Tag Archives: Virginia

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Woodbridge, VA – Sprinklers contain fire in townhouse occupied by two adults and five children

Two adults and five children are safe after a townhouse fire Sunday evening in Woodbridge, Va., officials said. The fire happened around 7 p.m. in the 2700 block of Corbin Court, Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department said. Crews found a kitchen fire contained by the home’s sprinkler system when they got to the home. Residents inside of the home were safely evacuated, officials added.

The Red Cross is helping two adults and five children who were all displaced by the fire. Damages as of now are estimated at $10,000. Officials said the reduction in damages is due to the quick activation of the sprinkler system inside of the home. The fire remains under investigation.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Suffolk, VA – Overnight fire at Hilton Garden Inn extinguished by sprinkler system

Officials had to evacuate the Hilton Garden Inn on Harbour View Boulevard after a fire broke out at the hotel overnight.  Suffolk Fire & Rescue and Suffolk Police responded to the hotel in the 5900 block of Harbour View Boulevard, shortly after 2 a.m. Friday.

When firefighters arrived, the building had already been evacuated and the sprinkler system had extinguished the flames.  Officials say the fire started in the kitchen and the guest lobby was filled with smoke. However, there was no structural damage. There were no injuries and all guests on the first floor were relocated.

Apartment Building, Residential

Richmond, VA – Cooking fire quickly doused by sprinklers at Shockoe Bottom apartment building

The Atrium Lofts at Cold Storage, located at 500 North 18th Street, was evacuated around 2 a.m. after a small fire started in an apartment on the 5th floor, according to Richmond firefighters. As soon as the fire started,  the sprinkler system kicked-in and put the fire out.

Everyone was allowed back into their apartments by 5:30 a.m. No one was hurt in the fire and no serious damage was reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler helps contain afternoon apartment fire

One person has been displaced following an apartment building fire Wednesday afternoon in Roanoke County.

Firefighters arrived around 1:30 p.m. to a six-story apartment building in the 5300 block of Hawthorne Road in Hollins, said Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Jennifer Conley Sexton.

An overhead sprinkler system extinguished most of the fire in a kitchen on the fourth floor before crews from North County, Hollins and Roanoke arrived, Sexton said.
Apartment Building, Residential

Ashburn, VA – Overnight apartment fire on balcony held in check by sprinkler system

A fire injured one today and caused $500 in damage after improperly discarded smoking materials started the blaze about 2:20 a.m. at an Ashburn apartment in the 44000 block of Whitford Square.

Loudoun Fire and Rescue officials said the blaze could have been worse – a sprinkler system on the apartment’s third-floor balcony kept the flames in check.

Fire and rescue units from Ashburn, Moorefield, Sterling, Kincora and Fairfax County responded to the call and ensured the remaining fire was out. They also checked the apartment and neighboring homes to make sure there was no remaining fire.

One adult resident at the apartment suffered a minor burn injury and was taken to a local hospital for further treatment. There were no public safety personnel injured.

Loudoun Fire and Rescue officials say today’s blaze was one of many firefighters have responded to due to improperly discarded smoking materials.  Smoking, they said, is the No.1 cause of home fire deaths in the United States.

Apartment Building, Residential

Dale City, VA – Sprinkler system contains apartment fire to one unit

A sprinkler system kept a fire that broke out in a Dale City apartment Thursday from spreading to other units in the complex, according to the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue.

At about 2:30 p.m., dispatchers received a call about a fire alarm sounding at the Orchard Mills apartment complex in the 15100 block of Bannon Way in Dale City, the fire department said.

Fire and rescue crews responded and discovered the fire in a closet in one of the apartments; it had been contained by the sprinkler system. Firefighters suppressed and extinguished the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Midlothian, VA – Fire in storage closet at high school extinguished by sprinkler

Fire broke out Wednesday night at Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, but Chesterfield authorities said the school’s sprinkler system was able to put it out. According to authorities at the scene, a pallet inside a storage closet caught fire, but a sprinkler in the closet was able to put out the fire.

Chesterfield Fire crews reported to the scene at the new high school at 1300 Kelly Green Lane due to a report of a small fire. The cause is under investigation, but the school day will go on as planned on Thursday.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Norfolk, VA – Sprinkler system activates after fire at senior high-rise living center

The Red Cross is helping nearly 150 people after a fire at a high rise senior living center in Norfolk. Investigators say the fire started in a sixth floor kitchen at Braywood Manor,  a high rise senior living center in Norfolk, at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Electrical service will remain off in areas of the building where the sprinkler system went off until repairs are made, said Battalion Chief Julian Williamson. 

Firefighters found moderate smoke in the hallway and found one apartment filled with smoke. The fire remains under investigation.  Four residents were evaluated at the scene and two were taken to the hospital with medical conditions unrelated to the fire, added Williamson. In all, the Red Cross says it’s supporting 142 people, 52 of whom needed lodging assistance.

 “Our team provided the displaced residents a safe place to stay, snacks and comfort items,” said Red Cross Communications Officer Jonathan McNamara. “We are currently working with fire officials, apartment management and the families to determine next steps so we can continue to aid the residents in their recovery.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Roanoke, VA – Sprinklers activate to help contain chemical drum fire

(Blog Note – Smoke does not cause sprinklers to activate – Only the heat from a substantial fire)  A smoking chemical drum caused a precautionary evacuation at AkzoNobel in Roanoke on Wednesday. The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Roanoke Avenue. Fire officials say when crews arrived smoke was coming from one of the buildings. Investigators say it was coming from a chemical drum.

The sprinkler system went off. Firefighters were able to remove the drum from the building. They were decontaminated by a Hazardous Materials Team. Investigators say the odor coming from the drum isn’t harmful unless you are in close proximity. According to officials, a contractor will be coming to help mitigate the situation. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management was also on the scene and are working with AkzoNobel.

The City of Roanoke sent out a reverse 911 call to 77 nearby homes and businesses to let them know what was going on. Officials hope more people will sign up for the citizen notification service.

Here’s a statement from AkzoNobel:

A drum of materials began smoking at approximately 12:30 pm today inside an auxiliary building at the AkzoNobel plant in Roanoke, Virginia. The smoke activated the fire alarm and sprinkler systems, and triggered a precautionary evacuation of all production workers. The incident was contained to a small building on the site, and there were no injuries or environmental releases.

The incident appears to have been caused when a single drum of material used to make coatings for kitchen cabinetry exceeded the optimum temperature. Three employees were working in this particular building at the time of the incident. The Roanoke Fire Department arrived on the scene a short time later and removed the drum of material from the building.

Production has been suspended, and is expected to resume tomorrow morning. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Dale City, VA – Sprinklers extinguish cooking fire at multi-family complex

On Monday evening, the Prince William Department of Fire & Rescue responded to the call at a multi-family complex building in Dale City.

Emergency personnel observed smoke, and called for a full structure fire response. 

The sprinkler system in the unit where the fire originated put out the fire on the stove and there was minor fire damage in the unit.