Tag Archives: Washington

Other Business, Place of Worship

Battle Ground, WA – Fire at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses contained by sprinkler system

Fire sprinklers likely saved a Battle Ground-area church from more extensive damage after a food dehydrator sparked a fire Sunday night in its attached garage.  Around 9:20 p.m., crews from Clark County Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall north of Battle Ground, at 33209 N.E. Lewisville Highway, for a report of a structure fire.  Deputy Clark County Fire Marshal Curtis Eavenson said a fault in a food dehydrating device sparked a small fire in a garage attached to the church. The dehydrator appeared to be homemade.  The sprinkler system limited the damage to a roughly 3-square-foot area, causing about $4,000 to $5,000 in damage.  “The sprinkler system saved the day,” Eavenson said. “Once again, the value of fire sprinklers are very evident there.”  The dehydrator was being used to dry some fruit, he said.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Kent, WA – Early morning fire at transit station parking garage contained with help from sprinkler system

A vehicle fire briefly shut down the Kent Station parking garage early Wednesday morning and delayed a few Sounder trains. The fire about 6:10 a.m. on the fourth floor of the garage, 301 Railroad Ave. N., set off an automatic fire alarm, said Kyle Ohashi, spokesman for the Kent Regional Fire Authority.  Firefighters saw heavy grey smoke coming from the fourth floor and initially upgraded it to a commercial fire due to the unknown source of the fire, Ohashi said. Once on the fourth floor, they found a car fire that the building sprinkler system helped contain. The cause of the fire is unknown.  Kent Police also responded to the call as officials closed the garage until the fire was out.  Sound Transit delayed several trains from entering Kent Station because of the garage closure and fire. Once emergency personnel opened the garage, trains ran again.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Bellevue, WA – Sprinkler system credited with quickly stopping hotel fire

A fire broke out in a downtown hotel Wednesday morning, but the fire department is saying that the hotel’s sprinkler system put the fire out quickly.

In all, seven units responded to the fire, the department said, but the fire was out when they got there. Firefighters salvaged items from the room and found no one injured as a result of the fire.

“This shows the importance of a functioning suppression system in residential and commercial structures,” the department wrote on its Facebook page.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – No injuries after apartment complex fire is extinguished by sprinkler system

Residents at a Seattle apartment complex said they started knocking on each other’s doors as soon as the fire alarms went off. Tenants evacuated early Tuesday morning as flames burned through portions of the second and third floors of the Union View Apartment complex, Seattle Fire said. The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire.

The complex is located in the 1600 block of Dexter Avenue North. A unit’s patio was charred in the flames. No injuries were reported,

Close to 60 Seattle firefighters responded.  Authorities haven’t determined the fire’s cause, as of Tuesday morning. Fire officials are investigating.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Pacific, WA – Cooking fire at senior apartments extinguished by sprinkler system

Firefighters from the Valley Regional Fire Authority quickly responded and contained an unattended cooking fire at the Rainier Vista Apartments, 134 3rd Ave. SE, Pacific, early Saturday afternoon.

There were no reported injuries.

Responding to an automatic fire alarm at 1:45 p.m., the initial unit found smoke showing with a possible fire from the third floor. Firefighters soon discovered the source, an unattended cooking fire, which the automatic sprinkler system extinguished within several minutes.

The fire was contained to the original unit. The residence was unoccupied at the time of the fire. About a half dozen rooms and residents were affected by ongoing water mitigation efforts.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Richland, WA – Kitchen fire at assisted living facility extinguished by sprinkler system

A stove fire broke out at a retirement and assisted living home in Richland on Wednesday but no residents were hurt.  Richland fire crews were alerted around noon to a fire at Riverton by Bonaventure on Bellerive Drive. A sprinkler system extinguished the small kitchen fire before crews arrived, said Battalion Chief Ron Duncan.

“Somebody left something on the stove and walked away from it,” he said.  Richland fire crews then received calls about an hour later because someone smelled smoke. It turned out to be smoke lingering from the previous fire, Duncan said.

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article99156947.html#storylink=cpy
Apartment Building, Residential

Olympia, WA – No injuries in apartment fire controlled by sprinkler system

Olympia firefighters responded to a fire alarm about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at a west Olympia apartment complex.  When they arrived at the Fern Street Southwest building, they found fire inside one of the second-floor apartments. The small fire was being kept under control by the automatic sprinkler system. Fire crews finished extinguishing the fire and ensured all occupants had gotten out of the building.

Damage was limited to a corner of the living room and was estimated at $45,000.  Olympia Fire Department responded; McLane Fire District 9 provided assistance by responding to an unrelated call for medical aid within the city.  No one was injured. On Thursday, the cause of the fire was undetermined.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Seattle, WA – Fire in paint booth at industrial complex controlled by sprinkler system

Firefighters are working to determine the cause of a fire that erupted Saturday at an industrial complex in South Seattle. Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke seeping from the building’s roof around 3:20 p.m. The business, located in the 400 block of South 96th Street, was not occupied at the time of the fire.  There were no reported injuries.

Initially, a single fire engine was dispatched. Due to the heat of the flames and the size of the building, however, the call was upgraded to a full response. The fire appears to have started in a paint booth, authorities said.

Firefighters reported smoke coming from smoke stacks on the roof of the single-story building and from under several roll-up doors. Upon entering, they found the sprinkler system had controlled the flames. The firefighters extinguished the fire.

Twelve sprinkler heads were activated due to the fire and heat. A King County fire investigator is investigating. Multiple departments responded, including personnel from North Highline Fire, Burien, Tukwila, Kent Fire Department, Kent Regional Fire Authority, Seattle Fire, King County Medic One, Rehab One and the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Apartment Building, Residential

West Richland, WA – Sprinkler system helps extinguish apartment patio fire

Firefighters from Benton Fire District 4 haul away charred items Monday morning from a second-floor patio at the Quail Springs Apartments on Dallas Road in West Richland.  A fire sprinkler on the patio helped extinguish the flames, said Fire Chief Bill Whealan.

Damage was limited to the outside of the unit that was empty at the time.  Investigators believe the fire started in a potted plant but are still investigating the cause.

Residential

Maple Valley, WA – Residential garage fire extinguished by single sprinkler

On Thursday June 30, 2016 just before 7:00 am in the 25600 block of SE 224th Street; Maple Valley firefighters responded to a residential garage fire. Upon arrival crews found light smoke coming from the garage door. Firefighters entered the structure and found the interior mostly clear. The building was equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system and a single sprinkler head had extinguished the fire. Fire damage was limited to the point of origin and there was minimal water damage. Loss was estimated at $1,000. The cause of the fire was accidental.