Fire crews were called Friday, April 11, 2020, at 6:22 a.m., to 855 Abberley Drive, near the Cavalier Family Skating Center, for a report of a fire in a third-floor apartment.
When they arrived, crews found smoke in the third-floor hallway, and fire in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment. The fire was extinguished before it could spread to other apartments, said county fire chief Joseph Cardello.
Several apartments sustained water damage, and a property management company was working to clean up and help the affected residents.
Smoke detectors activated the fire alarm for the entire building and a sprinkler head in the affected apartment activated. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Cardello.
Jamey Walters, Kingspan plant manager, said on Monday that Kingspan frequently does emergency preparedness training including fire drills. “We have a very strong safety culture and situations like this show how strong it is,” he said.
No one was hurt in the fire at the plant at 200 Kingspan Way off Martinsburg Pike (U.S. 11). The fire was accidental and occurred during the insulation manufacturing process, according to a news release from Lt. Adam Hounshell, a deputy fire marshal with the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Department. The first firefighters arrived at 6:18 p.m. and found smoke in the warehouse. They extinguished the fire at 6:50 p.m. and removed the burnt insulation. Some of the charred insulation could be seen outside the warehouse on Monday.
Walters said about 130 people work at the 170,000-square-foot facility and about 20 were working when the fire began. He said when the foam insulation caught fire there were “significant flames” that workers tried to put out with fire extinguishers before evacuating when they realized the magnitude of the fire. The sprinkler system then activated and is credited by the fire department for arresting the spread of the fire.
The facility originally opened as Amoco Foam Products and was later purchased by the Pactiv Corp. Kingspan bought the facility in 2014.
Walters said Sunday’s fire was the worst since Kingspan bought the property, but there were a few serious fires in 1990s and 2000s. He said fire is a risk due to the combustibility of insulation.
“Which is why we take fire prevention so seriously,” said Doug Crawford, Kingspan managing director. “It is a real risk.”
A damage estimate was unavailable on Monday. The warehouse, which opened in 1981, is valued at $9.1 million, according to county property records.
The fire happened around 6:58 p.m. in the 6800 block of Brindle Heath Way. Firefighters arrived to find a sprinkler had already extinguished the fire. There were no injuries.
Investigators determined an overheated computer processing unit caused the blaze. Damages were estimated to be $1,500.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire sprinklers can save lives and property by reducing the heat, flames, and smoke caused by a fire. While fire sprinklers have been a longtime method for commercial buildings, fire officials recommend installation in homes as well.
York Fire and Life Safety crews were called to the school complex around 3:45 p.m. Arriving units found heavy smoke and fire in an equipment room. The initial fire was controlled by the sprinkler system.
Regular classes had dismissed for the day at that point, and all students and other personnel who were there for after-school activities got out safely.
If your kids were there for after-school activities, you can pick them up at the nearby Amory Funeral Home, located at 410 Grafton Drive. All remaining activities at the schools for the day are canceled.
As a result of the fire, Grafton Middle and High Schools will be closed Tuesday, February 4, and Wednesday, February 5. All after-school activities on those days are also canceled.
School employees will receive a communication from their building principals regarding staff schedules.
A plan is being worked on for students and staff to reclaim any personal possessions left on campus.
Automatic Sprinkler System in Sterling Townhouse Held Fire in Check as Firefighters Responded
Loudoun County Fire Official’s credit a Sterling townhome’s automatic fire sprinkler system with preventing a garage fire from spreading further before first responders arrived.
On Thursday, January 16, 2020, fire and rescue units from Cascades, Sterling Park, Kincora, Ashburn, and Fairfax County, along with various command staff officers, responded to a report of a car on fire in the garage of a home in the 46,000 block of Pryor Square in Sterling.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find a three-story, end-unit townhouse with a car on fire in the garage and the residents safely outside the home. Fire crews quickly extinguished the remaining fire that was being controlled by the automatic fire sprinkler system. Fortunately for the residents and neighbors, the fire and subsequent damages were contained to the vehicle and the garage with no fire extending to the remaining portions of the townhome. No other dwellings were affected and there were no reported injuries to citizens or first responders.
The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that it was an accidental fire, originating in the engine compartment of the vehicle. Damages to the vehicle and home are estimated at $20,000. “If the sprinkler heads had not been in place and operated as designed, this fire could have been significantly more severe,” said System Chief Keith Johnson. “This incident is a prime example of the positive impact of automatic sprinkler systems in residential homes. The sprinkler activation kept the fire under control until firefighters could get on scene and damages to the home were directly minimized.” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue officials remain strong advocates of automatic fire sprinkler systems and their safety benefits. To learn more about fire prevention activities and education in Loudoun County, visit http://www.loudoun.gov/firemarshal or call 703-737-8600.
Deputy Cheif Matt Tobia, with the Harrisonburg Fire Department, said officials arrived on the scene of a possible structure fire off of Woodbury Circle in the North 38 apartment complex around 6:30 p.m.
Chief Tobia said when crews arrived they could see smoke coming from the third floor of building 1093. Officials believe the fire started on the outside patio of the third floor.
He said when crews arrived the flames were almost completely extinguished thanks to the sprinkler system inside the apartment.
“Because of the location of the fire it could have very easily extended into the roof and burn the roof off of the structure,” Cheif Tobia said. “But one sprinkler head controlled the fire with less than just a few gallons of water.”
Chief Tobia said at all times a sprinkler system works just as well as a firefighter does until more crews can arrive on the scene.
Fire officials said no one was injured or displaced due to the fire. One engine will remain on the scene Wednesday night as crews investigate the cause.
Cheif Tobia said this is a real success story for the sprinkler system in the apartment.
The fire, accidentally kindled by unattended burning incense, was quickly extinguished by the complex’s sprinkler system.
No injuries or extensive property damage were reported. Several apartments did sustain water damage. Those tenants were relocated by apartment management, officials said.
