Tag Archives: Virginia

Apartment Building, Residential

Chesterfield, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

At least 10 people, possibly more, are looking for another place to sleep tonight after an apartment fire in Chesterfield.

Officials say at 6:30 p.m., crews were dispatched to the Colony Village Apartments. When they arrived, they found heavy smoke pouring out two third-floor windows. Crews say, luckily, the building’s sprinkler system was fully operational and put out most of the fire before they got there.

The fire was marked entirely under control just after 7 p.m.

10-12 people have been displaced, possibly more if water from the third floor trickles down to the other two levels.

There were no injuries whatsoever.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Gainesville, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in warehouse; No injuries reported

A two-alarm fire broke out in a warehouse in Gainesville at 11:09 p.m. Monday, October 10, 2022.

Fire crews were dispatched to Virginia Flooring Supply at 8683 Virginia Meadows Drive in Gainesville for a report of a commercial warehouse structure. When crews arrived, a second alarm was requested due to the conditions and building size, said Prince William fire and rescue Assistant Chief Matt Smolsky.

Crews found the fire was located inside the warehouse and extinguished the flames. The building sustained moderate damage. No injuries were reported. 

No one was inside the business when flames broke out, said Smolksy. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was accidental and originated in the warehouse’s refrigerator area.

The Building Official determined the structure was unsafe to occupy.

Smolensky said this incident illustrates the successful operation of an early notification and sprinkler system, which helped to keep the fire under control). The county’s building code requires the system, he adds.

“Had the structure not been equipped with these systems, the loss would have been more substantial, and the risk to firefighters would have been greater,” added Smolsky. “Business and homeowners are reminded to make sure your fire protection systems are properly maintained and tested as required.”

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire at a Roanoke restaurant has been ruled by investigators to be electrical.

Roanoke Fire-EMS was called late the morning of September 17 to the fire on the 100 block of Campbell Avenue SE in downtown Roanoke. Crews found there had been a fire at the front of a restaurant, Cedars Lebanese Restaurant, activating the building’s sprinkler system, which put out the fire.

No injuries were reported.

Damages to the building and its contents are estimated to be $13,000, according to fire investigators.

Apartment Building, Residential

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

An interior sprinkler system helped to douse a Monday morning fire at an apartment complex, according to Roanoke County emergency services.

Firefighters were summoned to the Ridgeview Apartments on Hawthorne Road around 10 a.m. by E-911 reports of smoke and water being emitted from a second-story apartment. There they found unattended cooking materials in a unit whose resident was not present.

The apartment’s sprinkler system had already contained the fire. The incident caused water damage to four units in the multistory residential complex and smoke damage to the apartment where the fire originated.

The Roanoke County fire marshal estimated damages at $25,000. No injuries were reported.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant, Uncategorized

Chesapeake, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at sushi restaurant; No injuries reported

The Chesapeake Fire Department responded to a fire at Shiki Sushi & Hibachi in the Mt. Pleasant Market Place late Wednesday night.

Chesapeake firefighters received the call for a commercial fire at 11:30pm at 1464 Mt. Pleasant Road. The businesses alarm company called 911 reporting audible alarm and sprinkler water flow.

The Fire Department arrived nine minutes after dispatch and found a strip mall, with an audible alarm and a smell of smoke coming from the restaurant. Crews had to force entry into the business after noticing smoke through the windows since the business was closed for the evening.

Upon entering, crews found a large amount of smoke and the sprinkler system was activated. The sprinkler system successfully put out the fire before crews entered the business. After firefighters checked the adjacent businesses and found no fire spread, the fire was marked out at 12:11am.

According to Chesapeake Fire Department, Shiki Sushi & Hibachi representatives are on scene evaluating the extent of damage to the business and believe they will be closed tomorrow. No other businesses were effected and there were no injuries.

Chesapeake Fire Marshals are conducting an investigation to determine what caused the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norfolk, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fourth floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

A fire in a waterfront apartment building in Norfolk has – at least temporarily – displaced all of its residents. 

The fire alarm in the building went off at about 4:50 p.m. in “The Roebuck” in the 500 block of Front Street, across the street from the offices of PETA.

We’re still waiting for more official information from Norfolk Fire and Rescue, but the department’s Public Information Officer told us the fire was contained to one apartment and the sprinkler system was activated and caused water damage. 

A producer who works here at 13News Now lives in the building and tells us that the fire appears to have started in an apartment on the fourth floor.

According to our producer, everyone self-evacuated from the building. She also said she was told there were no injuries.

There’s been no word from the building’s management company about the extent of damage and when repairs might take place. We also don’t know exactly how many people were displaced.

This is the second time in two days in which a large number of residents in an apartment building have been displaced by a relatively minor fire. On Saturday, a fire broke out in the kitchen in an apartment the Heron’s Landing complex in Chesapeake displacing several residents. In this instance, the sprinkler system was also activated and caused damage to at least 30 apartments.

This is a developing story. We’ll update it once we get more information.

Apartment Building, Residential

Martinsville, VA – Sprinkler system prevents fire from spreading at apartment complex

At approximately 1:30 a.m. Monday, Martinsville Fire & EMS responded to a structure fire at an apartment complex located at 1032 Mountain Road, Martinsville.

Firefighters encountered heavy fire coming from apartment #3 of the complex. The Martinsville Police Department evacuated tenants from the apartment complex, as all tenants made it out safely. Assistance was received from the Martinsville Police Department, Martinsville Electric Department, Henry County Department of Public Safety and Dyer’s Store Volunteer Fire Department. The local chapter of the American Red Cross also responded to assist the eight tenants who were displaced.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental with it originating in the kitchen, near the stove, due to unattended cooking. Martinsville Fire & EMS reminds everyone to be extra cautious while cooking.

“Unattended cooking remains our number one cause of accidental fires. Make sure you never leave a cooking appliance unattended while it is in use,” said Martinsville Fire Chief Ted Anderson.

That is the second time fire departments have responded to apartment complexes in recent days. On Saturday, agencies responded to a 7:30 p.m. call of smoke coming out of Apartment 19 on East Church Street, behind Piedmont Community Services and Daily Grind in Martinsville.

The occupant was outside when firefighters arrived. The apartment’s sprinkler system activated and prevented the fire from spreading. The cause of the fire is accidental, stated City of Martinsville Public Information Officer Kendall Davis.

The American Red Cross helps provide free smoke alarms; for more information, call 403-5325.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Staunton, VA – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire in building

Crews responded to a fire this evening at Roto-Rooter Plumbing in Staunton as a service vehicle caught fire in one of the bays of the building. Everyone in the building got out safely but one person was sent to Augusta Health for smoke inhalation.

“The building had a sprinkler system so it activated and kept the fire to the vehicle. We only had minor heat damage to two adjacent vehicles and to the structural members above it but it was minimal due to the sprinkler system activating,” said Greg Schacht, Augusta County Fire Chief. No word yet on what caused the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Leavenworth, VA – Arson fire in apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire that resulted in the displacement of about a dozen people at a privately operated apartment building on the Leavenworth VA campus is being called a case of arson.

The fire was reported at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 3900 block of Franklin Avenue. No injuries were reported.

Leavenworth Fire Marshal Andy Brooks said someone apparently broke into a vacant second-floor apartment and placed miscellaneous items including mail and a DVD player on top of an electric stove. The person then turned on the burners.

The resulting fire activated the sprinkler system in the apartment, which put out the fire.

“The sprinkler basically ran until we shut it off,” Brooks said.

He said water from the sprinkler system flooded the apartment and a foyer area located on a lower level.

Brooks said electricity had to be shut off at the building.

“Water was flowing where we couldn’t see it,” he said. “We didn’t want to have any electrical hazards.”

He said the sprinkler system also was shut down to stop it from running and allow it to be drained out.

Brooks said about 12 tenants were displaced. He said the American Red Cross offered assistance to the people who were affected.

Angie Springs, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross, said in an email that the response team assisted the people who were impacted to address their immediate needs.

Brooks said a suspect has not been identified in the arson investigation.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Herndon, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes countertop fire; No injuries reported

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue were called out early Monday morning for the report of a fire in the Herndon area of the county, according to a post on the department’s official Twitter account.

Units were dispatched around 7:22 a.m., after a passerby reported a fire at building in the 2400 block of Centreville Road, according to the tweet. A fire sprinkler extinguished a small blaze on the countertop in the building. After determining that the fire had not extended, crews remained on the scene for remove smoke from the building.

Investigators determined the cause of the fire was an electrical event involving a power strip. No injuries were reported and damage was estimated to be $6,000.