Woman saved from burning chair in Carmel Valley

Automatic Fire Sprinkler Stops Fire In Eastside Church

Fire Closes Woodstock Dentist Office

WOODSTOCK, Ga. - A dentist office in Woodstock is closed for business after a storage room caught fire.

Woodstock fire officials say firefighters responded to a family dentistry business office located in the Creekstone Business Office Complex off of Wood Park Place after an employee arrived to work and noticed water flowing from the front door.

Officials say a fire ensued in the storage room of the dentist office after a fan caught on fire. The fire was extinguished by the fire sprinkler system.

The dentist office sustained substantial water damage and is currently closed for business.

The Woodstock Fire Department is still investigating and say no injuries were reported.

Fire breaks out in Downers Grove hotel

Hotel fire

A fire inside a sixth-floor unit in the Holiday Inn Hotel on 66th Street July 9 was extinguished by the building’s sprinklers before firefighters arrived.

The Ocean City Fire Department was alerted that a fire alarm in the hotel was activated around 10 a.m. The first firefighters to arrive on the scene found smoke on the sixth floor.

The fire was located inside unit 627. The hotel’s sprinkler system and a manager using a handheld fire extinguisher had already extinguished the fire by that time.

Investigators from the Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire began on a stove inside the unit. The cause was listed as accidental.

There were no injuries caused by the fire.

Explosion at University of Missouri-Columbia leaves four injured

An explosion at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) on Monday afternoon left four people injured, authorities say.

The explosion occurred in a science laboratory in Schweitzer Hall around 2:20 p.m. CDT (1920 UTC) Monday. The source of the explosion was first thought to have been a 2,000-pound (907.2-kilogramme) hydrogen tank, but fire officials later said that this was not the case. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by the Columbia Fire Department.

The Columbia Fire Department arrived at Schweitzer Hall after a report of a structure fire, but found that most of the fire had already been extinguished by the building's fire sprinkler system. The remaining flames were put out by firefighters, one of whom said it looked as if "a bomb went off in the lab."

Of the four hurt in the blast, one was a research scientist, one a graduate student, and the other two postdoctoral fellows. Three were treated for mild injuries and released from University Hospital, while the fourth was in good condition after being taken to the hospital's burn unit for life-threatening injuries. A school spokesperson said that the university was not allowed to release the names of the victims.

Authorities initially believed that a large container of hydrogen gas had exploded, but investigators later said that the tank was intact. Fire officials also retracted an earlier statement that said the incident had been a result of human error. In a Monday night news release, the fire department said that lab workers had turned on the hydrogen but did not recognize warning signs indicating a dangerously high level of hydrogen gas in the lab, so they left the gas supply running. The report said the explosion occurred after the gas reached a source of ignition. However, the department said Tuesday that the investigation into the explosion is still ongoing and that they were not certain human error was the cause.

The investigation should determine the cost of repairs for the building, as well as whether the school should implement new procedures to avoid similar incidents in the future. The lab where the explosion took place will be totally rebuilt.

Schweitzer Hall houses Mizzou's biochemistry department, which is part of the medical and agricultural programs. The building's single classroom is located in the basement and was not in use at the time. The explosion happened on a third-story lab assigned to Judy Wall, a university professor, who was in her office across from the lab during the incident and referred inquiries to the news bureau. Other labs in the building were not disturbed, and Schweitzer Hall was established to be structurally sound, although nearly twenty windows had been shattered from the blast. The building reopened Tuesday for researchers to continue working.

Fire at Wyndham disrupts wedding parties

While three weddings were being celebrated at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center Saturday night, a fire broke out in the sauna area near the rear of the facility, forcing a temporary evacuation while firefighters spent several hours making sure the fire was completely extinguished.

Hotel and wedding guests didn’t have to spend long in the heat, however, as fire officials allowed them to congregate on the conference center side of the building, far away from the area affected by the fire.

A fire sprinkler mostly held the flames at bay, though the fire extended around the sprinkler and went above the sauna area, extending to the area above several of the racquetball courts, said Assistant Fire Chief Joe O’Conor.

The sprinklers did help keep the fire from extending into the second floor, O’Conor said. The fire was first spotted by a maintenance staffer who pulled a fire alarm around 8:30 p.m., O’Conor said.

With a crew of 30 city personnel and an additional three from the Fayette County Fire Department, firefighters knocked on the doors of each room to make sure all in the area were evacuated as others laid several water lines inside the building to attack the flames from inside, O’Conor said.

While all available paid and volunteer city firefighters were on the scene, the county fire department sent an engine and ambulance to be on standby for any other calls that might have occurred at the time, O’Conor said.

It took a while for firefighters to be thorough and find all the hot spots, O’Conor said. Using a thermal imaging camera to find the hidden hot spots, crews had to break through ceiling tiles, sheetrock and some hidden areas to make sure all the flames were out, O’Conor said.

Meanwhile the hotel turned its hospitality into overdrive, keeping its displaced guests not just in the air conditioning but in comfort, providing TVs, drinks and other services to counter the inconvenience.

A Fayette resident who wishes to remain unnamed was there when the fire broke out and told The Citizen that the Wyndham “could write the book on how well they treated us. They were real accommodating.”

The fire damage was contained to the health center, but the smoke damage extended beyond that, O’Conor said. After the flames were out, fire crews worked to remove smoke from the building before turning it back over to hotel personnel a little after midnight, O’Conor said.

The fire left soot on clothes and even entered dresser drawers in guest rooms, the residents said. Guests for whom the soot and smell were intolerable were moved by Wyndham staff to another hotel, the resident said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Peachtree City Fire Marshal’s office.

Las Vegas Fire In Adult Care Facility

Thick, black smoke emitting from a fire in an adult care facility could be seen around the Las Vegas, Nevada area this morning. About 8:30 a.m. crews with Las Vegas Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the scene in the 2000 block of Alta Drive, according to Tim Szymanski, a spokesman for the department.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, flames and smoke were visible. The fire began on a wood deck outside the building and worked its way inside. The fire was stopped by an automatic fire sprinkler system which kept it from spreading throughout the rest of the building until firefighter could put it completely out, according to Szymanski.

Forty-five firefighters responded to the scene. It took crews about five minutes to put out the fire. Two victims of smoke inhalation were treated on the scene and released. Six adults have been displaced by the fire.

Damage was confined to wood deck outside of building and the side of building. There was some fire damage to one room and smoke damage throughout the rest of the building.  According to Szymanski, the damage is estimated at $10,000.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Fire damages Industry business

Morning fire puts residents on street

Published : Monday, 10 May 2010, 5:38 PM ED

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A mid-morning fire forced residents of a Buffalo apartment out onto the street Monday morning.

Firefighters were called to the 900 block of Amherst Street shortly after 8 a.m. Monday morning when people living there discovered smoke in an apartment. Crews evacuated the residents from the rest of the building, who may not have known there was a fire.

Division Chief Jack Hess of the Buffalo Fire Department said, "I did not hear alarms going off. There was a sprinkler unit in the hallway, which some of the codes, you know, you have to have sprinklers in the hallways that had operated, but I did not hear alarms going off, so we'll have to check into that as well."

Fire investigators are also trying to determine what sparked the flames.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/Morning-fire-puts-residents-on-street

Fire Damages Gates Apartment Complex

"From a fire-suppression standpoint, the sprinkler systems held that fire to the apartment of origin."

Two apartments were heavily damaged -- one by fire and smoke, the second by water -- following a fire at a complex on Chili Avenue late last night.

Barn Fire: Sprinklers Save Harness Horses

Sulky drivers at Plainridge Racecourse were qualifying their horses for racing Tuesday afternoon, horses that might not be alive were it not for what they're calling a "Mother's Day miracle."

They're thankful for the sprinkler system at the horse barn.

"It stopped what could have been a huge fire and a huge disaster, and probably the tragic death of 200 horses," said Plainridge president Gary Piontkowski.

The fire broke out in a horse barn about 3 a.m. Sunday when there were high winds.

Plainville's small fire department responded with four men and vented the smoke as horsemen rescued 35 to 40 horses.

"Oh it could have been disastrous," said owner/trainer/driver Jimmy Hardy. "You know the way the wind was blowing that night, it could have been real bad."

"The sprinklers' the big story," explained Plainville Fire Chief Ted Joubert. "These barns are highly combustible."

He praised the racecourse owners for installing a quarter-million dollar sprinkler system in 1999, even though it was not required.

Twenty horses were scratched from racing Tuesday as veterinarians watched for signs of smoke inhalation, but only a few, including Brenda Provost's "Peripheral Vision" are still under observation.

"We are just so so grateful for our animals, for our property. We know what could have happened," said Provost, who is also a nurse.

Piontkowski thinks sprinklers should be required at race tracks throughout the country.

The Plainville fire chief believes that fire was caused by a heating element used to warm water for horse feed that had been left unattended.

5 Star Pittsburgh Restaurant Saved by Sprinkler System

PITTSBURGH --

A popular Pittsburgh landmark was damaged by fire early Monday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the scene of a fire at The Lemont on Mount Washington around 12:30 a.m.

Channel 4 Action News reported that firefighters credited the building's sprinkler system with saving the restaurant after one of the kitchen coolers caught fire.

"I saw it on the news this morning at 6:30. I woke up to that. So I got up here right away of course," said banquet manager Bill Laughlin.

No one was hurt in the fire, but restaurant managers told Hall that $20,000 to $30,000 worth of food had to be thrown away.

Laughlin said along with the food, the restaurant lost appliances and plastic racks, which melted from the heat of the fire.

However, restaurant managers also said they were grateful that the fire didn't affect business during the busy Mother's Day weekend.

The Lemont had to cancel a planned banquet lunch and a political fundraiser for Mike Doyle on Monday.

The restaurant is expected to reopen in the next few days.

We will be open tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest. As soon as we clean-up. It's just a matter of cleaning things up," Laughlin said.

Opened in 1960, The Lemont will celebrate its 50th anniversary in June and is a popular spot for wedding receptions and other events.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/23504070/detail.html 

Bend Fire Dept. Says Sprinklers Saved Disaster

Bend Fire Department was called out for a fire alarm sounding in an apartment and smoke coming from the apartment. The fire sprinkler system was reported to have activated prior to the fire departments arrival. No one was reported home in the apartment at the time and other neighboring apartments were evacuated. Upon arrival the fire department made entry into the apartment and found that a pot had been left on the stove and the occupants had left the apartment. The food caught fire and started to burn the cabinets. The fire sprinkler system activated and quickly knocked down the fire. Fire crews shut off the sprinkler system and removed most of the water from the apartment. The other contents in the apartment were covered with tarps to reduce further damage. The apartment had minor fire damage. The apartment complex managers are working on finding another apartment in the complex for the tenants.

This incident was kept very small because of the fire sprinkler system in the building. As the fire started to grow, the closest sprinkler head activated and suppressed the fire. Only one sprinkler head activated in the apartment, the one closest to the kitchen. The bedroom contents were left virtually untouched. The apartment will be able to be repaired quickly.

The building value estimate is based on a 7,700 square foot building costing about $1million to build and the contents being about $25,000 per apartment, with 8 apartments that is $200,000. The loss is about $10,000 for the overall building and about $5,000 in that individual apartment.

Sprinklers douse fire at Ashland business

Sunday, May 2, 2010

ASHLAND — a first-alarm fire in a wax machine the Rochester Shoe Tree Co. was controlled by the plant's sprinkler system.

"The sprinkler and fire alarm systems performed properly," said Brad Ober, Ashland fire chief, in a statement.

According to the Ashland Fire Department, the blaze, which broke out after 3:10 a.m. Friday, caused heavy smoke in the building, which made the first responding firefighters call a first alarm.

Crews entered with two attack hose lines, Ober said, and they found smoke throughout the structure.

There were no employees at the facility, and no firefighters were injured during he incident.

Ober estimates damage at about $20,000.

Plymouth, Holderness and Waterville Valley assisted Ashland at the scene. New Hampton provided coverage for the Ashland fire station.

Sprinklers douse early-morning fire at New Hempstead medical building

NEW HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK  

Hillcrest volunteers rushed to a fire at a medical office early this morning, only to learn the building's sprinkler system essentially did their job for them.

The fact the sprinklers doused the small fire is good news, said Hillcrest firefighter Chris Kear, the village fire inspector and the department's spokesman.

The fire in a laboratory at Gastrointestinal Associates of Rockland was reported at 1:07 a.m. when an incubator caught fire.

A laboratory technician working late tried putting out the fire with anextinguisher , but ended up calling 911, Kear said.

The 40 firefighters cleaned up the remnants of the fire and ventilated the New Hempstead Road building of smoke.

A $50,000 robotic machine used for biopsies suffered some damage, along with he ceiling and walls, Kear said. Water from the sprinklers leaked down to a storage room.

The medical office remained open today.

"They were very lucky," Kear said. "The sprinkler head went off and saved the building. If the building didn't have sprinklers, the fire would have expanded in size and there would have been more significant damage."

Laws and building codes requiring sprinkler systems vary depending on the size of buildings, construction and occupancy.

Kear said that New York state is likely to adopt suggested codes that require sprinkler systems in all new construction starting in 2011.

Currently, buildings topping 5,000 square feet, like Gastrointestinal Associates medical building, must have sprinklers, Kear said.

Sprinklers also are required for buildings topping three stories, and schools topping two floors.

Dr. Michael Kram of Gastrointestinal Associates praised the firefighters, police and other first responders for showing up at the medical building early this morning.

"The firemen did an excellent job and thank God no one was hurt," Kram said Thursday. "We're happy the sprinklers worked. They are checked, inspected and up-to-date."

UD KNOWS she shouldn’t laugh…

… but this is one of those stories… those Sorceror’s Apprentice stories… those Strega Nona stories… those shaggy dog stories… in which more and more things pile up and it gets crazier and crazier until you have to laugh. UD has to laugh, anyway.

So all day on and off she’s been following the story of Marcello DelCarlo, a biochem professor at Rush University in Chicago (his faculty webpage was up earlier today; let’s see if it’s still there) whose morning began with a domestic battery charge. His girlfriend says he shook her violently.

That’s bad, certainly, but not bad enough, professor-behaviorwise, to get you mentioned on University Diaries. (Yes! It’s still there!)

Then, when police looked through his apartment, they found

… more than a dozen cardboard tubes filled with an explosive substance and capped with plaster … One of the devices ignited as police bomb and arson investigators tried removing it, causing a small fire that was quickly extinguished by the unit’s fire sprinkler system, according to prosecutors and witnesses. The block-long building was evacuated, and the remaining devices were taken from the home and destroyed.

Although the professor scoffed that they were merely little firecrackers he’d fashioned for July fourth, the police added to his domestic battery misdemeanor "felony possession of an explosive or incendiary device."

And then when the police talked some more with the girlfriend, she told them "he made the explosives and traded them for meth."

Oh. And:

On Monday a Cook County judge set DelCarlo’s bail at $225,000. He is currently serving a sentence of six months of court supervision — a form of probation — for a January conviction for misdemeanor possession of ammunition without a valid firearm owner’s identification card and possession of an unregistered handgun.

Professor accused of making explosives in West Side home

 A Rush University biochemistry professor told police that homemade explosives found in his home were simply made to celebrate the 4th of July, but his girlfriend told them he made the devices to trade for drugs, authorities say.

Police responded to Marcello DelCarlo's home on the Near HYPERLINK "http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/neighborhoods.html?region=66085"West Side on Sunday after his girlfriend called police, saying he had threatened to strike her and had shaken her violently, Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti said at a bond hearing this morning.

When officers arrived, DelCarlo wasn't there and the woman was packing her belongings to leave. She told police that her boyfriend had " a box of homemade dynamite which he made to trade for meth," Antonietti said.

Officers found more than a dozen cardboard tubs filled with an explosive substance and capped with plaster -- one of which ignited as Chicago Police bomb and arson investigators tried to remove them from the home in the 1600 block of West Ogden Avenue.

The device caused a small fire that was quickly extinguished by the home's fire sprinkler system, Antonietti said, and the remaining devices were taken from the home and destroyed.

Investigators arrested DelCarlo later Sunday at Rush University Medical Center, where he works as an assistant professor of biochemistry. DelCarlo allegedly told police he made the devices to celebrate Independence Day and had exploded one of them earlier in south suburban Lansing.

DelCarlo, 36, was charged with felony possession of an explosive or incendiary device and misdemeanor domestic battery. DelCarlo's attorney, Scott Yu, disputed Antonietti's description of the tubes as improvised explosive devices.

"They're nothing more than glorified firecrackers that the defendant was making to celebrate the 4th of July," Yu said.

On Monday night, Rush University issued a statement saying that Del Carlo "has been put on administrative leave pending our investigation of the circumstances."

Circuit Judge James Brown set bail at $225,000. DelCarlo is currently serving a sentence of six months of court supervision - a form of probation -- for a January conviction for misdemeanor possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card and possession of an unregistered handgun.

In that case, he was initially charged with additional misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and possession of a firearm without a FOID card, but those charges were later dropped.

Bank fire being called arson

The Alamogordo Department of Public Safety has produced a CrimeStoppers report being aired on local radio stations confirming a fire at Bank '34 last week was arson.

The Daily News obtained a digital copy of the CrimeStoppers report on Friday.

Det. Mark Esquero, of ADPS, begins the commercial by saying CrimeStoppers of Otero County is asking for help and is working with ATF and state fire marshals "investigating an arson that occurred at Bank '34 located at 500 E. 10th St. on Thursday, April 8, 2010, at approximately 6:49 a.m."

Esquero says ADPS responded to Bank '34 in reference to a fire alarm, and once at the scene located a fire inside the building that was quickly extinguished by the building's fire sprinkler system.

"The initial investigation indicates that the fire was intentionally set," Esquero says in the commercial. "The building suffered extensive damage to include office property. The investigation is ongoing."

Detective Sgt. Israel Trujillo told the Daily News on Friday that ADPS is assisting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the investigation and would not release further details, even though the CrimeStoppers report is being aired on local radio stations and is produced by ADPS.

The CrimeStoppers number is 437-2000 and a reward is offered to information leading to arrest and indictment of individuals involved in serious crimes, Esquero says. Bank'34 is offering an additional $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of individuals who committed this crime.

Fire closes Danville Safeway for four hours

DANVILLE — A fire closed a Danville Safeway for four and half hours and caused about $71,000 damage to the supermarket.

About 11:50 a.m. today, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District responded to the fire at the store at 3496 Camino Tassajara. When they arrived they found the fire had been extinguished.

An employee told fire crews that a forklift had ruptured a gas line causing the fire at the back of the store. The fire activated the automatic fire sprinkler system.

The store was evacuated. It was unclear how many people were in the store at the time, said Kimberly French, a fire department spokeswoman.

French said the scenario could have been bad, given the rupture in the gas line.

"Anytime you have a gas line, the potential is there," French said.

AMC theater smoke-filled

Sunday, March 28
At 1:21 p.m., Engine 106 and Truck 105 responded to a fire alarm activation in the 400 block of South Baldwin Avenue. Upon arrival, fire personnel found the lobby of the AMC Theater filled with smoke and a sprinkler head activated above the commercial popcorn maker.  Fire personnel shut down the fire sprinkler system and replaced the activated fire sprinkler heads. The excess water was removed with water vacuums and smoke with positive pressure ventilation.  Fire fighters placed the fire sprinkler system into normal operation mode and released the scene to the business manager.

Fire put out by sprinkler system

April 14, 2010 11:32 AM

A kitchen fire in the kitchen of a Yuma apartment was put out by a fire sprinkler Tuesday evening, according to the Yuma Fire Department.

The fire was reported just after 8 p.m. in an apartment at 564 S. 15th Avenue. Responding Yuma Fire Department personnel found a fire on the kitchen stove had been extinguished by the apartment's automatic fire sprinkler system.

Fire damage was limited to the stove, according to a fire department press release, which added that the firefighters verified the fire was out and closed off a sprinkler head. The sprinkler system was then shut down, the sprinkler head was replaced and the system was restored to service.

A 14-year-old juvenile was at home alone at the time of the fire, the report said, and the fire was caused by unattended cooking. The juvenile called 911 to report the fire. The family sought other lodging for the night until clean-up could be completed, according to the fire department.

The YFD statement said sprinkler systems are very effective in stopping the spread of fires and suppressing them. This is at least the fourth similar sprinkler fire suppression in the last six months here in Yuma. Since November, fire sprinkler systems have stopped fires in two apartments, a hotel room and a restaurant.

Apartment fire in Auckland CBD put out

Sprinklers extinguished a fire in an apartment building in central Auckland early Saturday.

A northern fire communications spokeswoman said the fire was on the third level of the Queen Street apartment building.

The curtains were ablaze before the sprinkler system kicked in and extinguished them.

She said there were 17 fire appliances sent to the scene before the fire was extinguished.

It was not known if anyone had been injured.

Fire safety officers were investigating the cause of the fire

Fire sprinklers knock down blaze in Lynnwood

Published: Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Lynnwood, Washington

Fire sprinklers were credited with preventing what could have been a devastating fire on Friday.

Firefighters were called to a business in the 5100 block of 208th Street SW about 4:30 a.m., after a malfunctioning piece of electronic equipment started a fire, spokeswoman Cathy Rizzo said.

The fire sprinkler system inside the building quickly activated, averting a blaze that easily could have caused millions of dollars in damage, she said.

Recent Apartment Fire Illustrates the Benefit of Residential Sprinklers

On the evening of Friday, March 12, 2010, Loudoun County Fire-Rescue crews responded to a structure fire at Camden Apartments in Lansdowne on Thornberry Square. Upon arrival, firefighters found smoldering remains from the fire, which was located in the exit corridor of the building. The building’s sprinkler system had activated once the fire grew and spread to the adjacent wall. Damage was minimal, there were no injuries and firefighters were able to complete extinguishment within minutes.

This fire demonstrates the value of residential fire sprinkler systems. Sprinklers have long protected business, mercantile and manufacturing properties. In recent years, sprinkler technology has advanced and their value in protecting life, as well as property, has been recognized. Virginia building codes now require sprinklers in certain apartment buildings, condominiums and four story townhomes, but do not yet require them in one and two 2 family dwellings and townhomes less than four stories in height. This is despite recent code changes at the national code level, mandating their installation in all new such residential construction.

Data from the National Fire Protection Association shows that 83% of all fire deaths and injuries occur in the residence. They also estimate the cost to install a residential sprinkler system as part of new construction at $1.61 per square foot for suburban locations. Studies have shown that, while smoke alarms are a crucial component of home fire safety, they can only warn of fire. If smoke alarms are not present or not working, or if residents are incapable of escape, a working smoke alarm cannot provide the active fire suppression a sprinkler system offers. Residential sprinklers are designed to put a fire out before it evolves to flashover, or the point at which rapid flame spread and deadly heat and smoke is produced. In a sprinklered home, usually a single sprinkler head, flowing at 22 gallons per minute, is sufficient to control a fire and provide occupants with time to escape. Without sprinklers, fire can quickly engulf homes, partly due to the widespread use of synthetic materials used in furnishings and fixtures.

The fire on March 12, 2010 is not the only recent event where residential sprinklers proved their value. On Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 9:45 a.m., fire and rescue units were dispatched for a house fire at 25272 Riffleford Square in the South Riding area of Loudoun County. The caller had reported a grease fire in the kitchen of the condominium unit. Within minutes, the first fire company was on the scene and reported a small kitchen fire that had been extinguished with a single residential sprinkler head. Most of the fire companies were quickly placed in service while the initial arriving company conducted minor overhaul operations and removed water from the home. These units were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes and damage was estimated at less than $10,000.00. Two residents were temporarily displaced.

In contrast, the same day, at approximately 5:30 p.m., fire and rescue units were dispatched for a townhouse fire at 44105 Rising Sun Terrace in the Ashburn area of the County. The townhouse was not equipped with a residential sprinkler system. The first fire company was on the scene within 5 minutes and reported full fire involvement of the home. Additional companies were requested and a decision was made to fight the fire from the outside due to the possibility of structural collapse. Approximately eight fire companies were committed to the incident for 3 hours and damage was estimated at approximately at $400,000. The family has been displaced since the fire.

Residential sprinklers provide significant life safety and property conservation value. To learn more about the benefits of having a sprinkler safe home, contact the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office at 703-737-8600.

Firefighters quickly douse small fire in Terminal 2 at LAX

By Art Marroquin Staff Writer

Posted: 03/24/2010 07:26:10 PM PDT

Firefighters made quick work of a small fire inside Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport, officials said Wednesday.

The fire was sparked by friction from trash caught beneath a baggage conveyor belt behind the Virgin Atlantic Airlines ticketing counter around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday, said airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

Passengers and employees were evacuated from the building and the fire was extinguished by 9:30 p.m., Castles said.

No injuries were reported, but the fire singed about 30 feet of conveyor belt, which will be replaced, Castles said.

Smoke triggered the terminal's fire sprinkler system, causing some water damage to Virgin Atlantic's baggage service office, Castles said.

Passengers were allowed back into the terminal by 10:25 p.m., Castles said. Two departing flights were delayed less than 20 minutes and no arriving flights were affected by the fire.

Brumby Hall singed, soaked after dorm fire

March 24, 2010 by Sara Caldwell

When the flames moved in, the girls moved out.

Freshmen Christina Mauney and Lindsay Bannon, who were originally roommates sharing room 340 in Brumby Hall, are now living apart after a fire gutted their dorm room last Thursday.

Fans line the hall in Brumby, drying out rooms soaked by fire sprinklers. Photo by Natalie Minik

Mauney and Bannon felt the direct effects of the fire’s aftermath, finding many of their possessions burnt after the fire was extinguished. However, fire sprinklers left the pair more waterlogged than scorched.

"I didn’t go into my room until Saturday to get pretty much all my clothes. All my clothes are fine, cause they are all in my closet or drawer," Mauney said. "They wouldn’t let me touch my books because they were in the scene. There are still some books that were on my desk that were completely soaked."

Mauney was out of the room when the fire started.

Bannon, who was asleep on their futon at the time, woke to see flames climbing the curtains on Mauney’s side of the room, she said.

"I started to feel really warm. I saw the flames, and then I just ran out of the room," Bannon said. "I knocked on my RA’s door; she wasn’t there. After that, I just yelled ‘fire,’ and other people came out in the hall."

With other girls rushing the hall, the group tried to get to the fire extinguisher and pull the alarm.

"We tried to get the fire alarm open, but we couldn’t, so we just ran out of the building," Bannon said. "Once I was out of the room, the sprinklers went on."

The sprinkler system effectively did its part in working to dampen the fire’s flames, but the water damage after Thursday’s event is extensive.

Gerard Kowalski, executive director for the University’s housing administration, said approximately 15 rooms have water damage. The damaged rooms are on the second and third floors.

"The sprinkler system did activate," he said. "It discharges quite a lot of water in a very short period of time, but then it’s also designed to be turned off when the fire is

extinguished."

The girls who were living in the damaged rooms have been displaced while the housing administration works to find them permanent housing for the rest of the semester.

"We met with all the affected women last night and outlined a number of different options for students," Kowalski said in a phone interview Tuesday. "They would probably want to be together as roommate pairs, and as close to their current occupied room as possible. We offered spaces that were available across the whole University system, as well as the opportunity for them to stay in the temporary room they were assigned when this occurred."

He said Housing wanted to move the displaced residents as soon as possible in order to return them to a state of normalcy.

"We really want them to be in a comfortable place, so they can be successful personally and also do well academically through the remainder of the semester, as we’re getting closer to finals," he said.

Mauney and Bannon were both able to move into rooms on different floors of Brumby Hall, but other girls had to live in temporary rooms.

"All the rooms around us have water damage to their floors. All those people couldn’t sleep in their rooms," Mauney said. "They set up cots in the study rooms for those girls to sleep. Over the weekend they had to sleep there."

Meghan Camp, a freshman from Ringgold, said several girls lived in the study lounge on her floor. She said there are between four and six bunks in the study lounges on the sixth floor where she lives.

Jennifer Rockecharlie, a freshman from Atlanta, lives on the third floor of Brumby. She was not there when the fire took place, but when she was allowed back in the building she saw large fans set up down her hall.

According to Russel Dukes, the University’s fire safety manager, the cause for the fire is undetermined. He said the investigation is still underway, and he will be at the site this week. Updates were not available Wednesday afternoon

Sprinkler extinguishes fatal apartment fire

MINNESOTA- A single sprinkler extinguished a fire in a three- story apartment building, but not before it fatally burned an 86- year-old woman, who died 1 2 hours later. The three-story wood- frame apartment building was part of a large complex protected by a monitored wet-pipe sprinkler system. The system also provided smoke detector coverage in the apartments and common spaces. The water flow alarm activated the fire alarm, which notified the fire department at 8:30 a.m.

The victim was cooking gelatin on the front burner of her kitchen stove when her robe ignited. The robe burned quickly until the sprinkler activated and extinguished the fire.

Damage estimates for the building and its contents were not reported.

Copyright National Fire Protection Association Mar/Apr 2010 (c) 2010 NFPA Journal. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

Sprinklers save new Rutherford gymnasium from fire

SPRINGFIELD FL.  — Rutherford High School administrators got a chemistry lesson early Thursday morning when a pile of large black garbage bags full of a mixture of sawdust and polyurethane combusted and caused an isolated fire.

The high school gym suffered smoke and water damage, but the fire systems worked properly to put out the fire, which started around 3 a.m. The overall gymnasium structure is still sound, according to district officials.

The dust was collected from sanding the gym floor to resurface it, correcting a prior issue in the nearly $6.5 million gym, which opened in November. The trash bags where being piled in the secondary lobby of the gym, directly underneath a fire sprinkler.

"There were piles of bags full of some of the old highly flammable finish, which combusted," said Jerry Lassiter, an administrative assistant. "By the time the fire department arrived, it was just a smoldering pile."

The bags being piled up and radiating heat from the stripping process caused the bags to ignite, according to district officials.

The gym floor finish was flaking and the construction firm was gearing up to refinish the surface at its own cost. The bulk of the work was to be done during the students’ Spring Break starting April 5.

The resurfacing job was expected to take about three weeks from start to finish. In preparation, workers from the flooring company were sanding down the existing finish, which had a polyurethane surface.

"The work is still under Peter Brown Construction and Trident Floors," Lassiter said. "They are insured and bonded, but this has put us back on our time table."

"One hit of the sprinkler, and the fire was put out," said Michael Laramore, Springfield Fire Department assistant chief. "The truck never had to get its pump gear out."

The HVAC and gas systems automatically shut off when the fire was detected, and only the sprinkler in the lobby activated. The fire remained isolated, as did much of the damage.

There is soot throughout the gym, including on the score board, bleachers and lighting. Sections of the floor near the fire’s origination point will likely need to be replaced.

"There was no danger to students," Lassiter said. "Everything in the gym had been cancelled for the resurfacing work, and students were kept clear of the building so they would not inhale any of the fumes."

School administrators do not know how long it will take or how much it will cost to repair the gym and resurface the floor. The school district will not carry the cost of the clean up and repair work. Administrators expressed a desire to get the gym back in order by April 29 for the senior recognition program.

"We had worked so hard for this and the construction has been great," Lassiter said. "There’s never been a question (about who was going to pay to fix the original flooring problem), but it’s a good lesson for everyone when you are storing that type of stuff."

Apartment spared by sprinkler system

An apartment was damaged by smoke and water in a fire Friday morning in Yuma.

Fire inspector Kayla Holiman added that three adults and five children got out safely, and that the fire was contained to a bedroom.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m. Friday, Holiman said, the Yuma Fire Department responded to a fire at El Encanto Apartments, 2651 S. 8th Ave.

Upon their arrival, Holiman said, firefighters found a three-story apartment complex with light smoke coming from the first floor.

Holiman said the occupants, who were already outside, told firefighters that the fire was in a bedroom closet.

The fire, according to Holiman, was extinguished by the building’s automatic sprinkler system and that it had been contained to a bedroom.

Holiman said the fire was started by a 5-year-old child playing with a lighter that he had found inside of the apartment. Heat from the fire's flames, Holiman said, set off the sprinkler head closest to the closet.

The activated sprinkler head also caused an alarm notification to be sent to Public Safety Dispatch, speeding the fire department response.

Holiman said children playing with fire is a regular cause of fire in the Yuma area. Children, she added, must be taught the dangers of fire, have fire-starting tools secured in their homes and be properly supervised at all times.

YFD also participates in the Juvenile Fire Setters program, aimed at educating children and parents to the dangers and consequences of child fire play. For more information about the program, call Holiman at 373-4850.

Holiman also stated that fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading as well as extinguish them. Fires can double in size every minute, she said, so even small fires can cause significant damage to personal property and endanger those nearby.

No Students Injured as Sprinkler System Saves School

Tuesday March 16, 2010
 

Ketchikan, Alaska - The Ketchikan Fire Department personnel responded to a report of "a fire inside the pre-school and gymnasium" at Holy Name Catholic School on Monday at 11:52 A.M. The school is located at 433 Jackson St.. Ketchikan Fire Department personnel arrived within 3 minutes of the call, confirmed a fire in a restroom, and the activation of the school's fire sprinkler system said Chief Jim Hill.

According to information provided by Hill, the first 9-1-1 report of the fire came from a teacher at the school, moments later that call was followed by a call from the company that monitors the school's sprinkler system (Emergency-24). A third 9-1-1 call soon followed, also made by a teacher at Holy Name. Teachers got all the children out of the school very quickly, following the school's fire drill evacuation plan.

Ketchikan personnel confirmed the fire was in a restroom and that the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire said Hill. After making sure the fire had been extinguished, fire personnel shut down the sprinkler system and started salvage operations and water cleanup. Smoke and fire damage was limited to the bathroom where the fire originated with some water cleanup in a classroom, hallway and gymnasium. Fire damage and water cleanup are estimated at $10,000 to the school with an estimated value of $2,000,000 said Hill.

The three-story building has classrooms and offices on the top floor with some classrooms and the kitchen on the lower level where the fire occurred with the gymnasium located one floor below.

Hill said, Ketchikan Fire Department responded with one fire engine, one ladder truck and five support vehicles. A total of 18 Ketchikan Fire Department personnel responded to the call. Units cleared the scene at 1:08 PM. There were no injuries to fire personnel, children or teachers. The cause of the fire was attributed to a candle in the bathroom, which ignited a soap dispenser on fire.

Elderly woman escapes Maryland fire

Maryland fire officials said an elderly woman narrowly escaped injury Monday when a fire broke out in her apartment.

The fire was reported in Loretto Village at 12439 Loretto Road, in Princess Anne, Deputy State Fire Marshal Bruce Bouch said.

The fire sprinkler in the woman’s apartment activated and extinguished the flames before they could spread throughout her apartment, Bouch said.

"Fire sprinklers save lives," said Maryland Fire Marshal William Barnard. "Anyone building a new home should consider installing a life-saving fire sprinkler system."

Since 1990, fire sprinklers have been required in all newly constructed apartment buildings.

The Loretto Village building, where the fire broke out, was built in 1997, Bouch said.

He said more than 95 percent of fires in residential occupancies are suppressed or controlled with one sprinkler head.

An investigation into Monday’s fire determined that a match was accidentally dropped and ignited combustible materials in the bathroom, Bouch said.

No injuries, damage after fire at kitchen, bath outlet

Kenosha, WI

A fire at LPI Kitchen and Bath Outlet, 5718 52nd St., was out just after the Kenosha Fire Department arrived at 1:13 p.m. Monday.

However, the fire produced thick, black smoke and an acrid odor detectable miles away, fire officials said.

Matt Haerter, battalion chief with the Kenosha Fire Department, said the smoke turned white just after they arrived.

"That told us that it was being hit by a fire sprinkler system," Haerter said. There were no injuries.

No damage was done because the fire was put out by the company’s fire suppression system and was contained to the processing area. The cause of the fire was likely a spark from somewhere in the system, Haerter said. However, finding the cause of that spark would be difficult since the entire system was doused with water. The smokestack attached to the vacuum system collects the dust from the laminated product processing area, producing the acrid odor.

The sprinkler system saved the company from having an immense amount of damage, Haerter said.

"The representative from LPI was clearly thankful they had a sprinkler system and that it was in good working order," Haerter said.

Candle eyed as cause of apartment fire

March 12, 2010

FALMOUTH — A Gifford Street apartment was damaged last night after a candle sparked a small fire in the kitchen.

A 79-year-old resident of the duplex building is believed to have lit the candle during a brief power outage. When the power came back on, the woman forgot to put it out, Falmouth fire Capt. Michael White said.

It was just before 8 p.m. that she noticed the flames and attempted to put them out with a dish towel, White said. By that time, the building's smoke alarm was blaring and the rest of the occupants were heading out.

Hearing the elderly woman's calls for help, an upstairs neighbor grabbed the hallway fire extinguisher and went to her aid. That, combined with the building's sprinklers, put out the blaze, White said.

The woman's 45-year-old son, who lives across the street, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.  The fire is estimated to have caused about $5,000 in damage.

Fire hits Block's

Elgin, IL 60120

Hampshire's only full-service grocery store, Block's Country Market at 199 Maple St., remained closed Wednesday evening after a small fire late that morning. Capt. Trevor Herrmann of the Hampshire Fire Protection District said the fire broke out in a compressor room on the second floor about 11:45 a.m., setting off an alarm. He said the building's sprinkler system extinguished the flames before firefighters arrived. Damage was limited to the compressor room and its equipment, Herrmann said.

Sprinkler System saves Italian Restaurant from Fire

Posted: March 11th, 2010 4:32 AM

LAKE OSWEGO – Just before midnight on March 10, 2010 a fire alarm was reported to firefighters at 345 First Street in Lake Oswego. Enroute to the alarm, the single fire engine obtained information it was a sprinkler flow alarm. When they arrived at the address they found a lot of smoke inside the Zeppo Italian Restaurant. They quickly called for additional personnel and after about 20 minutes the incident commander called for a second alarm due to the size of the building. After the smoke cleared, firefighters discovered a small fire that was just smoldering in the bar area.

"If it was not for the fire sprinklers, this building would probably have burned extensively" said Deputy Fire Marshal Gert Zoutendijk. "The sprinklers did what they are designed to do and kept the fire small until firefighters could completely extinguish it". The first alarm brought 22 firefighters to the scene and the second alarm brought an additional 13 firefighters who got all got returned after the fire was found to be under control. Apparatus from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Portland Fire were among those that responded together with Lake Oswego Fire Department.

Fire investigator has pointed the area to the bar, but a cause has not been determined yet. Damage estimates are at least $175,000 mainly from the smoke and some water.

Time of fire alarm: 11:57
Time of first fire engine on scene: 00:02
Time of upgrade to full alarm: 00:05
Time of second alarm: 00:24
Time fire was under control: 00:39

Units responded: 4 engines, 2 ladder trucks, 1 heavy rescue, 4 chiefs and 1 investigator.

LFD investigating fire at Lowe’s

By Eloria Newell James, community@laurelleadercall.com

The Laurel Fire Department is continuing to investigate the cause of a Saturday morning blaze at a local business.

According to officials, the fire was reported at 4:30 a.m. at Lowe’s located at 1490 Highway 15 North.

City officials said Laurel Fire Chief Jimmie Bunch, Battalion Chief Alfred Jordan and three units from the Laurel Fire Department responded to the scene.

Wanda Benson with the City of Laurel’s public relations office said the business was not occupied at the time of the blaze.

"The business was closed," Benson said. "The store’s alarm alerted emergency officials about the fire."

Benson said the fire was in the rear of the store near the carpet storage area.

The total amount of damages is also still being determined.

Benson said "the fire was contained to the area."

She said the store’s sprinkler system activated and the fire was successfully contained to the carpet storage area.

Benson said Monday afternoon that officials are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

"No cause has been determined at this time. However, it appears that no electricity or utilities were an issue," she explained. "It appears that it could have been accidental."

Five Retail Spaces Damaged in Newport Coast Fire

Posted on March 9th, 2010 by Corona del Mar Today Staff

A fire caused $100,000 in damage to five retail spaces in the Newport Coast Shopping Center on Monday night, fire officials said today. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it appears to have started in an attic space, and to be electrical in nature.

Firefighters had a waterflow alarm call at 9:50 p.m., said Jennifer Schulz, a Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman. When firefighters arrived on scene at 21161 Newport Coast Drive, sprinklers were activated in the business and light smoke was coming from the roof. Firefighters entered the shops and found smoke but no flames, but firefighters on the roof discovered flames and quickly extinguished them, Schulz said.

Five retail spaces had water and smoke damage, she said, adding that the sprinklers significantly helped prevent the fire from spreading. A total of 28 firefighters from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and the Orange County Fire Authority responded as well as Newport Beach Police units, Schulz said. No injuries were reported.

On Tuesday morning, clean-up crews were at the scene, removing debris and setting up big fans. The damaged businesses include the Bellagio Spa and Pink Laundry, near the Bank of America branch. The space occupied by the now-closed Fiore Flowers also was damaged.

sprinkler system help put out an apartment fire

By Jeff Rivenbark

GASTONIA, NC (WBTV) - Officials say a sprinkler system help put out an apartment fire in Gastonia Sunday evening before it could get out of control.

The fire was in a two-story apartment on South Street and was reported around 6:45 p.m. Gastonia firefighters said there was a small cooking fire on the second floor, but the sprinkler system extinguished the fire before crews arrived.

There were no injuries, but the fire caused about $10,000 in damage. Gastonia Fire Department Spokesman Jim Landis said North Carolina lawmakers are in the process of requiring residential sprinklers in all new homes built.

These sprinklers, he said, would help contain or extinguish fires as it did at the apartment fire on South Street. "These residential sprinklers have proven to save lives and property," Landis added.

Earlier in the day, firefighters responded to a house fire sparked by a faulty baseboard heater. The fire was on North Webb Street and was reported around 1:20 p.m.

Heavy flames and smoke were visible from the rear of the home when firefighters arrived. The residents got out safely before firefighters arrived and no one was injured. Firefighters had the fire out within ten minutes.  The fire caused about $45,000 in damage.

Posted: Feb 15, 2010 11:31 AM EST

Copyright 2010 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Student cooking causes small fire at San Jose State dormitory

Students cooking in a dormitory at San Jose State University triggered a small kitchen fire on Sunday afternoon, but residents were safely evacuated and the blaze was promptly extinguished by sprinklers.

The two-alarm fire was reported about 1:30 p.m. in a second-floor dormitory room in Campus Village, a high-rise complex on the southeast side of campus on South Ninth Street, San Jose fire Capt. Scott Kouns said.

"Cooking was left unattended," Kouns said. "By the time we got there, there was a lot of smoke and water. It's more of a water problem than a smoke problem."

An estimated 75 to 100 people were evacuated; one person was evaluated for smoke inhalation but refused treatment.

A damage estimate was not available.

Sprinkler Saves Texas Store

HOUSTON - A southwest Houston Goodwill store was spared from a fire at a shopping center, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The fire started inside a vacant fabric store next door to the Goodwill store in a shopping center on Richmond Avenue at Highway 6 at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

The fire spread quickly and caused the roof of the building to collapse.

Firefighters said their primary concern was keeping the fire from spreading to the Goodwill store.

Fire reached a brick wall at the Goodwill store, triggering the sprinkler system. The store sustained minor water damage.

Arson investigators are looking into the cause, but said they believe the fire was an accident.

Fire Damages Shopping Center

Redmond Fire Marshal says sprinkler system may have saved a life

A sprinkler system at a local apartment complex is being credited with saving at least one life last weekend.

At noon on Sunday, Jan. 10, the Redmond Fire Department responded to a call in an apartment building in the 18600 block of Redmond – Fall City Road. The water flow from the sprinkler system automatically activated the fire alarm system, alerting occupants of the situation and dispatching Redmond Fire, Eastside Fire, and Eastside Emergency Medical Services to the scene.

The first arriving fire crews were met by the occupant of the involved unit and confirmed there had been a fire in the bedding. The fire was suppressed by the one sprinkler head located in the apartment bedroom ceiling. At the time of the fire, the occupant was asleep in the bed, but escaped with only minor injuries. The bed and mattress were slightly damaged by the fire and the apartment unit sustained minor water damage. No adjacent units reported damage.

It is undetermined how the fire started, but Rich Gieseke, Deputy Fire Marshal for the Redmond Fire Department, said it most likely was due to improper use of an electric heating pad. The sprinkler contained it to a one-foot by two-foot area on the mattress and bedding.

"This is a great example of how effective fire sprinklers can be in our homes, apartments, and workplaces," said Gieseke. "This system extinguished the fire prior to our arrival and kept the fire from extending beyond its initial involvement. If they hadn't had a sprinkler system, we may have been talking about residents not surviving and far worse property damage."

Fire 'disaster' averted

Sprinkler Save In Spring Hill TN

Spring Hill TN

Cooking fire started and one fire sprinkler saved christmas for all those in apt complex, bottom 1st floor far back apt on a 3 story apt building.
Chad Carson - Asst. Chief/Fire Marshal
Spring Hill Fire, TN

Unsprinklered Condo Fire in Community with Residential Sprinkler Ordinance

This Township has a residential sprinkler ordinance, and has hundreds of residences sprinklered.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_news_details/article/27/2009/december/11/fire-destroys-two-condos-1.html

Fire destroys two condos

By: CHRISTOPHER RUVO

The Intelligencer

The fast moving blaze displaced at least six people.

The roaring fire had torn a hole in the side of the Warrington condominium and from the street below you could see framed photographs hanging on a wall that had not been burned down.

"That's a family's life in there," said Ed Parry of Warrington as he watched flames burning skyward from the condominium's ruined roof. "Something went terribly wrong today."

Indeed.

A fire that broke out around 11 a.m. Thursday destroyed two condominiums and resulted in damage to two others on the 200 block of Sassafras Court in the Hampton Greens condominium development off Street Road, officials said.

The fire displaced at least six people and drew around 100 firefighters from Bucks and Montgomery counties to the scene, said Warrington Fire Marshal Rick Lesniak. The Red Cross responded to provide assistance to the displaced residents.

A firefighter was transported to an area hospital. Witnesses said he was taken from the scene on a stretcher. Word on his condition was not immediately available.

An elderly woman who Warrington police helped from the burning building was evaluated by medical personnel, but did not require hospitalization, officials said.

The raging flames were causing such quick damage that at one point firefighters were made to evacuate the condominiums and continue the fight outside.

PECO cut utilities to the fire-hit units. Other condominiums were also affected by the utility outage, but Lesniak said their utilities were restored later in the day.

The condominiums did not have a sprinkler system. They were built before current codes requiring sprinklers were put in place, said Warrington Township Communications Officer Gay Currie.

No injuries reported in The Reserve fire (TN)

Suspicious Fire extinguished by one fire sprinkler head

Officials seek tips in hotel fire
Mark Schlachtenhaufen
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND — City fire officials are investigating a suspicious fire at an Edmond hotel and seeking information from the public

Edmond Fire Maj. Mike Barnes said a hotel occupant, his wife and their new baby were among those who safely exited the Broadway Suites Hotel, 1305 S. Broadway, after they were alerted by the hotel’s sprinkler-alarm system at 1:37 a.m. Monday.

A caller said the fire was located in the laundry area of the building, Barnes said. He said he heard the hiss of the fire sprinkler system in the hallway from his apartment, Barnes said. He said the fire alarm system then activated, alerting the occupants of the fire.

Fire crews at Fire Station 2, located near the hotel, were dispatched. When they arrived 2.5 minutes later they discovered that the hotel’s fire sprinkler system had not only controlled the fire, but had extinguished it, Barnes said.

“The fire protection systems did a fantastic job,” Barnes said. “It is always a relief to see the building occupants standing outside when fire crews arrive.”

Barnes said all of the hotel occupants were able to return to their rooms after the systems were reset. The estimated cost of fire damage is $300-$500, he said. Barnes praised hotel management for their diligence in keeping the systems maintained and operational.

The peak months for home heating fires are December, January and February, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The most dangerous time to have a fire is overnight, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., Barnes said.

“Time passes very quickly when we sleep, but fire sprinklers and smoke alarms never sleep, protecting us 24-7,” Barnes said. “Test your smoke alarm today.”

The Edmond hotel fire is considered suspicious and is under investigation, Barnes said. Fire departments across the country responded to an estimated 51,840 intentional structure fires annually from 2003-06, according to the NFPA.
 

Sprinkler save at Harvard University

Fire Displaces HBS Students HBS

Sprinkler System Extinguishes Hotel Fire

Officials seek tips in hotel fire
Mark Schlachtenhaufen
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND — City fire officials are investigating a suspicious fire at an Edmond hotel and seeking information from the public.

Edmond Fire Maj. Mike Barnes said a hotel occupant, his wife and their new baby were among those who safely exited the Broadway Suites Hotel, 1305 S. Broadway, after they were alerted by the hotel’s sprinkler-alarm system at 1:37 a.m. Monday.

A caller said the fire was located in the laundry area of the building, Barnes said. He said he heard the hiss of the fire sprinkler system in the hallway from his apartment, Barnes said. He said the fire alarm system then activated, alerting the occupants of the fire.

Fire crews at Fire Station 2, located near the hotel, were dispatched. When they arrived 2.5 minutes later they discovered that the hotel’s fire sprinkler system had not only controlled the fire, but had extinguished it, Barnes said.

“The fire protection systems did a fantastic job,” Barnes said. “It is always a relief to see the building occupants standing outside when fire crews arrive.”

Barnes said all of the hotel occupants were able to return to their rooms after the systems were reset. The estimated cost of fire damage is $300-$500, he said. Barnes praised hotel management for their diligence in keeping the systems maintained and operational.

The peak months for home heating fires are December, January and February, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The most dangerous time to have a fire is overnight, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., Barnes said.

“Time passes very quickly when we sleep, but fire sprinklers and smoke alarms never sleep, protecting us 24-7,” Barnes said. “Test your smoke alarm today.”

The Edmond hotel fire is considered suspicious and is under investigation, Barnes said. Fire departments across the country responded to an estimated 51,840 intentional structure fires annually from 2003-06, according to the NFPA.

Sprinkler Save at Georgetown University

 From DC Fire PIO

2 injured in Baltimore Co. apartment fire

Associated Press
11/18/09 10:20 AM EST

DUNDALK, MD. — Two people suffered minor injuries in a small fire at a high-rise apartment building in eastern Baltimore County.

The county fire department says one person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, while another was taken to a local hospital with minor, non life-threatening injuries. Both are civilians.

A fire department spokesman says the fire started among discarded smoking materials in a trash can in an eighth-floor apartment at 101 Center Place. It was reported shortly before 6 a.m.

Some residents had to be moved to other areas of the building for their safety.

The extent of the damage was not immediately known, but it included water damage because at least one sprinkler activated

Berkshire Mall evacuated after fire at Victoria's Secret

No injuries were reported.

The Berkshire Mall was evacuated Monday night after a fire broke out in the display window at the Victoria's Secret store, fire officials said.

The fire was reported to Berks County emergency dispatchers just before 8, and the mall was evacuated a short time later, said Wyomissing Fire Commissioner Bruce Longenecker.

The sprinkler system in the store and the nearby hallway activated, dousing flames until firefighters arrived.

Firefighters reported heavy smoke in the area of the store.

Most damage was from water and smoke inside the store, fire officials said. A damage estimate had not been set.

The mall, but not Victoria's Secret, is expected to be open for business today.

Police and Fire Blotter

Posted November 4, 2009 at 8 p.m.

A grease fire in an Abilene apartment was extinguished by the building's automatic sprinkler system.

Abilene firefighters were called to an apartment fire in the 1200 block of Yeoman's Road at about 1:30 p.m., according to a news release from Lt. Greg Goettsch.

The calling party reported a grease fire in the kitchen and subsequent callers stated a man, woman and baby were trapped on the third-floor balcony outside the apartment.

Units arrived six minutes after receiving the call to find the fire already extinguished by the building's automatic fire sprinkler system and the occupants had been able to safely exit the balcony through the apartment and out the front door. Due to the sprinkler system's quick activation there was no direct fire or heat damage to the apartment: only water damage and light smoke damage. All occupants escaped without injury.

Abilene Fire Department Investigators have ruled that his fire was accidental and due to overheating a pan of cooking oil on the stove. There is no damage estimate at the time of the release.

CITY OF FITCHBURG, WISCONSIN PRESS RELEASE

FITCHBURG, WI

On October 13, 2009, at 12:02 p.m., the City of Fitchburg Fire Department along with automatic and mutual aid units from the Town of Madison and Shorewood Hills Fire Departments responded to a reported kitchen fire at 2201 Post Road in Fitchburg.

Upon arrival, crews found an extinguished kitchen fire in a second floor apartment. The fire had been extinguished by a single automatic residential sprinkler head; and was extinguished so quickly that most residents of the building did not even know there was a fire.

Fire damage was confined to the kitchen of the fire apartment; mainly the stove and the ventilation fan directly above the stove. Water damage was limited to the fire apartment and the apartment directly below. One family was displaced. The Fairways property management team assisted the occupants with re-locating to another apartment within the complex. The automatic sprinklers stopped the fire so quickly there was no smoke damage outside the apartment of origin itself.

The resident of the fire apartment stated, “I didn’t like those things (sprinkler heads) that stuck out from the wall. Now I understand what they are and am extremely thankful that I had those in my apartment.”

All residents of the building were able to return to their apartments within 20 minutes of the alarm; with the exception of the residents of the fire apartment and those located directly below the fire apartment.

“The automatic residential sprinklers took what otherwise could have been a tragic major fire and made it a non-event, which is exactly what we hope for,” said Fitchburg Fire Chief Randall Pickering. “For residents to be back in their apartments, while the fire department is still cleaning up from the incident, it can not get much better than that.” Pickering noted that without the automatic residential sprinkler system being in place, the fire would have easily displaced dozens of residents and there would have been considerable damage to the building and resident’s personal belongings.

The building underwent renovation in 2007 and was retrofitted with the automatic residential sprinkler system and a new fire alarm system at that time.

The Fairways property management company had a restoration company on scene and the residential sprinkler system was back in operation before the fire department left the scene. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

The fire was ruled accidental, and was caused by the inadvertent activation of a stove burner that contained a pan of grease that had been used earlier in the day. The kitchen was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

Questions regarding this incident can be directed to Fitchburg Fire Chief Randall Pickering at (608) 278-2980.

SPRINKLERS STOP FITCHBURG APARTMENT BLAZE

KITCHEN FIRE CONTAINED AT FAIRWAYS APARTMENT COMPLEX

FITCHBURG, Wis. -- A fire Tuesday at the Fitchburg Fairways apartment complex ended with minimal damage after fire sprinklers stopped the flames.

Fitchburg firefighters said the damage was limited to two apartments at the Post Road complex.

One family was displaced. Fire officials said the blaze could have been much worse had it not been for sprinklers installed in 2007.

Before the installation and some renovations, issues at the apartment complex caused concerns for residents.

In 2004, the city pressured the owners to clean up mold and fix cracked ceilings and walls.

SANTA ROSA: FIRE OFFICIALS SAY SPRINKLER SYSTEM SAVED HOME

SANTA ROSA (BCN)

Fire officials in Santa Rosa are crediting a sprinkler system with containing a residential fire that broke out late Wednesday night.

Units responded to a structure fire reported in a home at 1896 Bennett Meadows Lane just after 10 p.m., according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

Arriving firefighters reported finding a single fire sprinkler head flowing in a second-floor bedroom. Smoke alarms had not been activated, but the sprinkler system had apparently kept the flames from spreading, according to the fire department.

An investigation revealed that an unattended candle in the bedroom had come into contact with decorations and started a fire. A sprinkler in the room had been activated and contained the flames to that room. No one was home at the time.

The fire caused about $21,500 in damage to the structure and contents of the home, according to the fire department.

Since 2008, new homes constructed within Santa Rosa are required to have residential fire sprinklers.