Tag Archives: Vermont

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Williston, VT – Sprinkler system activated after minor explosion at cosmetics business

Fire and rescue responded Tuesday morning after a small explosion at a cosmetics business in Williston caused a fire.

One person suffered minor injuries and burns from the fire. They were checked out at the scene and did not need to be brought to the hospital.

The building’s sprinkler system assisted firefighters in fully containing the fire.

Fire officials believe they know what caused the fire.

“They used Isopropyl alcohol as a cleaner as part of their processes and one of the alcohol bottles had in fact caught on fire and that had a minor explosion inside the building,” said South Burlington Fire Department’s Tim Gerry.

Fire officials say the building is being ventilated and they monitored the building’s air quality. Repairs need to be made before the business can get back up and running.

Office Building, Other Business

Montpelier, VT – Fire on fourth floor of downtown office building extinguished by sprinkler system

A small fire broke at the National Life Building in Montpelier Saturday. According to firefighters, the call came in around 2:45 p.m. for smoke on the 4th floor of the Davis Building. that section of the building houses state offices. Multiple departments responded to the scene. A National Life spokesperson say the building’s sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire. There is considerable water damage on the east side of the second, third and fourth floors of the Davis building. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Waterbury, VT – Warehouse fire is kept from spreading by automatic sprinkler system

Officials are investigating what sparked a warehouse fire in Waterbury.  Waterbury Fire Chief Gary Dillon said crews were called to 35 Foundry Street just after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.  Dillon said the fire started on the outside of the warehouse, and eventually spread to the inside of the building.  On Wednesday afternoon, Vermont State Police said the fire started in an open storage area that had a metal roof over it.

“There were some items being stored in this area, which caught fire and spread outwards and upwards to nearby combustible materials,” Vermont State Police said in a press release. “It was learned this area is known to be a hangout where people smoke and drink at night based on what was discovered in the fire remains.”

Dillon said the sprinkler system inside the warehouse prevented the fire from spreading. Officials say no one was in the building at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call Vermont State Police Detective Sgt. Todd Ambroz at 802-229-9191 or the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 1-800-322-7766.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Derby, VT – Motel room fire contained with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Close to 11:30 Friday night, Vermont State Police say Derby Line Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in a room at the Border Motel.

Upon arrival, crews encountered a fire in an occupied room on the second floor of the motel.

The fire department was able to extinguish the flames and keep the fire contained to the room of origin, along with the help of the building’s fire suppression/sprinkler system.

State Police say there were no reported injuries from the fire, but another tenant was transported to North Country Hospital for an unrelated medical emergency.

After his initial scene examination, Chief Craig Ellam requested the assistance of the Department of Public Safety Fire Investigation Unit.

Investigators were able to confirm the fire originated on a couch in the room.

Police say the room sustained significant damage and is considered a total loss. Other nearby rooms sustained smoke and water damage, and several tenants had to be relocated within the motel.

According to a media release, the male occupant of the room, Romuld Kuczek, was placed into protective custody due his level of intoxication.

There are no criminal charges at this point, but police say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Residential, Single Family Home

Brattleboro, VT – House fire controlled with help with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

The Brattleboro Fire Department made quick work Friday afternoon in snuffing out an electrical fire at 100 Clark St. Brattleboro Fire Chief Michael Bucossi said the department got the call at 11:55 a.m. “It’s a very tight area,” Bucossi said. Though Clark Street is narrow, Bucossi said that firefighters knew how to get their trucks in, because they’ve responded to fires on Clark Street before. “But it does concern us, especially with the ice and snow that is starting to form here,” he said.

According to a press release issued Friday afternoon, firefighters sent to the building’s basement found a fire spreading to the ceiling. It was quickly extinguished, but firefighters discovered that some of the flames had spread to the space between the ceiling and the first floor. That was also quickly extinguished. Bucossi noted that a sprinkler system above the furnace helped to contain the fire before the department could arrive.

Another concern for firefighters was the proximity of the buildings. “It’s very packed here,” Bucossi said. “There are also some very large buildings.” However, said Bucossi, “Spread was not a concern today.” While the fire was under control pretty quickly, Bucossi said he was having issues communicating with the family that lived in the home. The family is all Chinese speaking. Despite the communications problem, Bucossi learned no one was harmed by the fire. He also believes the house will remain livable.

All of Brattleboro’s units and personnel showed up to the fire while firefighters from Putney and Hinsdale and Chesterfield, N.H., covered Brattleboro’s stations. Green Mountain Power and Rescue Inc. also showed up to assist.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hartford, VT – Sprinklers contain fire at historic manor converted into low-income apartments

Firefighters responded to a fire on Monday in Hillcrest Manor, a historic home that has been converted into nine low-income apartments. Hartford Fire Chief Scott Cooney said in a public statement that no one was injured in the second-story apartment that caught fire shortly before 1:30 p.m. “The cause of the fire was a grease fire on the stove,” Cooney said. “Three occupants were displaced due to fire and water damage.” Cooney said that, by the time first responders entered the unit, the sprinkler system had extinguished “most of” the fire, and fire extinguishers completely controlled the blaze within a few minutes of their arrival.

Hillcrest Manor, located at 261 VA Cutoff Road, was purchased by Twin Pines Housing Trust in 1995, and was one of the subjects of a $10 million redevelopment project of 35 housing units last year. “The fire damage was minor and limited to a stove, the hood and adjacent cabinets,” said Andrew Winter, executive director of Twin Pines Housing Trust, which manages more than 400 low-income housing units throughout the Upper Valley. Winter said the three residents of the fire-damaged apartment, and the water-damaged unit directly below, had to be relocated.

“It is unclear how long it will take to get the units repaired and depends,” Winter said. “In the meantime, we are working with our insurance adjuster on the costs of repairs.” The 137-year-old structure has several distinctive features, including a cupola and original woodwork.

Once an 18-room two-story mansion, Hillcrest Manor was the first structure used for formal town meetings in Hartford, and an adjacent barn that is no longer standing served as the village’s first school.

In 1800, Capt. Josiah “Si” Tilden, who fought in the Battle of Bennington, bought the property from his father and cleared the land to build a house for his family to live in. Tilden also operated a tavern in the area.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott delivered a speech from the lawn outside Hillcrest Manor in October, celebrating the redevelopment project.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Windsor, VT – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in bringing large warehouse fire under control

The alarm and sprinkler systems inside a large warehouse at the Windsor Technology Park helped prevent the flames from a fire on Saturday morning from damaging any of the nearly 300 vehicles stored there, co-owner of the park Alan Cummings said on Monday. “We have a sophisticated alarm and sprinkler system so it was caught quickly,” Cummings said. “The furnace was destroyed but nothing else. The fire department did a great job.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials said it started in the elevated furnace in one corner of the building. Windsor Fire Chief Kevin McAllister said when the first crews arrived just past 11 a.m. and opened the doors to warehouse, they saw a “large amount of fire,” but were uncertain of its origin. McAllister said it took about 15-20 minutes to knock down the fire and get it under control; they were able to contain it to the oil-fired furnace.

He said flames did not damage any of the vehicles, which included large RVs, campers, boats and antique automobiles, but there was a lot of thick black smoke throughout the building for a couple of hours and that may have caused some damage. “That stuff can get into anything,” McAllister said. The chief also said a fuel oil line to the furnace ruptured and was spilling oil from a 30,000-gallon underground tank. Some of that oil got outside the building, and officials with the state Agency of Natural Resources were at the park on Monday to meet with Cummings.

“We are assessing the amount of cleanup today,” Cummings said, estimating that only a small amount of oil made it outside the building. The northern end of the affected building where most of the vehicles are stored, is about 65,000 square feet, said Cummings, who owns the park with Hunter Banbury. The entire storage area is around 90,000 square feet, he said. McAllister said the call started out as a “box alarm” but ended up going to a second alarm, bringing in departments from West Windsor, Ascutney, Springfield, Hartland and Hartford. Cummings said the park will replace the furnace and the sprinkler system.

Other - Retail, Retail

Barre, VT – Quick thinking 5-year old; Quick acting sprinkler system assist firefighters in store fire

A quick thinking 5-year-old is credited with spotting a fire in downtown Barre that officials say could have been much worse. Meet Gabriel DeJesus, a five-year-old hero. “I saw smoke coming out of a chimney and I knew it was going to be a fire,” said Gabriel. The Barre kindergartener spotted a fire at Bob’s Camera and Video in Barre Saturday night.

“Just going for a drive and he goes, ‘Dad, there’s smoke pouring out of that building,'” said Jaime DeJesus, Gabriel’s dad. “It was a lot, and it was all white and black,” Gabriel said.  The family pulled over for a closer look, and they called 911. “I commend him,” said Barre Fire Dept. Dep. Chief Joseph Aldsworth.  “He’s great. He’s a superhero,” said John Biondolillo, the owner of the building.

Thankfully the shop had closed for the day so no one was inside. The building’s sprinkler system kept the fire contained to the store’s basement until firefighters arrived.  “I was watching all the fire trucks come,”  Gabriel said.  Bob’s Camera and Video is right on Main Street. Fire officials say that if the sprinklers weren’t working, downtown Barre could have seen much worse damage. “It’s in a row of block buildings here, so it would definitely have a potential of loss,” Dep. Chief Aldsworth said.

Investigators are still looking into what caused the fire. They say this fire should remind community members to check their sprinkler systems. “They need to be inspected annually by a reputable company that leaves a sticker,” Dep. Chief Aldsworth said. It also serves as a reminder that kids can make a big difference too.    

“I am super thankful that he saw that. I don’t know what he would have done if he didn’t notice it and tell his parents,” said Kaitlyn Mesler, the owner of Bob’s Camera and Video. When asked what it’s like to save people and businesses, Gabriel responded, “It makes me feel so good.”

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Rutland, VT – Firefighters credit sprinkler system with extinguishing fire at manufacturing business

State officials say a sprinkler system, designed to suppress fires, might have helped to contain a fire in a city building last week. According to a statement released by the Vermont Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety, the fire was reported on Feb. 16 at Questech Labs, a business within GSM Properties on Park Street in Rutland.

The Rutland City Fire Department responded to alarms at the building about 8:50 p.m. The first of the firefighters who reached the scene said they heard fire alarms sounding and smelled something burning that seemed to be coming from the second floor. There were also light smoke conditions at the scene, the statement said.

Firefighting crew members noticed heavier smoke conditions and the sound of sprinklers dispensing water in the Questech offices on the second floor. Inside, they found two sprinkler heads had activated, which firefighters believed was responsible for extinguishing the fire within the room.  The offices were ventilated by firefighters and the sprinkler system was turned off. Firefighters found no other fire within the offices.

The origin of fire was found next to a shop vacuum cleaner but the cause has not been determined and no estimate is yet available for the damage. However, initial reports indicate damage was limited to water and smoke inside the office.  Rutland Deputy Fire Chief Brad LaFaso said Tuesday that he wasn’t one of the firefighters on scene Feb. 16, but he understood it was a small fire and there were no injuries involved in the incident.

The statement pointed out that GSM Properties is a large industrial building that provides space for Green Mountain Window, the Vermont Food Bank, Stratabond and Tatum’s Totes. The companies, which collectively employ about 85 people, were able to open as scheduled Feb. 17. “This event illustrates the benefits of a properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler system. The fire was contained to the point of origin, which minimized property damage, curtailed the risk to first responders and ensured businesses in the building could open as usual and employees had a place to work,” the statement said.

LaFaso called sprinkler systems “very important.” He said in many fires, the suppression system keeps the fire in check and limits the hazards the firefighters will face when bringing it under control. Michael Desrochers, executive director of the Vermont Division of Fire Safety, said he had been in the business for almost 30 years. Across that span, he has seen many examples that illustrate the importance of sprinkler system.  “ Automatic sprinkler systems that are properly installed and maintained are likely to contain a fire to the point of origin, reducing property damage and loss of life. A properly installed and maintained sprinkler system will prevent flashover from occurring inside the structure, reducing the risk of first responders being injured,” he said.  During a flashover, a number of very hot objects or surfaces can burst into flames in an enclosed area because of the high temperatures during a fire.

Desrochers said a fire department will likely use a lot more water to contain a fire than the amount of water from a sprinkler head. He pointed out that a sprinkler system can have an economic advantage by protecting buildings, many of them commercial, where people work. In a state such as Vermont, Desrochers said, they can also protect buildings with historic value that cannot be replaced.  Many buildings, especially commercial buildings, may require sprinkler systems based on their use, size and commercial materials, Desrochers said.

A call to Questech was not returned on Tuesday. According to its website, the company makes decorative tiles based on hand-carved designs, made of “a proprietary composite that uses premium metal or natural stone” to be used in interior walls.  The company has about 65 employees.

More information about sprinkler systems in Vermont is available online at www.firesafety.vermont.gov.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Brattleboro, VT – Sprinkler system contains fire at nursing home to laundry area; No injuries reported

About 54 people were evacuated Wednesday from a nursing home in Brattleboro after a fire started in a commercial clothes dryer.  The Brattleboro Fire Department was called at 3:55 p.m. to the Thompson House Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at 80 Maple St.

Authorities said the two-alarm fire started in a dryer, which set off the sprinkler system in the building. The water from the sprinkler system kept the fire contained to the laundry room.  Residents were taken next door to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital while the smoke cleared the building.

No injuries were reported.  The Brattleboro Fire Department was assisted by firefighters from Keene, Guilford, Putney, Hinsdale and Chesterfield.