Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

Apartment Building, Residential

Johnstown, PA – Apartment bedroom fire contained by fire sprinkles

 A fire broke out early Thursday morning at the Vine Street Tower Apartments in Johnstown.

Johnstown fire chief Bob Statler says they arrived on scene around 3 a.m.

According to Statler, there were smoke and flames pouring into a hallway from a unit on the ninth floor.

Statler says the fire started in the bedroom of that unit and that the sprinkler system was activated, which he says helped keep the fire contained.

Statler tells 6 News the ninth, 10th and 11th floors were evacuated. Two people were taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center for difficulty breathing.

Statler says the fire was put out quickly, but there is extensive water damage to the building.

The cause is unknown. The fire marshal will be investigating.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Langhorne, PA – Kitchen fire at four-story senior living building held in check thanks to sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system helped contain a Monday afternoon fire at a retirement community.

Firefighters were called to the Attleboro Village community off Winchester Avenue on the Langhorne Borough and Middletown Township border at 1:27 p.m. for an alarm. It was quickly determined that there was an active fire.

The fire was in an apartment and spread up the wall into the ceiling, said Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry.

The four-story senior living building was cleared of residents and crews had to account for everyone, Farry said.

The Penndel-Middletown Rescue Squad and Capital Health Emergency Medical Services evaluated the residents. No injuries were reported.

The fire was declared under control by 1:43 p.m., but Farry said it was largely held in check by the sprinkler system.

Several nearby apartments suffered water damage from the sprinkler system, Farry said.

The chief said the blaze was caused by the resident who turned on the stove with a plastic toaster on it.

The fire happened around the same time as strong storms came through the area. Farry said the worst of the storm had passed by the building was cleared of residents.

Farry said fire crews were able to response so fast to the retirement community because they were returning from an unfounded downed wires call by Maple Point Middle School.

The Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company was assisted at the scene by the Middletown Township Department of Fire and Emergency Management, Parkland Fire Company, Penndel Fire Company, Newtown Fire and Emergency Services, and the William Penn Fire Company.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Corry, PA – Sprinkler system prevents fire from spreading at lumber manufacturing facility

Firefighters from Corry, Spring Creek, Spartansburg and Elgin were called out to fight a fire in a commercial building Sunday night.

The fire broke out at 175 Sample Flats Road just before 9:30 p.m.

The first units from Corry arrived to find light smoke pouring from the eaves of the sprawling two story metal structure.

The business is a lumber manufacturing facility, and a sawmill.  It had been Thompson’s Maple Products.  Information now shows it as Larix Inc.

The fire chief on the scene said the blaze began in a break room. 

Firefighters were concerned about sawdust spreading the fire.  They said a sprinkler system made a big difference.

At the height of the fire 40 firefighters were on the scene.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Bristol, PA – Fire from industrial machine held in check by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews were at an industrial site in Bristol Township’s Croydon section for a fire Wednesday morning.

Crews from numerous area fire companies were dispatched to Zober Industries on Coventry Avenue at 11:08 a.m. for the fire.

The blaze was in an industrial machine at Zober Industries that separated antifreeze and oil. The blaze was held in check by the building’s sprinkler system, Croydon Fire Company Chief Tom Tryon and Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said.

Tryon explained that some of the antifreeze and oil was pushed by water from the fire suppression system into nearby storm drains. The chief said environmental protection officials and the U.S. Coast Guard were alerted of the spill.

No injuries were reported, Dippolito said.

Zober Industries has been a stable in Croydon since the mid-1970s and serves as a vendor that offers custom manufacturing.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Philadelphia, PA – Hospital fire extinguished by fire sprinklers after man barricaded himself in room and set fire to bed sheets; No injuries reported

The emergency room at a Kensington hospital was closed Saturday after a man set a fire inside one of the rooms, police said.

A man at Temple University Hospital’s Episcopal Campus barricaded himself in a room in the emergency department and set fire to bed sheets, but no one was injured.

Police said hospital security searched the 30- to 40-year-old man at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday and placed him in a room. The man was there to receive drug treatment. Police said he barricaded himself inside and turned on oxygen tanks, then lit the bed sheets on fire.

Police said a maintenance man broke a window and the man climbed out and fought with security, but police arrived and arrested him. The emergency room was evacuated with no injuries. The blaze was extinguished and the fire marshal declared it an arson.

A spokeswoman for Temple Health said the building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire. Patients in the ER were transported to Temple University Hospital’s Main Campus, she added. The hospital will continue sending ER patients there until the Episcopal ER can reopen.

Police said the emergency room will remain closed until repairs are completed.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Lancaster, PA – Sprinkler system control fire at mall food kiosk

A fire caused damage at Park City Center in Lancaster on Friday morning.

The fire started in a food warmer at a kiosk in the center of the mall around 6:30 a.m., firefighters said.

The fire activated the sprinkler system. According to firefighters, there were two to three inches of water in the center of the mall and smoke throughout every wing.

There was moderate to heavy smoke in the center court.

Fans were brought in to clear out the remaining smoke. Some stores are now open.

Because there are restaurants in the mall, the health department was brought in to inspect them.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Erie, PA – Fire sprinklers extinguish fire after man sets bed on fire at hotel

A Corry man was charged with setting fire to a Summit Township motel bed and damaging the motel room’s sprinkler system.

Patrick Hanlin Jr., 30, was staying at the Microtel Inn, 8100 Peach St., on Tuesday when he set fire to his bed, state police said in a news release. Hanlin then left the room without notifying authorities about the fire.

The room’s fire suppression system extinguished the fire but state police discovered that one sprinkler head had been broken before it was activated. The fire caused about $15,000 in damage, state police said.

Troopers also found drug paraphernalia in the room.

Hanlin was arrested in the motel lobby and later charged with causing or risking a catastrophe, criminal mischief, arson, reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance–paraphernalia.

Hanlin was taken to the Erie County Prison on $50,000 monetary bail.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

West Goshen, PA – Fire sprinklers contain hallway fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A fire in a hallway forced the evacuation of the Microtel on the 500 block of Willowbrook Lane Thursday evening.  

West Chester firefighters were alerted just after 8 p.m. and arrived to find the alarms sounding and the building evacuated.

Chester County Fire Marshal Latta White said there were no injuries, however power was out to the building so no residents would be able to return to the building. He said the building has 90 rooms of which more than 70 were occupied, most with multiple guests.

White said the fire was contained by sprinklers, and firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze which was located on a first floor hallway.

The fire alarm went off, and the desk person checked the fire alarm and found smoke on the first floor and called the fire department, White said. 

Multiple guests could be seen leaving the scene with assistance from firefighters.

White said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility

Levittown, PA – Fire contained to commercial dryer at substance abuse treatment center thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A Saturday night fire damaged a residential substance abuse treatment facility.

Firefighters from the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company and Newtown Fire Association were called to Pyramid Healthcare, formerly Today Inc., in the 1900 block of North Woodbourne Road by Core Creek Park in Middletown for a report of a basement blaze around 10:15 p.m.

Crews arrived and found the basement fire contained to a single room. They beat back the bulk of the flames within 10 minutes, and the fire was placed fully under control a few minutes later, Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry said.

Smoke spread throughout the building that has dorms, but the fire was contained to the single room in the basement. The room contained a large commercial dryer and had a working sprinkler, Farry said.

No injuries were reported.

The Bucks County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the blaze due to the fact the facility leases their location from the county.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Salem Township, PA – Sprinklers help douse fire after debris ignited

A fire damaged part of a business Tuesday morning in Luzerne County.

It happened around 8:30 a.m. inside the Leggett and Platt warehouse on Salem Boulevard near Shickshinny.

Company officials say an electrician was installing a light near the ceiling when something sparked, igniting debris.

The plant was evacuated. Sprinkler systems inside helped douse the flames.

The worker suffered minor burns.

Employees were allowed back into the facility to clean up the smoke and water damage. The company says the fire should not affect the operation of the plant.

According to officials, the company makes padding under carpets.