Tag Archives: Vermont

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.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Rutland, VT – Sprinklers knock down fire in apartment building for elderly and disabled

Four people were transported to the hospital and ten people are displaced after a multi-unit apartment fire in Rutland Saturday.  Rutland Deputy Fire Chief Jim Miles says the call came in just after 4pm from Bardwell House, a multi-unit apartment building for the elderly and people who are handicapped.

The cause of the fire was related to cooking. The fire was contained to one apartment and was mostly taken down by sprinklers, officials say. That apartment sustained fire damage.  Four people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

Nine other rooms sustained severe water damage by the sprinkler system, according to Deputy Chief Miles.  The New Hampshire/Vermont region of the American Red Cross is assisting those affected.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Springfield, VT – Overnight fire at senior housing building contained to one unit by sprinkler system

Two residents of a senior housing building were taken to Springfield Hospital early Friday morning after a fire broke out in a fourth-floor apartment.

The resident of the fourth floor apartment in the Huber Building who was injured is expected to be okay, according to Bill Morlock, the executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority, which owns the senior housing project.

He said that while the building’s sprinkler system contained the fire to the woman’s apartment, there was extensive water damage to the building and that 12 apartments on the north side of the building were affected.

Springfield Fire Chief Russell Thompson said that two other residents of the building needed medical attention as they were being evacuated, and one of those residents was transported to Springfield Hospital, where the apartment resident was also taken.

Neither the fire chief nor Morlock said they had direct information on the condition of the residents.

Thompson said that residents were evacuated and sheltered at the nearby Congregational Church, and that the Red Cross responded to help the residents.

Morlock said Friday morning that preliminary investigation by the Vermont state fire marshal’s office indicated that the resident fell asleep while smoking.

“It’s our understanding that she is OK,” said Morlock.

He said the residents in those apartments were currently staying with friends and family, and that a cleaning service had been brought in Friday morning to start cleaning up the water.

He said that electricity was turned off in the north side of the building, and that people would not be allowed back to their apartments until the building was inspected. Additionally, the elevator in the building was also turned out, pending an inspection.

Springfield firefighters responded to the alarm around midnight, and Morlock said that the fire department called him shorty before 1 a.m.

He said the fire department had evacuated all 60 apartments in the building until they were sure that the fire was contained, and he said the residents were out of their homes until about 3 a.m., while the air quality in the building was checked.

“The building suffered considerable water damage that resulted in securing floors one to four on the north side of the structure,” the fire chief said.

 

He said there was “heavy smoke” on fourth floor of the building.

 

He said many area fire departments and ambulances responded to the 12::20 a.m. fire alarm to assist Springfield.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Townshend, VT – Sprinklers help control attic fire at assisted living facility

Valley Cares was evacuated Monday evening after a lightning strike caused a fire in the attic of the assisted living facility.

Just after 5 p.m. 39 residents were transported down the road to Leland & Gray Union High School after the fire alarm and sprinkler system alerted staff to the fire in the attic.

Valley Cares Executive Director Susanne Shapiro said she did not know the condition of the building, though she said the facility would remain closed until a safety inspector could tour the damaged section of the building Tuesday.

“Everybody is safe. The staff did exactly what they were trained to do,” Shapiro said. “Most of our residents are able to go home with family, and for anyone who can not go home, we will find a place for them to stay tonight.”

Townshend Volunteer Fire Department Safety Officer Dale West said the call came in just after 5 p.m., and the blaze was quickly toned to a three-alarm fire due to the large number of residents who had to be evacuated.

West said the sprinkler system helped control the fire and it was quickly extinguished.

A portion of the building did sustain significant water damage and West said a state safety inspector would walk through the structure Tuesday before anyone would be allowed back into their apartments.

“It could have been much worse,” West said. “It’s always hard to get to a fire in an attic, but the sprinkler system saved the day and they’re going to have to start cleaning up tomorrow.”

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Stratton Mountain, VT – Fire at ski resort lodge controlled with help from sprinkler system

A chimney fire damaged sections of the Stratton Mountain base lodge Tuesday morning. No one was hurt in the fire that started in Grizzly’s Bar and Restaurant, located on the second floor of the lodge, and was discovered around 5:30 a.m. 

Stratton Mountain Resort officials stated that the fire was contained to Grizzly’s kitchen and was put out with help from local fire companies, Stratton employees and the sprinkler system. 

“There was no one in the building,” said Stratton Mountain Marketing Director Myra Foster. “We’re meeting with the fire marshal and the inspector to determine clean-up steps and get an ETA on reopening.”

Shops in the village were operating along with lifts, Foster told the Reformer around 9:15 a.m. At that time, yellow caution tape was keeping people out of the lodge. Members of the Stratton Mountain Volunteer Fire Department were seen walking into the first floor from a rear access near the parking lot while a Winhall Fire Department truck was parked near another access by the gondola with hoses running into the building.

Damage beyond the kitchen was mostly due to water and clean up was under way. Guest services, ticket windows, Stratton Sports, bag check and rentals will be open in the base lodge.

Officials hope to have the building, besides the kitchen, fully operation by the weekend. But that will depend upon fire marshal approval.  Foster said the Stratton department was the first to respond.

“There was damage to the food and beverage office in getting access to the fire and we’re assessing damage,” she said. “The east wing was unaffected. There is water damage in the west wing.”

Visitors to the ski resort were being directed to park at Sun Bowl, another section of the mountain with parking and a base lodge. Skiers and snowboarders could then get back to the main base area where other services were still in operation. According to a snow report, eight lifts and 97 trails were open.