  There was fire damage limited to one wall in the room. The fire caused the sprinkler system and fire alarm to activate, the affidavit said.