Apartment Building, Residential Arlington, VA – Apartment fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries May 24, 2017 viking210 Arlington County firefighters are on scene of an apartment fire in the Long Bridge Creek neighborhood. The fire was reported in the bedroom of an apartment on the 2600 block of S. Veitch Street around 8:45 a.m. It was extinguished within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving on scene, before it could spread to other apartments. No injuries were reported. Scanner traffic suggests the building’s sprinkler system was activated by the fire. The fire marshal’s office is now investigating the cause of the blaze.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Chantilly, VA – Early morning fire in middle school classroom extinguished by sprinkler system May 20, 2017 viking210 At 2:00 a.m., Monday, May 17th, Fire and Rescue crews from Dulles South were dispatched for a fire alarm at J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, located at 26020 Ticonderoga Road. Firefighters arrived to find an active fire alarm and the presence of smoke inside the building. A full structure fire assignment, to include units from Brambleton, Fairfax County, and Dulles Airport, were dispatched to assist. Firefighters located a small fire in a classroom which had been extinguished by an automatic fire sprinkler system. Fire department personnel remained on scene to ensure the extinguished material was removed, the utilities were secured and that the building was adequately ventilated. Once deemed safe, the building was turned over to Loudoun County Public Schools representatives. The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation and determined the fire was accidental and estimated damages at $5,000. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. One pet reptile was removed from the room of origin and turned over to school staff for care. This incident is a prime example of the positive impact of a fire protection alarm and automatic sprinkler system. A small fire in a classroom triggered the school’s monitored fire alarm system, which alerted firefighters, while the fire was quickly contained and extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system. The damages to the building were minimized by the sprinkler system, allowing the school to remain open with little impact to the community and its students. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Officials continue to tout the importance of automatic fire sprinkler systems and their safety benefits. For more information on fire prevention activities and education in Loudoun County, visit www.loudoun.gov/firemarshal or call 703-737-8600.
Apartment Building, Residential Hampton, VA – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in extinguishing apartment fire; No injuries May 18, 2017 viking210 Red Cross is assisting a woman and seven children after a fire broke out at their Hampton apartment on Wednesday morning. Hampton Fire and Rescue says firefighters were called to the 400 block of Jonquil Lane at about 11:40 a.m. Arriving units found a second floor apartment was filled with heavy smoke, and an activation of an overhead sprinkler system. Most of the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system, while firefighters extinguished the rest. The fire was contained to the laundry closet area, but there was significant water and smoke damage to the apartment,. along with heavy water damage to apartments below it. Crews did rescue a small dog from the fire. No one was injured.
Residential, Sorority / Fraternity Charlottesville, VA – Early morning fire at UVA fraternity house extinguished by sprinkler system April 10, 2017 viking210 Charlottesville first responders were dispatched to an accidental fire Saturday morning at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house in the 500-block of Rugby Road. The city fire marshal says it originated in the fireplace of the more than 100-year-old frat house. A sprinkler system quickly extinguished the fire. It was discovered shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Salem, VA – Overnight fire at tire manufacturer controlled with help from sprinkler system April 9, 2017 viking210 A fire at Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem early Friday morning damaged part of the facility. Salem Fire & EMS went to the building in the 1500 block of Indiana Street about 2 a.m., according to the department. All employees inside the facility were safely evacuated. The fire started at a mixer machine in the plant, according to a statement from the company. The sprinkler system was triggered. The type of rubber that caught fire causes a lot of smoke, the company said. The first crew arrived within six minutes of the call and found heavy fire coming from one side of the building. The two-alarm fire also required assistance from Roanoke Fire-EMS and Roanoke County Fire & Rescue. The first firefighters on scene were able to get the fire under control within about 30 minutes. The fire was contained to one part of the building, which sustained significant damage from the fire. Damage from the fire required extensive salvage and overhaul operations. An estimate of the damage was not available Friday morning. The plant was shut down at 4 a.m. and most areas of the plant resumed operations Friday morning, the company said. About 32 people from fire and rescue agencies responded to the call. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Salem plant manufactures passenger, high-performance and light-truck tires and is one of Salem’s largest employers.
Retail, Shopping Mall Chesterfield, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in mall bathroom April 2, 2017 viking210 A store at a Chesterfield mall will be closed for a few hours after a fire broke out in the bathroom. Chesterfield firefighters received the call at 9:10 a.m. for a report of a fire in the bathroom at Chesterfield Towne Center, located at 11500 Midlothian Turnpike. When crews arrived on the scene, they found a small fire in the bathroom of the At Home store. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system. However, there was still some smoke inside and outside of the bathroom. No injuries were reported, but employees and customers evacuated the store. Crews are still on the scene for water cleanup, which will start once the sprinkler system shuts off. The store opened at 9 a.m., but the store will be closed for a few hours as crews clean up. There is no word yet on when the store will reopen.
Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Danville, VA – Sprinkler systems assists firefighters in extinguishing senior apartment blaze March 31, 2017 viking210 The Danville Fire Department stopped an apartment fire on Monday afternoon. Crews arrived at 2:06 p.m. to 601 Bridge Street, a five-story apartment building, after a reported fire in Apartment 306. Firefighters say they found light smoke conditions in the third-floor hallway and water coming from under the apartment’s door. When they entered the apartment, they found moderate smoke conditions and a small fire beside the stove. They quickly extinguished the small fire with a fire extinguisher as the sprinkler system had extinguished almost all of the fire. The fire was determined to be under control at 2:25pm. One person inside the apartment building was having difficulty breathing and had to be treated and transported by the Danville Life Saving Crew to the Danville Regional Medical Center. The sprinkler system was controlled and salvage operations were done. The fire apartment sustained minor fire, smoke and water damage. Seven other apartments sustained water damage. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced occupants. Seventeen fire personnel were on the scene for two hours and 29 minutes. The Danville Life Saving Crew, Danville Electric Department, Danville Water and Gas Department and the American Red Cross assisted on scene. The cause of the fire was investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office and determined to be unattended cooking. No other injuries were reported.
Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business Sterling, VA – Sprinkler system contains fire at Gold’s Gym following explosion; No injuries reported March 29, 2017 viking210 Employees of Gold’s Gym in Sterling knew something was wrong when the lights inside the building started flickering on the afternoon of March 21. They evacuated everyone in the building just before there was an explosion and ensuing fire. The fire was contained by the automatic sprinkler system and no one was injured thanks to gym employees’ quick actions. Still, the explosion and fire left an estimated $500,000 in damages, the Loudoun Fire Marshal’s Office said. The adjacent Marshalls received minor water damage. The Gold’s facility had been placed on “fire watch” earlier in the day because the gym’s power — including power to the fire alarm system — was down. Knowing the building was having electrical problems is what led staff to recognize the dimming lights as a sign of danger, Gold’s Gym General Manager Daniel Ferrara said in a statement. An electrical failure of a high voltage line ignited a methane gas leak in the area, which caused the explosion at the gym, said Laura Rinehart of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Fire and Rescue received the call for the fire at 46262 Cranston Street around 4:30 p.m., and responded with crews from Sterling Park, Cascades, Ashburn, Lansdowne, Leesburg and Kincora, along with multiple command officers after the amount of smoke inside the building prompted first responders to request additional resources. While inside the gym, firefighters found a small fire at the back and structural damage to the walls, so they exited the building in case it collapsed, Rinehart said. Fire Marshal’s Office and fire and rescue officials verified that the wall was not load-bearing, so firefighters re-entered the building, ensured there were no hotspots in walls and cleared out the smoke, she said. The Fire Marshal has determined that the fire was accidental.
Apartment Building, Residential Fair Lakes, VA – Early morning apartment fire suppressed by sprinkler system; No serious injuries reported March 27, 2017 viking210 The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department on March 14 at 3:07 a.m. dispatched units for a fire alarm sounding in the 12400 block of Hayes Court in Fair Lakes. Less than a minute after the dispatch, authorities received a 911 call from someone at the address, who stated there was a fire. The department then dispatched additional units to the scene. Units arrived at the three-story garden apartment to find a small fire in a bedroom. The blaze was controlled by the fire sprinkler system and firefighters extinguished the remaining fire. Three adult occupants received minor, non-life-threatening injuries while attempting to extinguish the blaze before fire personnel arrived. Rescue workers treated all occupants at the scene and none required transportation to an area hospital. Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated in a bedroom. The fire was caused by an occupant who was smoking in bed and dropped a cigarette onto oxygen tubing, causing a flash fire that ignited bed linens and other combustible items.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Chesterfield, VA – Early morning fire in metal press at aluminum plant doused by sprinkler system March 13, 2017 viking210 An aluminum plant in Chesterfield is operating normally again after a fire broke out inside one of the plant’s machines early Wednesday morning. The fire happened around 4:45 a.m. at the Kaiser plant located in the 1900 block of Reymet Road, near Interstate 95 and Route 288. Crews arrived the scene around 4:52 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they discovered a metal press had caught fire. Officials say the sprinkler system kept the fire mostly contained. The fire was marked under control at 5:53 a.m. Fire officials say there was a concern for the safety of the crews because of the heat from the aluminum. There was also concern firefighters could get shocked because of all electricity used the power the machinery, and the water being used to douse the flames. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Crews worked with plant personnel to make sure all power was shut off from the machines and spent part of Wednesday morning ventilating the building. There is no word yet on what caused the fire.
