Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Sprinkler system helps save lives in nursing home fire; No injuries reported

Dozens of properties in downtown Wilkes-Barre lost power Friday morning, including a long-term care facility where a fire broke out. Fire crews responded to St. Luke’s Villa at 80 E. Northampton St. around 12:20 p.m. for a fire in an elevator shaft around the same time as other downtown properties lost power.  The approximately 100 residents of the mixed-used facility, primarily senior citizens, had been moved away from the fire scene to a different part of the building as the site is operating on emergency power through a generator.

As of 1:30 p.m., Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney said city officials, utility companies and managers of the non-profit facility were trying to determine if it was safe for the residents to remain. “Right now, we’re in the decision-making process,” Delaney said. “The number one issue is making sure the residents are safe.”

St. Luke’s Villa, which is run by the the Diocese of Scranton, is a 50-bed nursing home, a 45-room personal care facility and a 31-apartment retirement community. Delaney said the it’s unclear if St. Luke’s was the cause of the broader outage or if other power problems in the area led to St. Luke’s fire.

PPL Electric Utilities said 87 customers lost power and they hoped to have service restored by 3 p.m. Delaney said crews were trying to “isolate” St. Luke’s from the electrical grid so power could be restored to everyone else until the building’s issues were resolved. The chief said the fire was extinguished quickly, and the most damage was due to a third-floor sprinkler system causing water to seep down into the floors below.

John Howells, director of long term care facilities for the Diocese of Scranton, said he doubts residents will have to move from the building, but a final decision will be made when power is restored. “State agencies have been notified. At this point, there is no need to evacuate,” he said. “When the power comes back, we have to do a series of checks.”

Most of the sprinkler water pooled on a lobby floor and teams from Serve Pro have already cleaned up most of the mess, he said.

“Things got wet, but it wasn’t flooded,” Howells said.

Crews from the elevator company are at the site waiting for power to be restored, he said.

Howells said residents are doing fine and all have been cleared to return to their rooms.

He credited the staff for great work.

“Everything went the way it was supposed to have gone,” Howells said.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Philadelphia, PA – Sprinkler system extinguishes multiple arson fires at high rise apartment building

A series of small arson fires at a Center City residential high-rise building has prompted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprit, authorities said Friday.

The fires were set at the Sterling Apartment Homes, at 1815 John F. Kennedy Blvd., between July 13 and Aug. 3, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported. They were started in various places on the fifth through ninth floors, ATF said. No one was injured and the fires were quickly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

ATF and the building’s management company, Aimco, are contributing to the reward. Anyone with information can call the ATF at 888-ATF-FIRE or visit reportit.com.

Apartment Building, Residential

Reading, PA – Fire in apartment kitchen put out by sprinkler system

A kitchen fire Saturday in a third-floor unit forced the evacuation of Penns Crossing Apartments in Spring Township, officials reported. Fire crews responded at 12:35 p.m. to a report of smoke in an apartment at 1400 W. Wyomissing Court.  Troy Hatt, township deputy fire marshal, said a small kitchen fire was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

“The important thing,” Hatt said, “is that the sprinkler system worked.” Occupants of the complex, which has one- and two-bedroom units occupied by tenants 62 years or older, were allowed back into their apartments in late afternoon, Hatt said.  The sprinkler and alarm systems had to be reset before occupants could return to the building off Route 724 between Sinking Spring and Lincoln Park.  There was no significant fire damage, Hatt said, but some apartments sustained water damage. Construction crews were on site Saturday evening.  Township authorities were assisted by fire and rescue units from surrounding municipalities.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Jersey Shore, PA – Early morning fire at nursing home kept from spreading by sprinkler system

Third-floor residents of Manorcare Health Services in Jersey Shore were briefly evacuated after a small electrical fire broke out in a bathroom early Tuesday morning, according to Citizen’s Hose Co. Fire Chief Matthew Fausey.

The fire at Manorcare occurred in the ceiling of a resident’s bathroom on the third floor just before 5 a.m., Fausey said.

The fire activated the building’s sprinkler system, which helped prevent the fire from spreading, Fausey said, adding that firefighters had the fire extinguished in a matter of minutes.

Once the fire was out and the water cleaned up, residents were moved back into their rooms, he added.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

North Catasauqua, PA – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling blaze at computer refurbishing business

fire at a computer refurbishing business in North Catasauqua prompted precautionary evacuations of nearby residents, but the blaze was brought under control quickly and no one was hurt, authorities said.  The fire was reported at 3:15 p.m. at Copitron at 1151 Front St. Flames were contained to a loading dock attached to the main building that is used for storage, said Deputy Chief Paul Santee of the North Catasauqua Fire Department.  Several dozen residents were evacuated from their homes by police and firefighters. Everyone was back in their homes by Thursday evening.

Cindy Berger said she was in her Front Street home when she smelled smoke and was concerned it was coming from her house. She said a police officer at her front door told her and her family they had to evacuate due to chemicals being stored at the warehouse.

Santee said the evacuations occurred because authorities initially were unsure of the situation. He said Copitron remanufactures printers and computers and sells them along with new merchandise. He said no hazardous materials were involved.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The fire was partially extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, Santee said, and firefighters extinguished flames that were above the sprinkler system and checked the building to make sure the fire hadn’t spread.  Fire departments from North Catasauqua, Catasauqua, Northampton, Hokendauqua, Coplay, Allen Township, Whitehall Township and East Allen Township responded, Santee said.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Philadelphia, PA – Bathroom fire at charter high school contained with help from sprinkler system

 A staff member was taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia on Monday morning.  Officials say the fire occurred at 10:10 a.m. in a bathroom, and the sprinkler system helped douse the flames.  The building was evacuated, and students were dismissed for the day at 11 a.m.

Fire officials say the staffer who was taken to the hospital had to be checked out for smoke inhalation. That person, a Safety Team member, was one of the first people on the scene of the fire, officials said.  That person has since been released from the hospital.

Government Office, Government/Military

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Arson fire at Children and Youth Services Center extinguished by sprinkler system

The Luzerne County human services building on Pennsylvania Avenue was closed Monday after someone threw a “fire bomb” into an office, according to an email to county council members. In the email, council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck told fellow members she was informed Children and Youth Executive Director Joanne Van Saun’s office was the one targeted.  A fire at the building at approximately 5:37 a.m. Monday was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system, District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said.

She added the incident is under investigation, and there are several potential leads for persons of interest. She declined to offer further details. “Based on the circumstances, this is an active criminal investigation,” Salavantis said.  County Manager C. David Pedri said the building would be reopened today with crisis counselors on site to provide counseling for those who needed it.

Salavantis said it was not known how long the investigation would take, and she declined to provide specifics on how the fire started. The building contains the offices for the county’s Human Services Division, including Children and Youth, drug and alcohol programs, and Mental Health and Developmental Services. The Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne and Wyoming counties is also located there.  Pedri said there was never a lapse in coverage during the day.  “All emergency calls for the Children and Youth division were diverted to on-call workers,” he said in a news release.  State Police and Wilkes-Barre police and firefighters were at the scene along with numerous agents from the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Office.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Harrisburg, PA – Overnight fire at popular downtown restaurant extinguished by single sprinkler

A single sprinkler saved a Harrisburg restaurant from a catastrophic fire early Friday, city Fire Chief Brian Enterline said. The fire call came in just before 2 a.m. from the Capitol Gastropub in the 300 block of North Second Street.  Only light smoke was in the building when firefighters arrived. Enterline said they found “a small fire in the basement that had been controlled and extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head.”  The fire started in a plastic laundry tub filled with cleaning rags, he said. The tub was ruined and there was minor water damage, but that was it, the chief said. The damage totaled about $2,500. The restaurant was able to open without a hitch.   

“If this business did not have an operating sprinkler system to control the fire, the loss to not only the building but the lost revenue for the restaurant could have easily been in excess of $1 million,” Enterline said. “Fire sprinklers are a proven life safety and property loss reduction system that often comes under fire by the building industry as being overpriced and unnecessary.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Apartment Building, Residential

East Stroudsburg, PA – Sprinkler system knocks down fire at student housing complex; No injuries

Firefighters responded Monday at 1:06 p.m. to a fire at University Ridge Apartments, a student housing complex at East Stroudsburg University. The apartments are located at 400 East Brown Street.

Flames had traveled up a wall between buildings nine and ten, also known collectively as Delaware Hall.

“Everyone was being evacuated when they called us,” said Marshalls Creek Fire Chief Joseph Luisi. Dispatchers had also called Stroudsburg Borough, Stroud Township and Shawnee fire departments.

No injuries were reported, said Luisi. Pennsylvania State Police were investigating the cause of the fire.

“Building nine sustained most of the damage,” said Luisi. The building’s “water curtain” sprinkler head extinguished much of the fire once flames reached the attic, at which point firefighters had already arrived to the scene.

Firefighters extinguished the fire by around 3 p.m. and were escorting students through the buildings to retrieve personal items. The university issued a statement saying some 112 students were displaced by the fire damage.

“We’re making accommodations for any displaced students,” said Kenneth Long, vice president of administration and finance at ESU. The university reserves a certain amount of on-campus residence space for emergencies and could also place students in a nearby hotel if necessary, he said.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Pittsburgh, PA – Fire in high-rise apartment complex contained to sixth floor apartment by sprinkler system

One person was taken to the hospital after a fire broke out Wednesday evening at a high-rise apartment complex in the city’s Sheraden section.  The three-alarm fire broke out around 7:30 p.m. at the Goodwill Plaza apartments on Hillsboro Street.  According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, the fire broke out in a sixth floor apartment.  The sprinkler system activated, and the fire was contained to that one apartment.  One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. That person is in stable condition.