Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sprinkler system controls arson fire at senior apartment building (Lancaster, PA)

City firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire, which was reported at 10:25 a.m. in the three-story Apartments at Mulberry Corners building. When firefighters arrived, the door to the woman’s third-floor apartment felt hot, said Chief Tim Gregg. The woman, whose identity was not available, was alone in the apartment, Gregg said. Firefighters helped her to exit and she was taken to the hospital, to be checked for injuries. The marshal ruled the fire was “incendiary” in nature, Gregg said. The fire was contained by the sprinkler system in the apartment building, he said. The apartment did not have extensive damage.Gregg praised the sprinkler system, saying it’s the “best fire safety device there is.” One sprinkler head was able to contain the entire fire, he noted. The Apartments at Mulberry Corners is a Housing Development Corporation building that contains 25 apartments for seniors ages 62 and older.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Sprinkler system puts out fire at nuclear power plant (Shippingport, PA)

A nuclear power plant had an explosion as well as an electrical wiring fire occur on the evening of Tuesday, November 5. No one was injured, and the plant did not need to be evacuated; the plant did shut down to assess the incident. The plant’s fire sprinkler system, a deluge system, put out the fire, and the reactor at the plant was manually shut down. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Fire sprinkler system extinguished midday fire at hospital (Philadelphia, PA)

No one was injured as a result of a fire that broke out at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. HUP also continued to see patients while the situation was ongoing. The fire began at around 12 p.m. in the basement of the Founders Building, when construction workers were removing medical equipment from one of the rooms. When the fire broke out, the fire sprinklers were able to quickly put it out, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. The basement room in the Founders Building where the fire originated suffered “minimal damages,” according to Rush.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Damage minimized at manufacturing plant thanks to fire sprinklers (Lancaster, PA)

Fire sprinklers contained a blaze that began at a manufacturing plant on Sunday, October 6. Just after 10:30 p.m., an oil-heating machine overheated, which started the fire. The fire sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in that area, and an employee used a fire extinguisher to put out the rest of it. The other employees who were in the manufacturing plant at the time were able to safely evacuate, and no injuries were reported.

Fire / Police Station, Government/Military

Sprinklers control engine/pumper fire at volunteer fire department (Vernon Township, PA)

“If it hadn’t been for the fire alarm system and the sprinklers, we’d have been in deep trouble,” said Tom Benak, a trustee and an assistant chief with Vernon Central Hose Co.  The fire, which occured around 11:45 PM on Tuesday night, was ruled accidental due to an electrical wiring malfunction in the crew compartment area behind the driver’s seat.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

College housing fire put out by fire sprinkler (Philadelphia, PA)

When a fire broke out in an unattended unit in a college housing building, fire sprinklers activated and eliminated the fire. The cause of the fire was a blender set on top of an oven that had been left on. No injuries were reported.

“[We’re] very fortunate to have fire sprinkler systems in all of the College Houses — they did their job,” said Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

Sprinkler activates to halt storage room fire in chemical supply building (Bristol Township, PA)

A chemical supply company had a fire erupt in it’s storage room the afternoon of July 4. The building, which was closed at the time, had a fire sprinkler system that quickly kicked in to contain the fire to the storage room. Fire crews blamed the fire on a short in the light fixture in the room, which then started the cardboard in the room on fire. No injuries were reported, and no chemicals were released.