Saturday, November 30, 2013

Fire sprinklers again prove their worth in fire at assisted living center (South Bend, IN)

A microwave caught fire Friday morning, sending smoke billowing out of Wood Ridge Assisted Living. Fire officials are thanking a working sprinkler system for saving lives. "Without a sprinkler system a fire doubles in size every thirty seconds, so without a sprinkler system it could have been a lot worse," Battalion Chief Robert Wood said. All of the residents living there were safely evacuated Friday morning without any major issues.

Overnight restaurant fire contained with help from sprinkler system (Kentwood, MI)

Fire officials said a quick response time helped contain a kitchen fire that sparked overnight at Carrabba's Italian Grill.  Kentwood firefighters were called to the restaurant, 4061 28th St. SE, about 2 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28. A kitchen sprinkler kept the fire under control until crews doused the flames using hose lines, Capt. Shaun Abbey said. The blaze was contained to the kitchen.

Fire at Holiday Inn extinguished by sprinkler system (Raleigh, NC)

According to investigators, the fire started in a heating and air unit inside a room at the Holiday Inn at about 9 p.m.  The fire was extinguished by sprinklers in the room, officials said. No damage was caused by the fire. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and those staying at the hotel were allowed back inside shortly after the alarms were activated.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Home fire put out by residential sprinkler system (Portsmouth, NH)

A Thanksgiving Eve fire at an Osprey Drive home was sparked by a lamp and displaced the residents, but sprinklers "saved the house," said Deputy Fire Chief Carl Roediger. Firefighters were called to the home at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, when one of the residents said he just returned home and found his couch on fire, Roediger said. The fire had been "pretty much put out" by the residential sprinkler system and firefighters removed the smouldering couch from the home, according to the deputy chief.

Senior assisted living center saved with help from fire sprinklers (New Orleans, LA)

A small heating unit may be to blame for a fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon at an assisted living complex in Marrero. Jefferson Parish firefighters responded, and the sprinkler system helped to quickly put out the fire at the Wynhoven Apartments. The 50 elderly residents who live in the building were evacuated. They have since been allowed to return to their apartments. No one was hurt.

Sprinklers contain fire at business after holiday shutdown (Fort Wayne, IN)

Firefighters were sent to business at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a fire inside the building. When crews arrived, they found extensive smoke throughout the building. A manufacturing machine and a pallet of the product were on fire, according to a statement issued by the Fort Wayne Fire Department. Crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly. The fire department said the fire was contained because of the sprinkler system activating.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Fire at senior apartment building contained by sprinkler system (Portsmouth, VA)

The sprinkler system kept a blaze in check inside a residential building for senior citizens until firefighters could arrive on Tuesday night. No injuries were reported in the fire, said Deputy Fire Chief Jim Hoffler. Over the years, though, the facility has had at least two fatal fires that have caused major damage, Hoffler said. The sprinkler system may have saved lives, he added.

The blaze was reported shortly after 10 p.m. on the top floor of the four-story building. The fire was contained by the sprinklers in one room of the apartment where it began. Hoffler said he did not yet know the cause.

Sprinkler holds fire at bay at apartment complex (Annapolis, MD)

A sprinkler contained a fire inside an apartment complex laundry room preventing anyone from being injured or displaced Monday night, a city fire department spokeswoman said. Firefighters responded to the Admiral Oaks apartment complex shortly after 9 p.m. for reports of smoke coming from a laundry room, fire department spokeswoman Capt. Janet Kiefler said. The sprinkler contained the fire until firefighters could arrive and quickly extinguish it, Kiefler said. The fire was determined to be caused by a malfunctioning dryer.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Residential complex fire put out with help from fire sprinkler system (Winooski, VT)

Fire eliminated by sprinklers at retail plaza (Airdrie, AB)

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Fire sprinklers prove worth in home fire (Woodinville, WA)

An automatic fire alarm activated just before 3 a.m. on November 3 at an unattended home. Firefighters arrived to the scene and found that the fire, which had started due to a burning candle, had been extinguished by the home's fire sprinkler system. The development in which the house resided required fire sprinklers installed in each home. There were no injuries reported.

Sprinklers contain fire on college campus (Clifton, OH)

A female suspect is in custody for setting a fire in a multipurpose building on the University of Cincinnati campus. The fire, which was started in the lobby of the building, was contained to that room; there were no injuries reported.

Fire extinguished at suspected arson incidents on college campus (Chestnut Hill, MA)

Three fires were set in classrooms on Boston College over the weekend, and fire sprinklers put out the flames in each incident. Police are looking for a suspect in these cases. No injuries were reported.

***Blog Editor's Note - Please let us know what you think of the coverage by WHDH.com, which focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system ***

Monday, November 11, 2013

Sprinklers control fire at retail store (Prescott, AZ)

A fire began in a retail store at about 9 a.m. on Sunday, November 10 when the glass spheres that were in the window display acted as a magnifying glass when the sun shone through them. The heat that ensued caused the fire, and the fire sprinkler system helped to contain the flames until fire crews arrived.

Fire officials from the Prescott Fire Department stated, "The activated sprinkler kept the extension of the fire to a minimum, saving several adjacent businesses."

No one was injured in the incident

Fire extinguished by sprinkler system at natural food store (Portland, OR)

A late night fire at a natural food store began in one of the store's coffee roasters. While the cause is still under investigation, the suppression of the fire is credited to the store's fire sprinklers. All of the store's employees were able to evacuate safely, and no one was injured.

Sprinkler system aids firefighters at warehouse fire (Calgary, AB)

Firefighters were called to a warehouse on Sunday night when a propane powered floor sweeper caught fire. The warehouse's fifty employees were evacuated safely, and the fire sprinkler system activated and helped to control the fire. 

Sprinklers make the difference in hotel fire (Rockford, IL)

The sprinkler system in a Hampton Inn quickly eliminated an electrical fire which broke out in the hotel's office on Sunday evening. The fire was confined to the office area, and no one was injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Fire put out by sprinkler system at L.A. mansion (Los Angeles, CA)

A Los Angeles mansion caught on fire the afternoon of Sunday, November 3. According to authorities, the fire began in one of the residence's bathrooms, and the heat from the fire activated the fire sprinkler system. The fire sprinklers extinguished the fire before fire crews arrived. There were no injuries reported.

Sprinklers make the difference in arson fire at learning center (Las Vegas, NV)

Justice was served regarding the fire that was intentionally set on April 15 at a learning center for children with autism. The person responsible for setting the fire with gasoline and Molotov cocktails was sentenced on Friday, November 1. Authorities say that the fire could have been much more catastrophic had it not been for the building's fire sprinkler system, which helped eliminate the blaze. No injuries were reported in the fire.

Fire extinguished by sprinklers on college campus (Sherman, TX)

A fire began on Friday, November 1, inside a college laboratory at about 10 p.m. The building's fire sprinkler activated and eliminated the flames by the time firefighters arrived to the scene. No one was reported injured in the incident, and classes in the building will resume as normal on Monday, November 4.