Tag Archives: Oregon

Wilsonville, OR – Sprinklers limit damage in paint room fire at building materials supplier

Authorities are crediting a fire sprinkler for preventing a Thursday morning blaze at OrePac in Wilsonville from causing major damage. Just before 6 a.m., firefighters with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a fire in a paint room at the business at 30160 S.W. Orepac Way, according to a news release.

Initial reports indicated that the paint room contained a gas line, paint products, air guns and pressure tanks, all of which could pose potential hazards for firefighters and workers. Upon arriving on scene, firefighters found light smoke coming from the industrial building.

Thanks to a fire sprinkler in the paint room, along with employees using fire extinguishers, the fire was out when firefighters entered the paint room. A TVFR investigator determined that the fire resulted from the spontaneous combustion of improperly disposed rags that been used for staining. Due to the minimal damage caused by the blaze, no repairs will be necessary, according to the news release.

Bend, OR – Sprinkler system keeps fire at welding shop from spreading

A fire in a southeast Bend industrial park Thursday night caused $30,000 damage to a welding shop, but likely would have been far more severe and spread to adjoining businesses if a sprinkler system and fire alarm hadn’t kicked in, officials said. 

Firefighters responded around 9:40 p.m. to a fire alarm sounding at Wilson Warehouses, a multi-tenant industrial complex at 1310 SE Armour Road, said Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering.  They arrived to find the fire in a welding shop, confined to a single tenant in Suites 13 and 14 of the building. Losses were estimated at $15,000 to the building and $15,000 to the contents.

The fire was found to be accidental in nature, Kettering said later Friday, but an exact cause could not be determined.  The fire official said damage to the business “would have been far more severe were it not for the fact that the building is equipped with a full fire sprinkler system,” which “held the fire in check until fire crews arrived” and finished putting it out.

The sprinkler head activation also triggered the fire alarm, leading to a quicker dispatch of crews, Kettering said, noting that having occurred at night, it could have been “a considerable amount of time before the fire was discovered.”

“Without a doubt, working fire sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems saved this business,” she said.

Redmond, OR – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight fire at race safety gear maker

A southeast Redmond business that makes safety gear for racers and track crews had one key piece of safety gear that saved it from serious fire damage early Thursday – a sprinkler system, officials said.

Redmond Fire & Rescue crews responded shortly before 3 a.m. to reported commercial structure fire at the business at 975 SE First Street, said Fire Marshal Traci Cooper.

Arriving crews found smoke in the structure but that a small fire had been put out by the building’s sprinkler system, Cooper said.

The fire apparently was caused by a light fixture that malfunctioned in the warehouse area, she said.

Cooper said the sprinkler system “did its job,” as the business sustained minimal damage, compared to what it could have been without it.

Corvallis, OR – Sprinkler system helps control fire at Holiday Inn Express

The Corvallis Fire Department responded to a fire at Corvallis’ Holiday Inn Express in the early morning hours Saturday.  According to Jim Patton, fire prevention officer with the department, the fire was started on the second floor by a ceiling fan in a guest’s room and extended into the ceiling, which activated a fire sprinkler system. Guests were evacuated from the hotel at 5:30 a.m., and the fire department responded to extinguish the fire and investigate its cause.

Patton said fire damage and water damage was contained to the room and the ceiling above. Around 9 a.m. the hotel, located at 781 N.E. Second St., was partially reoccupied. The third floor and portions of the second floor were not reoccupied, he said.  Patton, who was not at the incident himself, said he’d heard of no injuries in the fire.

Portland, OR – Fire in high-rise residence hall at Portland State University contained by sprinkler system

Portland firefighters say an unattended candle burned an 11th floor apartment unit in Portland State University’s Goose Hollow residence hall. The fire was reported about 4:20 a.m. Sunday at a 16-story residence hall located at 1604 Southwest Clay Street.

The smoke alarm woke the person who was asleep in the apartment where the fire began. That person escaped uninjured. No one else was hurt in the early morning incident, Portland fire officials said.

Firefighters encountered smoke on the 10th and 11th floors of the building. The building’s fire sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading. Fire damage was limited to the apartment where the fire broke out, however, smoke damage extended to other areas of the building. Managers of the building are working with residents to find alternative housing.

Sisters, OR – Apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler head

A kitchen fire was quickly extinguished when the fire sprinkler system activated and put out a fire at 555 N. Larch St. in Sisters last week. Occupants were frying food on the kitchen range in high temperature oil and then left the kitchen for a brief time, according to statements from the residents. Residents were then alerted to the smoke alarm sounding. When the residents returned to the kitchen they saw three-foot flames above their frying pan. 

The fire only activated one sprinkler which extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived. Fire Chief Roger Johnson is thankful that the apartment complex was equipped with a fire sprinkler system; without it there is a very good chance the fire would have consumed the apartment or even the building.

Sprinklers help control fire at footwear warehouse (Eugene, OR)

Fire crews put out a blaze at a northwest Eugene warehouse Sunday night. About 20 Eugene-Springfield firefighters brought the fire under control at Zadehkicks footwear warehouse. “They were met by the occupant who had basically extinguished the bulk of the fire,” Battalion Chief Brian Smith said. “The sprinkler system went off to finish it off. Our crews mopped it up, cleaned it up. Checked the occupant who had some smoke inhalation – but he’s OK.”  Investigators said the fire was accidentally caused by candles.

Fire sprinkler system saves Chevrolet dealership from significant damage (Medford, OR)

A sprinkler prevented what could have been millions of dollars in damage when a fire broke out at Airport Chevrolet early today, fire officials said. Medford Fire-Rescue reported crews responded to a fire alarm at the business, 3001 Biddle Road, at 7:24 a.m.  A sprinkler had activated, controlling the spread of flames, but there was still a small fire in the workshop area, which crews snuffed by 7:38 a.m. There were no injuries reported.