Tag Archives: Virginia

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

South Chesterfield, VA – Boiler room explosion caused fire contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Chesterfield County Fire and EMS responded to an explosion at Fiorucci Foods’ processing plant near Ruffin Mill Road early Friday morning. About 50 firefighters, including six engines and three ladder trucks with supervisors and medics responded to a call at 5:41 a.m.

The Fiorucci brand makes Italian lunch meats like Coppa, Salami and Prosciutto.

The explosion occurred inside a compressor for one of the facility’s boilers. Shifts were already at work during the incident, but no injuries were recorded. The boiler room is made with blast doors to protect against an incident of this kind.

“These blast doors are made with a purpose for these situations so that if anything does happen, these will open up and the force will go upward, as opposed to outward,” said Lt. Jason Elmore of Chesterfield County Fire and EMS.

Damage was limited to the blast doors and the boiler itself.

“They’re going to have to repair that area in there to get that part of the process back open,” Elmore said. “They were working today on utilizing some of their other coolers and refrigerants to get as much accomplished as possible.”

Chesterfield County crews spent the morning clearing the factory of smoke before staff could be let back in. The building was returned to the occupant around lunchtime.

“The one good thing is these blast doors operated so there could have been more damage,” Elmore said. “The force would have been outward instead of upward. Also, the sprinkler system activated and contained the fire that was in the boiler room … That’s what they’re designed to do and that’s what happened.”

The Department of Agriculture will have to be consulted for safety and cleanliness before the area can reopen. Elmore said he expects the facility to be closed for “at least a 24 hour period, if not longer.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Manassas, VA – Sprinkler system keeps laundry room fire under control

The first blaze, at Wyndham Garden Hotel on Vandor Lane, started in a laundry room about 12:55 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find smoke spreading through the building, Prince William County fire and rescue said in a news release.

A second alarm was initially requested due to the type of occupancy and smoke conditions. The fire was located and contained to the laundry room located in the hotel’s basement.

The fire had been kept under control by the building’s sprinkler system. Crews further controlled the scene and initiated smoke removal. The hotel was temporarily evacuated during the incident but occupants were allowed to return. Three occupants were evaluated on the scene but did not need to be hospitalized.

Fire damage was limited to the a dryer and was determined to be the cause of the fire as observed by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charlottesville, VA – Sprinkler systems puts out dryer fire, keeps fire from spreading to entire apartment complex

Some people living in an apartment complex near the University of Virginia Corner are without a home after an early morning fire.

Firefighters were called to the 200 block of 14th Street Northwest just after 2 a.m. Tuesday, June 4. When they got on scene, they found a dryer on fire on the fourth floor of the building.

Crews credit the sprinkler system for keeping the fire contained to just the dryer.

“One of the lessons of an incident like this is just how important it is to have a working sprinkler system and alarm system,” Charlottesville Fire Chief Andrew Baxter said. “That sprinkler system saved lives tonight, there’s no question about it.”

No one was inside the apartment at the time of the fire.

Baxter says people living inside two apartments have temporarily been displaced due to smoke and water damage throughout the building.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Chesapeake, VA – Fire at residential care facility extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Norfolk Fire Departments responded to a fire at Indian River Residential Care Sunday. According to Chesapeake Fire, the fire started on the exterior of the residential care facility, which is located in the 1000 block of Justis Street. Crews were called to the scene at 12:03 p.m. Fire extension to the interior was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. No injuries were reported.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Hampton, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire on 10th floor of hotel; No injuries reported

The Hampton Fire Division responded to the Embassy Suites after reports of a fire and sprinkler activation.

The call came in at 7:16 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured in the fire that was contained to one room on the 10th floor of the hotel.

Due to the sprinkler activation, 64 rooms were impacted.

There were 449 guests in 201 rooms at the hotel st 1700 Coliseum Drive. During the evacuation, guests were housed in the Convention Center. The hotel has enough rooms to accommodate all of their current guests.

The cause of the fire was accidental and started from a candle the guest was using in the room.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Mount Vernon, VA – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at Mega Mart before fire crews arrived

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a person of interest in a fire that occurred on Wednesday, Jan. 30.

At 1:13 p.m., Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded for reports of a fire in a bathroom at the Mega Mart located at 8228 Richmond Highway. The fire was extinguished by a fire sprinkler system prior to fire and rescue department arrival. The fire is under investigation.

The person of interest is described as African American and was last seen wearing a blue knit hat, light blue jacket, dark pants, and black backpack. Fire investigators would like to speak with this individual regarding their investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lieutenant S. Khan at 703- 246-4738 or [email protected].

Apartment Building, Residential

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

Fire officials say one apartment was damaged by fire Friday morning at the Village at Oakview public housing complex in Bristol, Virginia.

But thanks to a water sprinkler system, the fire on Oakview Street was put out quickly and damage was limited to that apartment and another that had water damage.

Fire officials were investigating the cause of the fire. They said it appeared that it started under a bed. No one was injured.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Tysons, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in 19-story high-rise building; No injuries reported

There was a fire earlier this week at the 8200 block of Crestwood Heights Drive in Tysons, but even before Fairfax Fire & Rescue arrived it was doused by the building’s sprinkler system.

The fire started just after midnight in an upper-floor apartment of a 19-story high-rise building. There were no injuries and $200 in damages.

Bill Delaney, a public affairs officer for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, said fires being taken out by sprinklers before firefighters arrive is uncommon, given that sprinklers are only typical in newer high rise buildings.

“Sprinklers are mostly located in high-rise buildings, condos, apartments,” said Delaney. “Also a variety of commercial type buildings and businesses. Older types of those buildings do not have fire sprinklers as it was not a requirement at the time they were built.”

Delaney said the fire was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Delaney noted that this was the sixth fire in 2019 caused by discarded cigarettes or other smoking devices. One last week caused significant damage to a home after cigarettes were thrown into the trash.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue offered a few suggestions for safely disposing of cigarettes.