Tag Archives: Virginia

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Hampton, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at assisted living facility

More than 70 residents and two staff members were evacuated from a Hampton assisted living facility early Saturday morning after a fire, according to the Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue.

Crews were called to the Golden Years Assisted Living Facility on Hunt Club Boulevard around 4:30 a.m. for a fire alarm. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke inside the building. Residents and staff were moved to the nearby Northampton Community Center for safety.

Fire officials said two people were taken to Sentara CarePlex Hospital for injuries not related to the fire.

The fire was contained to a single room at the end of one residential wing and was extinguished by the facility’s automatic sprinkler system. Officials said half of the building has been deemed safe, but residents will not return until the fire alarm and suppression systems are fully restored.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Chesterfield County, VA – Sprinkler system helps contain electrical fire at aluminum facility; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system helped to contain an electrical fire in the ceiling of Kaiser Aluminum in Chesterfield County on Saturday morning.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, crews with Chesterfield Fire and EMS responded to a call for a structure fire at Kaiser Aluminum in the 1900 block of Reymet Road, near Interstate 95 and Route 288.

According to fire officials, firefighters found an electrical fire in the ceiling mostly extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Firefighters reportedly remained on scene for several hours putting out hot spots.

No injuries were reported in connection with this incident.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Chesterfield County, VA – Sprinkler system contains battery fire at technology park

A fire sparked at Charisa Technology Park in Chesterfield County on Monday morning, according to Chesterfield Fire and EMS.

According to a Monday afternoon update, the fire was contained to a battery room by the sprinkler system and crews stayed on scene through the day to control flare-ups, which can happen when dealing with fires involving batteries.

“This is the fourth incident in the last year at this facility,” Chesterfield Fire and EMS said in a Facebook post.

The first call for a fire at the facility was on Dec. 5. They returned on June 10 and again on Aug. 20, just over two weeks before Monday’s fire.

Chesterfield Fire and EMS noted that fires at data centers are “rare” and that the number of calls does not affect its ability to respond to other emergencies, but the frequency of calls prompted Chesterfield to respond in a statement saying in part:

“The company is actively working with the Chesterfield Fire Marshal’s Office to address the root cause of these incidents and to reduce the risk for future fires.. We are optimistic that proposed improvements at this facility will address the current concerns,” they said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Power was cut to 101 apartments Saturday evening after a fire and subsequent electrical failure triggered the sprinkler system at a Virginia Beach apartment complex.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department said crews were dispatched around 6:16 p.m. to the 5600 block of Infinity Lane. When firefighters arrived, they found light smoke coming from an electrical box outside the four-story building.

While crews worked to mitigate the issue, officials said a catastrophic failure occurred inside the electrical room, activating the sprinkler system. Dominion Energy immediately secured power to the affected units due to the dangerous combination of water and electricity.

The number of residents displaced remains unclear. Property management is working to help tenants find temporary housing if needed.

No injuries to residents, firefighters, or pets were reported, and there was no fire damage to the building.

The incident is under investigation.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Norfolk, VA – Sprinkler system activated for HVAC system fire; No injuries reported

Norfolk Fire-Rescue responded to a fire at the Scope Arena Thursday morning.

A malfunctioning HVAC system caught on fire shortly before 7:45 a.m., according to the assistant chief of Norfolk Fire-Rescue. The sprinkler system activated and helped extinguish the fire.

No one was injured.

Crews are working to clear the smoke from the building. Officials said people in the area will smell smoke as they work to clear it out.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Harrisonburg, VA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at hotel

A Harrisonburg man has been arrested for intentionally setting a fire in a hotel room earlier this week.

John Wesley Whitaker Jr. was taken into custody by the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, after allegedly admitting to starting the fire.

Harrisonburg Fire Department units were dispatched Tuesday for a fire alarm in the 1400 block of East Market Street.

While enroute, the incident was upgraded to a structure fire with smoke coming from one of the rooms. Units arrived at the location in under two minutes and found a fire contained by a functioning fire sprinkler system.

Fire department personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire, and water and smoke damage were limited.

The hotel was evacuated temporarily while personnel confirmed the fire was extinguished.

Whitaker was initially transported to the hospital for evaluation before being released and then taken into custody.

He was charged with multiple felonies including:

  • Section 18.2-77 Burning or destroying a dwelling house, etc. (attempted)
  • Section 18.2-81 Burning or destroying personal property

“Starting a fire an in occupied building is an extremely serious matter,” said Captain Luke Walker with the HFD Fire Marshal Office. “We would like to thank the Commonwealth’s Attorney for their willingness to support the pursuit of these charges, as well as the Harrisonburg Police Department and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office for their support during the investigation.”

Apartment Building

Sprinklers Limit Fire Damages At Ashburn Residential Complex

ASHBURN, VA — Sprinklers helped contain a fire at a multifamily residential building in Ashburn Saturday, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Units responded to a fire alarm around 7:20 a.m. Saturday to the 20000 block of Lazy River Terrace. Multiple 911 calls alerted emergency personnel to smoke coming from the first floor and alarms throughout the building. The incident was upgraded to a structure fire response, bringing in units from Lansdowne, Ashburn, Leesburg, Kincora, and Sterling. Crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system in the garage space on the first floor. There was no extension of the fire beyond the garage space.

No residents or firefighters were injured.

The fire marshal’s office said the cause of the fire was combustible materials stored against a golf cart’s battery charger. The battery unit did not have adequate airflow to cool, leading to combustible materials catching fire. Damages were estimated to be $7,000.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said the fire caused potential for significant property damage and loss of life without the sprinkler system. The building had working fire alarms and automatic sprinkler systems. The fire department has been advocating for requiring automatic fire sprinklers in more residential homes. A National Fire Protection Association report notes that home fire fatalities 2017 to 2021 were 89 percent lower with fire sprinklers, and firefighter injuries were 48 percent lower with home sprinklers.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chesterfield, County, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes stove top fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A fire that took place in Chesterfield on Sunday night caused an apartment building to be evacuated and one person to be displaced.

According to Chesterfield Fire and EMS, they received a call at 7:54 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17 about a fire at an apartment building in the 300 block of Karl Linn Drive.

The first units were on scene within five minutes. It was determined that a stove top fire happened within a single apartment on the first floor, and the fire did not spread outside the apartment.

The fire was extinguished by an automatic sprinkler and there were no reported injuries. The person who lived in the apartment has been displaced.

All others in the building that were evacuated temporarily will be able to stay in the apartments unaffected.

This is the second stove fire that has happened at this apartment building within the past two months, the other happening back in September.

Apartment Building, Residential

Midlothian, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

Chesterfield County Fire and EMS responded to an apartment fire Saturday morning that displaced three adults and three dogs.

A little before 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, Chesterfield fire crews responded to the 2500 block of Trotters Lane for a report of an apartment fire.

According to the fire department, the first crews to arrive on the scene located a kitchen fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system in the apartment.

There were no reported injuries. Damage from the fire was limited to only one apartment, but two other units had water damage.

Chesterfield fire crews confirmed three adults and three dogs are displaced and are currently being assisted by property management.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Lynchburg, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at nursing facility

Lynchburg crews responded Saturday to a fire at a nursing facility, Lynchburg Health & Rehab, located on Seminole Avenue.

According to Battalion Chief Mike Reeves, boxes located in a shower room in the facility caught fire just after noon.

Residents used an extinguisher on the fire, and the sprinkler system kicked in and helped finish the job by the time firefighters arrived.

Reeves said since the fire originated in a shower room, it’s unlikely it would have spread, although there was some lingering smoke in the area.

The initial call indicated there may have been oxygen present in the room, but Reeves said they only observed two small bottles that may have been empty.

The Fire Marshal will investigate to determine a cause.