Apartment Building, Residential Roseburg, OR – Wheelchair-bound resident OK after sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire April 12, 2016 viking210 Around midnight on April 8, the Roseburg Fire Department was dispatched to a fire in apartment #204 in the Grand Apartments at 730 SE Cass Ave. Fire officials say it was contained to the studio apartment and extinguished by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system. The wheelchair-bound resident was found sitting on the floor when firefighters entered the room, the report said. He was evaluated for smoke inhalation and transported to Mercy Medical Center where he was released later Friday morning. Investigators say the fire was most likely caused by the apartment’s 60-year-old resident, who discarded a cigarette in a paper-filled trash can near a kitchen cabinet. The building’s automatic sprinkler system activated within three minutes, extinguishing the flames, which had begun climbing to the ceiling of the apartment.
Apartment Building, Residential Eugene, OR – Apartment balcony fire contained by sprinkler system March 30, 2016 viking210 Eugene/Springfield Fire units responded to an apartment fire at the Heron Meadows complex in west Eugene early Sunday morning. The call came in just after 5:40 a.m. Firefighters hurried to building 783 on Throne Drive. The apartment complex is just off Royal Street. Fire officials say the fire was small and started on the balcony of a second-floor unity. The apartment’s sprinkler system contained the fire to just the balcony where crews extinguished the flames. Officials say no one was injured and the fire was accidental..
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Eugene, OR – Sprinkler system keeps fire at care facility from spreading March 13, 2016 viking210 Almost two dozen people were evacuated from a Eugene care facility after a fire Wednesday night. The Eugene-Springfield Fire Department said the fire started around 7:40 p.m. at the All Seasons Residential Care Facility on the corner of Madison and W. Broadway. Crews said the fire started in the basement and a sprinkler system kept the flames from spreading. Residents were evacuated to a nearby church but were eventually allowed back into their units.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Dallas, OR – Sprinklers prevent fire at RV manufacturing plant from spreading March 8, 2016 viking210 The investigation into the cause of today’s fire at Forest River in Dallas is ongoing, but fire officials know one thing for sure: the RV manufacturing plant’s interior sprinklers saved the day. “The sprinkler system, it worked perfectly,” said Fred Hertel, Dallas fire chief. Firefighters were called to the plant, at 1429 SE Uglow Ave., at about 11:55 a.m. By the time fire crews arrived, Forest River’s workers had been evacuated. According to firefighters on scene, the fire appears to have started on the outside of the building – though that hasn’t been officially confirmed yet – and traveled up the wall. The blaze triggered the sprinkler system, which knocked down the fire that had spread to the inside of the building. Hertel said given the size of the building, without the sprinkler system, the fire could have easily gotten out of control. Thankfully, the blaze was contained to one section of the wall on the backside at the plant. “It’s just a little fire,” Hertel said. “The sprinkler system prevented this from getting beyond our capabilities.” NW Natural, Pacific Power, and Polk No. 1 assisted Dallas Fire and EMS on the scene. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting the investigation
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Springfield, OR – Sawmill fire contained with help from sprinkler system March 7, 2016 viking210 Twenty-one firefighters responded Wednesday afternoon to a fire in the planing mill section of the Rosboro Lumber Co. mill at 2509 Main St. The fire was reported at 3:18 p.m. and declared under control by 4:30 p.m., Eugene Springfield Fire Department officials said. The planing mill section has been shut down, but the rest of the mill is operational, officials said. No employees or firefighters were reported injured. The cause of the fire, and estimated damage loss, were not immediately known. The mill’s fire sprinkler system helped control the fire, Meigs said, but firefighters had to use a thermal imaging system to spot isolated cases where the fire was spreading through the ceiling. Battalion Chief Ben Meigs said the amount of sawdust in the mill may have contributed to the spread of the fire, which “traveled up the walls, and up the ceilings.”
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Tumalo, OR – Fire in server room at research facility controlled by sprinklers; Faulty air conditioner identified as cause February 29, 2016 viking210 A failed air conditioning unit is blamed for a fire that caused $20,000 in damage to the Bend Research facility in Tumalo. Firefighters responded to a monitored fire alarm at 3:30 a.m., Saturday. Crews arrived to find smoke in the hallways and water coming from the sprinkler system. Investigators believe the blaze started in a room containing internet servers, backup systems and the main fire alarm system. Bend Research employees arrived on-scene shortly after fire crews and began the cleanup and repair process. The sprinkler system is credited with stopping the fire from spreading beyond the 100-square-foot room. In a release, Dan Derlacki with Bend Fire says a larger fire or more smoke could have caused millions of dollars in damage to the research facility.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Roseburg, OR – Kitchen fire at retirement home is contained by sprinkler system February 25, 2016 viking210 A fire broke out at a Roseburg retirement home Monday morning, Roseburg Fire Department officials said. Around 7:30 a.m. Monday firefighters were dispatched to Linus Oakes Retirement Village on NW Van Pelt Blvd where they found the fire had been contained to the kitchen area of apartment #23 and extinguished by the building’s automatic sprinkler system. Officials say a wheelchair-bound resident fled the apartment before the sprinklers activated. Firefighters located the resident’s cat, which they removed to safety. Investigators say the fire was likely caused by the apartment’s 82-year-old resident, who was trying to remove a piece of bread that was stuck in her energized toaster. While probing the interior of the toaster with a fork she saw flames develop and spread to the wall of the kitchen, officials said. She initially tried to extinguish it by smothering it. Failing that, she left her apartment to alert management. Roseburg Fire Dept. reminds citizens to unplug appliances before working on them or contact a professional to investigate the cause of the problem. Energized toasters and other appliances pose a significant risk of electric shock and fire hazard if damaged or used improperly. Officials also noted the automatic sprinkler system in the apartment worked as designed, containing the fire damage to the kitchen area with the activation of just one sprinkler head. Although the apartment sustained some water damage from the sprinkler, the smoke and fire damage throughout the rest of the building was minimized substantially, officials said, saving both the structure and lives.
Other / Not Specified, Other Business Beaverton, OR – Sprinkler system limits damage in early morning fire at small business February 16, 2016 viking210 1 Comment Firefighters extinguished a fire early Sunday in a commercial building in Beaverton. They arrived at the two-story concrete building, located at 10074 S.W. Arctic Dr., about 4:30 a.m. It was filled with smoke but the fire stayed in one room. It took Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue crews nearly an hour to clear out the smoke and water. The building houses several businesses. No one was inside at the time. A fire investigator said blaze started under a shelving unit. Two sprinkler heads activated, limiting the damage.
Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility St. Helens, OR – Early morning fire at mental health treatment center extinguished by sprinkler system February 7, 2016 viking210 Columbia River Fire and Rescue crews responded to a structure fire at Cornerstone, Columbia Community Mental Health’s residential treatment facility, on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 5:15 a.m. When crews arrived at 271 Columbia Blvd., smoke had filled the two-story building. A small fire had ignited on the first floor in a bedroom on the northwest corner in the bedding of one of the residents. The fire triggered the sprinkler head system in the building, extinguishing the flames. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. CRFR Fire Chief Jay Tappan said the sprinkler system worked as it was designed to, alerting residents when the system sounded. Two staff members and 16 residents evacuated the building during the fire and no injuries were reported. Tappan said staff at the facility followed emergency evacuation orders quickly, which likely helped prevent injuries. Water damage to the building was estimated to be $25,000 for property and $15,000 for personal contents. Building residents were temporarily displaced and relocated to other facilities due to the damage and the need to reset the sprinkler system, Tappan explained. Five fire engines, six support vehicles and 24 fire personnel were on scene.
College/University (on campus), School / University Portland, OR – Sprinkler system contains parking garage fire at Oregon Health & Science University January 25, 2016 viking210 Officials say no one was injured in a parking structure fire at OHSU Saturday. The fire was reported around 7 p.m. inside an underground parking garage in the 800 block of SW Campus Drive. The fire was contained to just one car thanks in part to a sprinkler system. The cause of the fire has not yet been released.
