Tag Archives: Washington

Department Store, Retail

Spokane Valley, WA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at JCPenney store

A teenager suspected of starting a fire at the JCPenney store at the Spokane Valley Mall last month was arrested.

According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, a 13-year-old was identified as the suspect who started the fire.

The sheriff’s office said the teen was booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center Wednesday morning for first-degree arson.

According to the sheriff’s office, the fire resulted in an estimated loss of over $50,000 in merchandise and fire-related damage.

The sheriff’s office said detectives believe that two other minors were with the suspect at the time of the fires. The sheriff’s office said the suspect used a torch-type lighter to burn holes in boxes that had merchandise in them before walking away.

The box caught on fire and lit other boxes on fire, which triggered the fire suppression system and sprinklers.

In May, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said firefighters responded to a single-head sprinkler activation at the Spokane Valley Mall inside the JCPenney store at around 8 p.m. Saturday, May 17.

The fire department said the sprinklers did their job and stopped the forward progress of the fire.

JCPenney General Manager Aaron Klennert said damage to the merchandise was limited, and the majority of the damage was structural due to excessive water from the sprinklers.

Klennert said the fire happened on the top floor of the store in the home section, just minutes before closing time. Staff said it took a while to turn off the sprinklers, causing about three inches of water to spread across the floor and seep down into the ceiling of the first floor.

Other - Retail, Retail

Woodinville, WA – Sprinkler system contains explosion fire at hardware store; No injuries reported

Crews are investigating an explosion that happened in Woodinville on Monday afternoon.

What we know:

Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR) announced the incident on social media at 2:42 p.m. Officials said the explosion happened at a hardware store near the corner of 130th Ave NE and Little Bear Creek Parkway.

Firefighters from Bothell, Shoreline and Kirkland fire departments assisted at the scene.

The fire was mostly contained by the facility’s sprinkler system, but emergency crews responded to ensure full control and safety. No injuries were reported.

What we don’t know:

A fire investigator has been requested to the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire on fourth floor of housing building

A small fire in a fourth-floor bathroom at Uncle Bob’s Place on Monday was quickly put out by the building’s sprinkler system, preventing what could have been a much more serious incident.

Property managers arrived after getting an alert from the building’s alarm and sprinkler system. They found that a towel had caught fire in the bathroom. No one was home at the time, and according to the Seattle Fire Department, it wasn’t clear whether the fire was set intentionally.

No one was displaced, and damage was limited to some smoke staining in the bathroom and minor water intrusion in the unit below.

Apartment Building, Residential

Everett, WA – Sprinkler system controls overnight apartment fire; No injuries reported

According to the Everett Fire Department, an early morning fire Thursday at the Station Place Apartments in Everett displaced seven residents but was quickly extinguished due to an effective sprinkler system.

The fire department responded to an automatic fire alarm at 3315 Broadway at 12:35 a.m.

After residents reported seeing smoke and flames from a third-story apartment, the call was upgraded to a commercial fire response.

Firefighters arriving on the scene found residents evacuating and a small kitchen fire in a third-floor unit.

The building’s sprinkler system was controlling the fire.

Crews stretched a hose line to the third floor while others assisted with the water supply and conducted searches of adjoining apartments and the building.

While no injuries were reported, the apartment where the fire originated sustained some fire and water damage.

At least two units on the second floor and a business space on the main floor also experienced water damage.

The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of the first crew’s arrival due to the prompt action of firefighters and the sprinkler system, officials said.

Firefighters then spent several hours working on salvage and cleanup.

The Red Cross was contacted to assist the seven displaced residents.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Moses Lake, WA – Sprinkler system contains fire caused by high voltage electrical equipment

The Moses Lake Fire Department was dispatched Tuesday night around 7:30 p.m. to 7761 Randolph Road Northeast, by the Port of Moses Lake, according to a release by the city of Moses Lake. 

When the department arrived it found facility personnel outside of the structure who told MLFD there was a fire in one of the process rooms on the ground floor of the facility. The fire was later discovered to be caused by high voltage electrical equipment which caught fire at a processing tank within the facility. There were no hazardous chemicals involved or released during the fire.

The building sprinkler system went off in response to the fire and helped contain it to the one processing room. There was heat damage to the walls and ceiling of the room, however, the fire never spread.

The Moses Lake firefighters made entry into the building with extended fire hose lines to the area which was a blaze. Crews entered the building which was full of heavy smoke and limited visibility. Soon after entering, they begin fighting fire shortly after making entry. It took them around an hour to fully suppress the fire and units remained on the scene for several hours to ventilate the building and ensure the fire was completely out.

The responding agencies were MLFD Battalion 1, Chief 101, Tower 1, Engine 1, Engine 2, Medic 3 and Grant County Fire District 5.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system activated for rubbish fire in parking garage; No injuries reported

The QFC at Broadway and Pike in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood was evacuated Sunday morning after a fire broke out in the building’s garage.

Seattle Fire Department crews responded to the fire at the 1400 block of Broadway around 10:17 a.m.

Firefighters reportedly found a rubbish fire in the building’s parking garage. The fire was contained by the sprinkler system and firefighters.

 Seattle Fire said the fire did not extended beyond the parking garage, which is located under the building.

The businesses above the garage were evacuated, including the QFC. No injuries were reported.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Snohomish, WA – Sprinkler system holds fire commercial fire in check

Early Saturday morning 48firefighters responded to a fire at 1530 Bonneville Ave (a 17,000-square-foot commercial building) in the City of Snohomish.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 was dispatched to a fire alarm, wherethey found smoke coming from the building and upgraded the response to a commercial fire.

Units from Everett Fire, South County Fire, and Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue assisted Snohomish County Fire District #4.

Investigators said the building had an operating sprinkler system that held the fire in check until crews could gain access to the seat of the fire and fully extinguish it.

Currently there is no cause to the fire and the Snohomish County Fire Marshal is leading the investigation.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Vancouver, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at church

Authorities are searching for a suspect accused of breaking into a church and trying to start a fire. It happened early Sunday morning in Vancouver. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office says someone broke into the City Harvest Church by breaking a window. They then allegedly tried to start a fire inside the building, but a sprinkler system quickly extinguished the flames. Authorities are investigating the incident as arson.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system activated for fire inside apartment building; No injuries reported

Crews fought a fire inside an apartment in Downtown Seattle early Tuesday, causing residents to spill out onto the street.

At 3:30 a.m., crews were called to the building in the 1400 block of Madison Street. A fire was found inside a fourth-floor unit.

When firefighters arrived, the flames were under control, thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, according to the Seattle Fire Department. Crews put out the remaining fire.

No one was hurt.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.