Tag Archives: Washington

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.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Puyallup, WA – Sprinkler system protects high school after banner set on fire

Two Emerald Ridge High School sophomores are in the custody of Pierce County sheriff’s deputies after lighting a banner on fire in the school’s common area, officials say.

The fire forced the evacuation of a wrestling match and caused sprinklers to douse the school’s common area with water.

A large banner was lit on fire and the smoke triggered the sprinkler system, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesman Brian Levings said. A wrestling match was evacuated, Puyallup School District spokesman Brian Fox said.

Water from the sprinkler system was the primary concern, Levings said.

School will go on as scheduled, Fox said.

The extent of the damage from the fire and the water used to extinguish it is unknown.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bremerton, WA – Overnight arson fire at apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system

Bremerton police have arrested a 45-year-old Gig Harbor man who they say was a person of interest in a Monday arson. Police said the man called detectives and later agreed to come to the police station for an interview. At the end of the interview, the man was arrested and booked into the Kitsap County Jail for the crimes of burglary, theft of a firearm and arson. The Bremerton Police Department said it is waiting to release the suspect’s name pending the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charging decision.

Our earlier report from Jan. 2, 2018:
Bremerton police are asking the public’s help in identifying a man who they say is a person of interest in an arson on Monday. The fire happened Monday at about 2:15 a.m. Bremerton firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the Spyglass Hill Apartments in the 600 block of Highland Ave. The building was evacuated, and hundreds were forced outside in the cold according to Fire Marshals who are now investigating the incident as arson. Bremerton Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Prichard said the building’s sprinkler system managed to extinguish the fire. He also said the building is only a few blocks from the firehouse on Park Ave so the response went relatively smoothly.

“We identified a person that didn’t belong in the building didn’t know who he was so he’s a person of interest we want to find this guy and chat with him.”

Bremerton Police shared the man’s photo on social media, and even said they believed they knew who he was.

Fire investigators wouldn’t identify him by name but said the surveillance cameras at the apartment complex helped them start the arson investigation.

Resident Andrew Feliciano said that both he and his dog Roosevelt escaped when the fire broke out. They live adjacent to the unit where the fire happened. He was surprised that authorities said a man who didn’t live there managed to get in, “this place is like Fort Knox, it’s very secure. I’m not sure how that guy got in.”

Fire investigators said nobody was hurt in the fire, and it didn’t spread to any other buildings, in fact there never appeared to be a danger of that happening. They said roughly a dozen residents may have been displaced by the fire.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 360-473-5228.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Kent, WA – Warehouse fire caused by recharging forklift battery controlled by sprinkler system

What started as a sprinkler water flow alarm (SWFA) on Friday night turned into a commercial fire in the 20100 block of 72 Ave. S., Kent, the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority reported. No one was in the building at the time of the fire and there were no injuries. When firefighters got on scene they discovered that the entire warehouse and office spaces of the building were filled with smoke, Puget Sound Fire said. The engine company quickly upgraded the alarm to a full “commercial structure fire” to add additional units.

The fire appears to have originated where a forklift’s battery was being charged, fire officials said. The SWFA was set off when the heat from the fire activated the sprinkler head directly above it, exactly as it was designed to do, fire officials said. The movement of water through the pipes sent a signal to the alarm monitoring company, which called the local 911. The activated sprinkler head controlled the fire and kept it from spreading, giving firefighters the time needed to access the inside of the building with fire hoses to fully extinguish it, Puget Sound Fire said. Because of the size and height of the concrete tilt-up style building, firefighters are using large fans to clear out the smoke. A fire investigator will go in once that is accomplished to confirm the cause of the fire.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Parkland, WA – Fire on 8th floor of campus residence hall extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire ignited in a Tingelstad dorm room around 1 p.m. Nov. 3, starting in a three person room on the 8th floor. According to the Campus Safety (CSAF) report, “combustible materials” were stored on top of the kitchenette stove. The Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau report states that the right rear burner was inadvertently activated, causing the materials to flare.

“The fire was a complete accident,” first-year and 814 resident Ben Leschensky said. “Nobody was in the room at the time of the fire, and we hadn’t used the oven in over a week.”

The fire singed a significant portion of the wall and cabinetry near the stove before the sprinkler triggered and effectively extinguished the flames. However, the sprinkler kept running even after the fire was out, causing flooding in 814 and a slew of rooms on the eighth floor. Leschensky said the 8th floor lounge, common kitchen and study room sustained water damage as well.

The fire alarm sounded between 12:50 and 1 p.m. CSAF responded to the scene at 1:03 p.m., followed by Facilities Management at 1:22 p.m. Two fire trucks from Central Pierce Fire and Rescue (CPFR) also responded.

Elevator use was reserved for students with accessibility needs and responders. Emergency responders sectioned off the 8th floor while they worked on rectifying the initial damage.

Leschensky was in class when the fire occurred and recalled receiving a phone call from his roommate shortly after informing him of the damage.

“I was concerned about the extent of the damage, and was playing a ton of worse-case scenarios through my head as I walked to lower campus,” Leschensky said.

Once there, Leschensky and his roommates answered questions for CSAF, CPFR firefighters and the responding Fire Marshal. Leschensky said he felt relieved to know the kitchen was the only damaged area. However, he said he was also “bummed about all the people that were upset at us as a result of the fire.”

Leschensky and his roommates received alternative Tingelstad living arrangements from Residential Life until their room receives the proper repairs. Leschensky said the fire has added excess stress to his first year at Pacific Lutheran University.

“Relocating to a new room, trying to settle into a new routine and taking a lot of negativity from all the people affected has made this more stressful than it needed to be,” Leschensky said. “College is already a grind, so this whole situation just made it worse. I’m just burned out, literally.”

Other - Retail

Vancouver, WA – Overnight fire at cabinet business put out with help from sprinkler system

A fire damaged a business in Vancouver Tuesday morning.  Crews responded to Dreamline Cabinets in the 2700 block of Northeast Andersen Road just before 1:30 a.m.  The sprinkler system helped put the fire out before firefighters arrived.  Firefighters did need to cut some holes in the roof at the business next door to help vent the smoke.  No one was hurt and it’s not clear yet what started the fire.