Tag Archives: Washington

Place of Worship

Federal Way, WA – Church fire cause by cigarette discarded in mulch controlled by sprinkler system

A Tuesday morning fire at Brooklake Church caused an estimated $150,000 worth of damage to the exterior of the building.  South King Fire & Rescue Captain Jeff Bellinghausen said there was no damage to the inside of the building, 629 S. 356th St.  The fire was most likely caused by a cigarette butt left on the bark outside the church, Bellinghausen said. The fire was determined to be accidental, he said.  The awning over the entrance to the church caught fire, and the sprinkler system was able to keep the fire contained until the firefighters could get there, Bellinghausen said.  The carpet inside may need to be replaced from possible smoke damage, and repairs are needed in the entrance area, but there was no severe fire damage inside, Bellinghausen said. The church is still in operation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Yakima, WA – Apartment fire caused by improperly disposed cigarette contained by sprinkler

Yakima firefighters say a fire sprinkler kept flames on a third-floor deck from spreading to the rest of an eastside apartment building. The fire at the East Beech Apartments, 1402 E. Beech St., was reported at 8:50 a.m. when smoke was seen coming from the third floor.  Someone on the deck placed a cigarette in a cardboard box believing it was out, said fire Capt. Jeff Pfaff. The burning cigarette caught the box on fire, which activated an automatic sprinkler system.  “The saving factor was the fire sprinkler,” Pfaff said.  Damage was estimated at $2,500, including a patio door that shattered when the sprinkler water hit the heated glass, Pfaff said.  Officials are calling the fire accidental.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Lake Stevens, WA – Sprinklers “do their job” in suspicious fire at Boys & Girls Club

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire that damaged a portion of the Lake Stevens Boys and Girls Club on Monday afternoon. Investigators are calling the fire ‘suspicious.’  The fire started at approximately 2:30 P.M. Monday, investigators said.  When firefighters arrived on scene, they found two portable bathrooms on fire. Flames had spread to the overhang and the roof of the building nearby.

It appears the fire started inside the portable toilets, the Assistant Fire Marshal for Lake Stevens Fire told KOMO News on Monday night.  “The ones who are gonna pray the price are the kids. And that’s the sad part,” said Michael Hamel, who lives nearby and stopped by the club Monday night to look at the damage left behind. “We can clean up. Adults can pick it up. We can get on and rebuild, but it… this is against the kids. Why do something to ruin the summer for kids?”

The Lake Stevens Boys and Girls Club will be closed on Tuesday, the club’s executive director told KOMO News. He hopes to reopen the club on Wednesday. Parents should check the club’s social media pages for updates, he said.  Most of the damage from the fire is to the outside of the building, investigators said. But crews brought in vacuums Monday night to suck up water and debris that coated the gym floor after the fire was put out.

“The fire sprinklers did their job. They contained the fire to that one storage room. And that one sprinkler head did a fantastic job suppressing the fire,” said David Petersen, Assistant Fire Marshal for Lake Stevens Fire.  Half of the roof on the club’s storage unit was destroyed by the fire. Equipment had to be pulled out of the storage unit. Some of it likely can’t be saved.  No one was injured in the fire. No one was in the building when the fire started, investigators said.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Ridgefield, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in residential condo; No injuries reported

A fire sprinkler saved the day for a Ridgefield family whose stove caught fire Thursday morning, said Tim Dawdy, Clark County Fire & Rescue spokesman.

About 8 a.m., Clark County Fire & Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at 184 N. 43rd Place in Ridgefield. Someone was cooking fries in oil when the stove caught fire and burned the kitchen cabinets, he said.

But the home, a condo in a new development in the north Clark County city, had fire sprinklers, which quickly extinguished the blaze before it spread. By the time firefighters arrived, the only thing left to do was mop up the water.

“These simple, inexpensive fire sprinklers really do their job,” Dawdy said. Neither condo on either side of the unit was damaged.

Three adults live at the condo, Dawdy said. No one was injured. There were no children or pets in the home.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Everett, WA – Plastic fire in warehouse knocked down by sprinkler system

Saturday afternoon Everett Firefighters were called to a warehouse in the 7200 Block of Hardeson Road in southwest Everett to a report of a fire alarm.

The first engine in found smoke coming from a large industrial building. Firefighters entered and found the sprinkler system had knocked down a fire in some plastic material.

The building was filled with smoke and it took crews some time to get the building aired out but damage was minimal.

An investigator was working to determine the cause of the fire. No damage estimate was available.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Vancouver, WA – Activated sprinkler assists firefighters in extinguishing fire at La Quinta Inn

Firefighters responded to a call Saturday afternoon at a hotel, where they found a fire in an empty room. Clark County Fire District 6 responded to the call at 4:11 p.m. at the La Quinta Inn & Suites, 1500 N.E. 134th St., Vancouver. Battalion Chief Bryan Baum said the first responders forced entry into the ground room floor after a hotel employee said there might be guests in that room.

When the firefighters entered, there were no guests, but there was a fire, which heated up and set off the sprinkler system. The firefighters put out the fire in less than 10 minutes, Baum said, adding there was some water damage and smoke damage in the room. Vancouver Fire Department assisted on the call.

He added that while the fire is currently under investigation, it could’ve been the air conditioning unit that started it. The curtains near the air conditioner were burned, as was the unit itself. There were no injuries from the fire, and the damage was primarily contained to the room with the fire, although Baum said there might’ve been some water damage in the hallway near the room.

The hotel was evacuated during the fire. Baum said that as of an hour after the fire, the guests from that room still hadn’t returned to the hotel, and the firefighters gave their personal belongings to the hotel staff at the front desk.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Pasco, WA – Early morning warehouse fire contained by sprinkler system; Firefighters finish the job

Firefighters are now investigating an early morning warehouse fire in Pasco. Firefighters responded to the 1400 block of Foster Wells Rd. around 1:30 this morning, after a warehouse caught on fire.
The building houses cardboard boxes, spices and chemicals used in the local packing houses. Firefighters say that the building’s sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading beyond the pile of cardboard caught on fire. Crews will be on scene for a while clearing the smoke and checking for hot spots. So far, there are no injuries at this time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Fire in common kitchen area at apartment building is contained by sprinkler system

10:30 AM: Seattle Fire is sending a “full response” to 5949 California SW. This is an apartment building that’s had multiple fire alarms in recent days, including one earlier this morning. More to come.

10:35 AM: SFD says it’s reported as a kitchen fire, and that the building’s sprinkler system “contained” it.

10:44 AM: Our crew on scene confirms that no smoke is visible, no reports of any injuries; fire alarms inside the building can still be heard from outside. We’ll be asking about the previous alarms; the most recent one was at 7 am today, and there were three yesterday afternoon. Right now, please avoid California SW in the area – it’s blocked by the emergency responders.

10:52 AM: SFD confirms it’s a kitchen fire and it’s out. They’re not commenting on the other recent calls there. They expect California SW to reopen within about 45 minutes.

Apartment Building, Residential

Everett, WA – Sprinkler system knocks down early morning apartment fire

Sprinklers and alarms did their job this morning after a fire broke out inside a unit at the NorthStar Apartments in the 3300 block of Lombard in Everett, Washington.  Shortly before 6 AM fire alarms were sounding and as the first Everett Fire engine arrived people were evacuating and reporting smoke and sprinkler activation on the first floor.  One person was removed from a ground floor unit by firefighters. He was taken by aid car to Providence Regional Medical Center to be checked as a precaution.  The sprinklers knocked down the fire and crews finished putting it out.  The fire was contained to the one unit.  An Everett Fire inspector is on scene now looking into the cause.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Centralia, WA – Overnight fire at restaurant doused by sprinkler system

A kitchen fire damaged Centralia’s Casa Ramos restaurant Saturday night, according to the Riverside Fire Authority.  Smoke was reported coming from the restaurant in the 900 block of Harrison Avenue at 11:56 p.m. Saturday. The business was closed and no employees were at the location.  Deputies from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office were at the scene and confirmed seeing smoke in the bar area.  Firefighters forced entry and found a small fire burning on the floor near a “large natural gas burner,” according to the RFA.

The restaurant’s sprinkler system extinguished most of the fire, and firefighters used a small amount of water to take care of the rest.  The kitchen sustained heat and smoke damage. According to the RFA, the building’s owner believed the business would be open the following day.  The fire is not considered suspicious, but the cause is under investigation, according to the RFA.  The Chehalis Fire Department, West Thurston Regional Fire Authority and the Centralia Police Department also responded.