Tag Archives: South Carolina

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Rock Hill, SC – Dorm room fire held in check by sprinkler system at Winthrop University

Firefighters extinguished a small fire in a dorm room on the Winthrop University campus that forced the evacuation of 300 students Thursday morning, an official said.

The fire was called in around 7 a.m. in Richardson Hall, Deputy Chief Mark Simmons of the Rock Hill Fire Department said. The building’s sprinkler held the fire, which was isolated to one dorm room, in check until firefighters arrived.

No injuries were reported. Simmons said about 300 students were staying in the dorm for orientation and were evacuated.

There was minor fire damage to the one dorm room, and water damage caused by the sprinkler system, Simmons said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Myrtle Beach, SC – Cooking fire at extended stay hotel extinguished by sprinkler system

A small fire sparked by french fries cooking on a stove in a first-floor hotel room at the Suburban Extended Stay Hotel in Myrtle Beach led to smoke inhalation and an evacuation Monday afternoon.

The Myrtle Beach Fire Department was dispatched to the hotel at 730 Frontage Road E. at 1:18 p.m. for a fire alarm. “The first unit on scene found smoke in room 145 and then they requested structure (fire) response,” said Battalion Chief Ian Maxwell with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department.

A sprinkler system in the hotel extinguished the fire, he said. Several units were on scene Monday afternoon dealing with the water mitigation issues that remained after the emergency that evacuated residents and left one guest with minor smoke inhalation. The guest was treated on scene.  No other injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system contains high rise apartment fire to 10th floor apartment

An investigation by Charleston Fire officials revealed the fire that displaced about 152 Joseph Floyd Manor residents originated on a sofa in the living area of a 10th floor apartment. The specific cause of the fire is still unknown.  Crews helped residents move to hotel rooms Monday night after the fire broke out.

Three fire departments responded to the 10th floor of the Mount Pleasant Street apartment complex and found heavy smoke, said Ryan Kunitzer of the Charleston Fire Department.  Kunitzer said a fire sprinkler contained the fire in a 10th floor apartment. Emergency personnel assisted residents off the floor.   He said the city Building Official determined the structure was uninhabitable until a full assessment could be completed.

The Red Cross, the City Housing Authority and CARTA assisted emergency crews with moving the residents to local hotels after water used to control the fire affected multiple floors, Kunitzer said. Charleston, North Charleston and St. Andrews fire departments responded to the fire, in addition to the Charleston Police Department and Charleston County EMS.

Fire officials said that 93 of the estimated 152 Joseph Floyd residents were relocated to a nearby hotel. The other 58 residents went to stay with family or friends.   Officials also confirmed that one resident was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross and Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority officials opened a shelter for the residents. The shelter, located at Grace on the Ashley Baptist Church, opened Tuesday afternoon. There, residents can get a safe place to stay, meals, and other services.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Easley, SC – Laundry fire at senior living facility contained with help from sprinkler system

Residents of the Brookdale Senior Living facility were evacuated on Monday after a fire broke out in the facility’s laundry room. According to Assistant Fire Chief J. Scott McClain of the Easley Fire Department, the facility, located at 125 Zion School Road, just off Route 8, caught fire just before 3 p.m. Feb. 1, setting off the building’s alarm and sprinkler systems.

Members of the Brookdale staff, Pickens County Emergency operations Center and Rescue 8 assisted with getting the residents to safety. Pickens County Emergency Medical Services also responded to the scene as a precautionary measure but no injuries were reported. McClain stated that while the fire itself was contained to the laundry room, smoke and water damage affected other areas of the building.

“The fire was extinguished in a short period of time, with additional time spent performing salvage and overhaul operations,” McClain said. EFD also stated that Easley Combined Utilities responded to assist with water issues along with the City of Easley Building Official’s Office to check the building for damages. DHEC was notified of the incident.

Two pumper trucks, a platform truck and several support units responded to the fire which was extinguished “in a short period of time.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Florence, SC – Early morning apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

An apartment fire in Florence was contained early Saturday morning when the built-in sprinkler system activated and extinguished the flames. According to a release from Florence Fire Department Battalion Chief Ken Carr, the fire occurred around 6 a.m. Saturday morning at 2802 Kinloch Court in Somersett Acres.

The fire also activated the apartment building’s fire alarm system, alerting its residents, who evacuated the building. When FFD firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had already been put out. After removing some water from the apartment, firefighters were able to leave the scene.

There was no fire damage and very little smoke damage to the apartment, as well as no reported injuries. The fire was caused by unattended cooking.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Beaufort, SC – Fire at Hilton Garden Inn extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire at Hilton Garden Inn on Thursday was extinguished by the hotel’s sprinkler system by the time firefighters arrived, according to a news release. Firefighters responded to the fire about 4:30 p.m. and found all of the hotel’s tenants evacuated to the parking lot. A room on the third floor caught fire before the sprinklers doused the flames.

All 115 hotel rooms were occupied at the time of the fire, the release said, The full house was related to Friday’s graduation ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. “The hotel was filled with Marine recruit families and friends, and they all got out fine,” Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Chief Sammy Negron said in the release. “It was a good ending to a potentially very bad situation.”

Tenants in 47 rooms had to be relocated until the rooms affected by the sprinkler system could be cleared for use, Negron said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Greenville, SC – Sprinkler system activates to help control fire at bus manufacturer

Firefighters responded Wednesday morning to a report of an explosion at a Greenville business. The incident happened at Proterra, a electric bus manufacturer, at Whitlee Court. Greenville City Fire Prevention Office responded to the scene and noticed black smoke pouring out of the building.

There were employees inside of the building at the time of the fire, but everyone was evacuated safely. Some employees reported that there were two explosions that went off inside the business. The sprinkler systems are working to knock down the flames, but firefighters say there is still an active fire inside. Once the sprinkler system stops, the fire department will go inside the business to investigate.

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Hilton Head, SC – Port Royal apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Interior sprinklers extinguished a fire in a unit at Laurel Hill Apartments in Port Royal Saturday, likely preventing the fire from spreading, Beaufort Fire Chief Sammy Negron said.

However, damage from the fire, smoke and water forced the four apartment residents out of the unit. The local Red Cross is providing assistance.

At about 2:30 Saturday afternoon, firefighters from the Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department responded to a fire call at 1640 Ribaut Road, the Laurel Hill Apartments. Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire limited to one apartment unit.

“The building’s sprinkler system worked as it is supposed to and extinguished this fire before it had a chance go grow and spread,” Negron said. “Properly installed and maintained, these types of automated fire suppression systems save lives and property, and we saw that at this apartment fire.”  Also responding to the blaze were the Port Royal Police and Burton Fire District.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Charleston, SC – Sprinklers help contain fire at recycling plant

Firefighters from North Charleston, Charleston and Boeing worked Tuesday to put out a large fire at Sonoco Recycling plant.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to North Charleston Fire Department spokeswoman Bianca Bourbeau.

Bourbeau said the sprinkler system in the building contained the fire where it started, but outside flames spread to outlying bales of recycled material.

Sonoco spokesman Brian Risinger said that he was grateful there were no injuries and he appreciated fire crews’ quick response at 2025 Tellico Road.

“At the time of this statement we understand the fire to be contained to a specific area of the facility and the fire department remains onsite and is making progress on extinguishing the fire,” he stated. “The only damage we are aware of is to our own facility.”

He added that the blaze would not interrupt ongoing recycling services in the area and that operations were expected to resume by the end of business Wednesday.

Sonoco was founded in 1899 and is a global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging and displays and packaging supply chain services, according to a media release.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Rowesville, SC – Sprinkler system aids firefighters in challenging industrial fire

North American Container is cleaning up after a blaze early Saturday morning.  The Rowesville Fire Department responded to the Garland Road facility at about 2:30 a.m. following the report of an explosion, Orangeburg County Chief Fire Operations Officer Teddy Wolfe said.

The first units reported heavy fire near an exterior wall of a building at the facility.  The facility had a working sprinkler system that activated and was able to hold the fire at bay until firefighters were able to assemble for an interior fire attack, Wolfe said.

LP gas cylinders near the fire exploded, leading to structural damage near the source from both the explosions and heat. The large amount of stacked wood products created a challenge for firefighters during salvage and overhaul, Wolfe said.

More than 35 firefighters responded in all. Wolfe said one person received a very minor injury after the initial attack. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

North American Container Corp. employs 400 people in the manufacture of bulk shipping containers.