Tag Archives: West Virginia

Apartment Building, Residential

Cross Lanes, WV – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A fire inside an apartment building was quickly put out Wednesday morning.

It happened about 4:30 a.m. in Cross Lanes.

The Nitro Fire Department said it happened at Cross Lanes Unity Apartments.

Firefighters said the sprinkler system put out the fire.

All 27 people inside were forced to leave the building. No one was injured.

Most of those were able to go back in once the building was ventilated.

The Nitro fire chief said the sprinkler system probably saved lives.

Firefighters said the fire started when someone in one of the apartments was smoking while in bed.

Apartment Building, Residential

Cross Lanes, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

A sprinkler system in a Kanahwa County apartment is credited with preventing a horrible tragedy early this morning.

Firefighers from Kanawha and Putnam County responded to the blaze around 4:30 a.m. at the Unity Apartments in Cross Lanes.

The fire broke out in the bedroom of one unit, but the sprinkler quickly had the fire under control even before the fire department arrived. Nitro Fire Chief Casey Mathes said had it not been for the sprinkler, the early morning fire very likely would have claimed several lives.

Twenty-seven residents of the apartment building located on Big Tyler Road were evacuated. They were allowed to reurn home after about an hour.

Investigators said the fire is blamed on smoking in bed.

Apartment Building, Residential

Morgantown, WV – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Firefighters in Morgantown responded to a kitchen fire Wednesday at the College Park Apartments.

The Morgantown Fire Department responded to 80 Newton Avenue at 5:10 p.m. and promptly extinguished the stovetop fire. Firefighters found a sprinkler-controlled fire in the living room and also extinguished and shut down the flow to the sprinkler system.

No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chapmanville, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire on apartment building eighth floor; No injuries reported

Nearly 100 residents of the Chapmanville Towers were displaced Monday after a fire broke out on the building’s top floor.

According to the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the fire began in an apartment on the building’s eighth floor. No injuries were reported, but water damage was caused to several apartments by the complex’s automatic sprinkler system going off, which caused water to seep throughout the building.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire and evacuated the building. Initial social media posts also rumored of a roof collapse; however, there were no official reports that indicated such damage.

Most of the 88 residents who were evacuated were transported to Chapmanville Regional High School, but some residents did choose to go to the Tracy Vickers Community Center instead, according to a press release from the Logan County Office of Emergency Management.

The Red Cross responded to the shelter location at the high school to assist the displaced residents. FEMA is also assisting with the displaced, according to the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department.

Property restoration crews were called to the scene as well. There is no word yet on when residents may safely return to the building.

Multiple agencies responded to assist including the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the City of Logan Fire Department, Henlawson Fire Department, Danville Fire Department, the Logan Emergency Ambulance Service Authority (LEASA), the Logan County Office of Emergency Management and the Boone County Office of Emergency Management.

Other - School / University, School / University

Wheeling, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at youth center; No injuries reported

Wheeling Police and Fire information officer Philip Stahl tells 7NEWS that a fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Youth Services Systems’ McCrary Center on Wheeling Island.

The call came in around 3:45PM for the location at 111 North York Street.

We’re told that it was a one room fire, which triggered the sprinkler system, that did its job to contain the fire. The building was evacuated but people were likely to be allowed back in later in the day. There were no injuries.

Officials do not yet know the cause of the fire, but they will be investigating.

Stay with 7NEWS for updates.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Charleston, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at bakery, No injuries reported

The Charleston Fire Department is investigating the fire that started late Tuesday night at Rock City Cake Company. Fire Marshal Richard Symns said when they responded to the fire, it was contained to a storage room containing holiday decorations on the second floor of the building.

“We believe something that was around the ornaments was combustible. We haven’t found the heat source that caused those ornaments to catch on fire,” Symns said.

Firefighters say the sprinklers and alarm went off in the building soon after the fire happened. The owners of the bakery were inside, and the fire was put out quickly.

The source of the fire is what they are currently investigating, and said they do not believe the cause was electrical.

“There is not outlets around the stuff that was in there. There may be something battery-powered. We don’t know that is what we are trying to figure out,” Symns said.

The Woolworth building is where Rock City Cake Company is located.

Rock City Cake Company shared some information on social media about their status. The bakery said they will be closed for at least a week.

Firefighters said the damage to the building was minimal but there is water damage from the sprinklers going off. In order for the bakery to reopen, Rock City Cake Company must get the green light following an investigation and inspection.

In the meantime, the bakery owners have shared that they will be filling pre-orders out of a commercial kitchen nearby and they shared that they will continue to participate in upcoming holiday events.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Webster Springs, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire at elementary school; No injuries reported

The Webster Springs Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire Wednesday evening at Webster Springs Elementary School.

According to 911 officials, the call came in just before 7:45 p.m. for a structure fire at Webster Springs Elementary School. The Webster Springs Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene and was able to quickly put out the fire.

Officials said the staff was stocking supplies to start the summer school home economic class when the stove burner was turned on accidentally. Webster County Office of Emergency Management Director, Richard Rose, also said the fire was accidental.

“A stove top burner got turned on accidentally when staff was stocking supplies to start the summer school home economics class today. There were no staff in the building at the time a passerby noticed water running out of the building and smell of smoke. Sprinkler head activated and kept the fire from spreading. Upon arrival the remaining flames were quickly extinguished with a water can. We remained on scene to clear the building of smoke,” said Rose.

No injuries have been reported.

Hospital/Care Facility, Hospital/Medical Clinic

Boone County, WV – Hospital sprinkler system contains fire; No injuries reported

A small fire broke out in Boone Memorial Hospital early Tuesday morning.

A press release from Boone Memorial Hospital says the fire started in an unoccupied room on the first floor.

The fire was quickly contained by the Hospital’s fire safety sprinkler protection system.

There were no injuries or evacuations involved in the fire. The cause is under investigation by the West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Madison, Danville, and Van Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the scene.

Government Office, Government/Military

Huntington, WV – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in police department headquarters; No injuries reported

A small fire inside the 10th Street Huntington Police Department headquarters was extinguished before fire crews could arrive late Friday night.

The fire alarm went off around 11 p.m. at headquarters. A small fire had started on a desk of the second floor Investigations Bureau and was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

Huntington Police Chief Ray Cornwell said the fire appears to be electrical, but it will be investigated by Huntington Fire Marshal Mat Winters.

The Huntington Fire Department responded to the scene.

There were no injuries. Repairs will need to be done to address water damage from the sprinklers.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Martinsburg, WV – Sprinkler system contains fire at Macy’s fulfillment center; No injuries reported

Macy’s officials do not know when the company’s fulfillment center north of Martinsburg will reopen, following a fire Saturday night.

The retailer had a limited crew at the 333 Caperton Blvd. facility Sunday, looking at the safety of the site and equipment, Macy’s spokeswoman Andrea Schwartz wrote in an email.

No one was hurt in the fire, but the blaze damaged about 2 percent of the materials in the 2 million-square-foot facility, Hedgesville Volunteer Fire Capt. Brian Mulligan said.

The fire remained under investigation by the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office. Additional investigative work needs to be done before a cause is determined, Assistant State Fire Marshal George Harms wrote in an email late Sunday afternoon.

The fulfillment center employs approximately 5,000 people, 980 of whom were evacuated Saturday night, Schwartz wrote.

The volume at the Martinsburg-area facility was shifted to other “mega” fulfillment centers to serve customers, she wrote.

The holiday season is a busy time for the 24-hour fulfillment center.

The temperature outside was in the low 40s when workers were evacuated. Mulligan said he wasn’t sure how long people stood around before being sent home.

“It could have been worse. Everybody did an excellent job,” Mulligan said.

Company officials are thankful all the employees are “safe and accounted for, with no injuries,” Schwartz wrote.

The retailer is supporting fire officials with the investigation, she wrote.

The fire was reported at 7:39 p.m. Saturday, a Berkeley County 911 dispatcher said.

The sprinkler system activated, along with the fire alarm, and did a good job, Mulligan said.

“It kept it contained. Thank God,” Mulligan said.

The building is fine, but the fire extended up racks of packages three stories high, Mulligan said.

An estimated 60 firefighters responded from Hedgesville, Martinsburg, Bedington, Baker Heights, the West Virginia Air National Guard and Back Creek Valley. The rehab unit from Washington County also responded.

Mulligan said an airboat, on a trailer from Frederick County, Md., was backed up to a loading dock so its large fan could be used to eject smoke from the building. An airboat was similarly used at a Winchester, Va., warehouse fire in the last year or two.

There were a lot of burnt, wet packages at the Macy’s facility, he confirmed.

Macy’s personnel had been on “fire watch” in case the blaze reignited because the fire knocked out the alarm system, Mulligan said Sunday morning.

Firefighters were able to use water-supply hookups in the building, with one stationed every 500 feet.