Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Peoria, IL – Fire at McDonald’s held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

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Fans of the Golden Arches in far North Peoria will have to go elsewhere after a fire closed a McDonald’s on Knoxville Avenue.

Peoria firefighters were called around 10:20 p.m. Sunday to the fast food restaurant at 10701 N. Knoxville, finding a deep fryer fire being kept in check by the sprinkler system.

Firefighters turned off gas, electrical and the sprinklers before extinguishing the remaining fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department said employees unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the fire with towels before firefighters arrived.

The fire was contained to the fryer and surrounding vent system.

There was smoke damage throughout the kitchen and water damage throughout the restaurant.

The restaurant was open at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.

The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving. They stayed on scene for around an hour to make sure the fire was out and to ventilate the building.

The McDonald’s will be closed until repairs are complete and the health department inspects the building.

Damage is estimated at $10,000. The cause of the fire was overheated grease in a deep fryer.

Apartment Building, Residential

Princeton, WV – Sprinkler system contains fire at apartment building

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Update: According to Mercer County Emergency Manager Keith Gunnoe, the fire took place at Princeton Towers. The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire, however it flooded the building in the process. Residents of the apartment building have been temporarily relocated to the Karen Preservati Center.

At this time, no fatalities have been reported.

Original:

A structure fire has been reported at an apartment complex in Princeton.

According to Mercer County 911, multiple agencies were dispatched at 5:55 p.m.

Those responding agencies include: Princeton City Fire Department, Mercer County Emergency Management, Athens Volunteer Fire Department, Princeton Police Department, East River Volunteer Fire Department, and Princeton Rescue Squad.

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, ME – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

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Several tenants of an apartment building in Portland relocated Saturday afternoon due to a fire.

The Portland Fire Department responded to an apartment building at 100 State Street at 2:39 Saturday afternoon.

A dryer fire in a second-floor laundry room activated the sprinkler system, according to chief Dale Dyer. The sprinklers contained the fire and allowed crews to extinguish what was left with a water can, the department said in a social media post.

Several tenants were moved to different apartments in the building due to water damage, Dyer said.

There were no reported injuries, according to Dyer. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The department had advised people to be cautious in the area as crews worked at the scene. Police were diverting traffic at the intersection of State and Spring streets.

Apartment Building, Residential

Merrimack, NH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

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On Friday, Merrimack Fire crews were dispatched to the Halstead Apartments in Merrimack for a fire alarm activation.

Upon entering the building, crews were met with representatives from building maintenance stating that they observed smoke coming from a unit on the fourth floor.

Crews observed smoke beginning to fill the stairwell as they were trying to reach the fourth floor. When crews finally arrived at the scene, they observed smoke banked down to the floor and the fire sprinkler system operating inside the apartment.

Fire officials began a search of the apartment to find any occupants who may still be there. Officials located one handicapped occupant in a fourth-floor apartment and evacuated them from the building.

The incident resulted in fire damage to the apartment, and there were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Merrimack Fire Marshal’s Office.

Merrimack Fire Crews are fortunate that this building had a properly installed automatic fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems which, once activated, provided an immediate alarm to the occupants of the building and to the emergency communications center. The building’s fire sprinkler system operated and extinguished the fire as designed. If these systems were not present and properly maintained, this incident could have resulted in far greater damage and possible injury to occupants.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Coeur D’Alene, ID – Fire at high school extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

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An electrical fire led to an evacuation at Lake City High School on Saturday.

The fire started in a ceiling light fixture, according to a press release.

The school’s sprinkler system activated immediately and extinguished the fire within the light fixture, the release said.

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department responded and evacuated individuals who were in the building for a wrestling tournament.

Fire personnel turned off the sprinkler system and assessed the area to ensure the building was safe, the release said.

Once given clearance, students, families, and staff returned to the school and the wrestling tournament resumed.

There were no reported injuries.

LCHS is expected to be open Tuesday.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Norman, OK – Sprinkler system extinguishes concession stand fire at basketball game

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Oklahoma Sooner’s men’s basketball game against the Georgia Bulldogs was delayed a few minutes Saturday after a popcorn machine erupted into flames inside Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.

The fire occurred early in the first half and prompted fans to be evacuated from the area around the concession center, according to multiple reports, before the flames were extinguished and the Southeastern Conference game resumed.

Different videos from Lloyd Noble Center showed people getting ushered away from the area near the machine — which was located at a concession stand on the venue’s concourse — and the sprinkler system eventually putting out the fire and leading to a smokey scene.

“I’m just glad the sprinkler system worked just for the safety of everybody but also that we were able to resume play,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser told reporters after the game, according to KOCO News 5. “I literally looked up and I’m like, ‘This is just, I mean, add it to the list’ in terms of stuff I’ve never seen like it. I mean, it was a huge flame.”

The delay occurred with 15:31 remaining, with Georgia leading 11-7, and SEC Network analyst Rodney Terry described the scene as a “full-blown fire going on right now.”

“A popcorn machine, it looks like,” play-by-play announcer Kevin Fitzgerald said, according to Awful Announcing. “Everybody’s starting to clear out. You can see the sprinkler overhead system is working right now. So, our officials, they pointed up there. Goodness gracious. Everybody is scattered from that area. The sprinkler system working effectively here. Oh my gosh! Well, good catch, partner. I didn’t even notice that. It seems like we have avoided any sort of catastrophic situation.”

Fitzgerald later made a joke about the popcorn being “overcooked,” saying, “Talk about burnt popcorn.”

Once the game resumed, the Sooners bounced back from their early deficit to earn a commanding 94-78 victory over the Bulldogs — serving as their second victory in a row after nine consecutive losses ruined their conference record.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Germantown, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at outlet shopping mall

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A fire broke out early Friday at the Talbots Outlet at the Clarksburg Premium Outlets shopping mall, authorities said.

Crews with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service responded to the area just before 10 a.m., after receiving a call from an employee that flames had broken out in the back of the store.

Two employees of the Talbots Outlet were able to leave the store without suffering any injuries, according to David Pazos, assistant chief with the MCFRS.

Pazos said the fire was put out by the store’s sprinkler system.

While no injuries were tied to the incident, Pazos said at least three stores sustained water damage. One other store sustained smoke damage.

A cause for the fire has not been determined. The incident remains under investigation.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Geneva, IL – Fire in garage of townhouse contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

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No one was injured in a fire that started Thursday evening in the garage of a townhouse on the west side of Geneva, officials said.

The incident happened at about 5:13 p.m. in the 2000 block of Vanderbilt Drive.

When firefighters got to the two-story, multi-unit townhome building, they found light smoke showing from the two-car attached garage. The garage sprinkler system had activated and helped contain the fire before first responders arrived, officials said in a news release Friday.

All residents had evacuated before firefighters arrived. Crews brought the fire under control in less than 20 minutes.

The townhome remains habitable, officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The St. Charles, Batavia, and Elburn and Countryside fire departments helped Geneva crews at the scene, as did the Geneva Police Department. The West Chicago Fire Protection District provided station coverage during the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Boulder, CO – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at apartment complex

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A woman has been arrested and is suspected of intentionally setting a fire Thursday morning at a Boulder apartment complex.

Boulder Police Department and Boulder Fire-Rescue responded to the fire in the 3700 block of Canfield Street at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The building’s automatic fire sprinkler system activated and helped contain the fire to a single unit, although two units sustained smoke and water damage, according to Boulder Police. Residents of the two damaged units were displaced, but other residents have been cleared to reenter the building.

A Boulder Fire-Rescue firefighter was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The investigation indicates that the fire was intentionally set, with evidence suggesting multiple items were ignited within the suspect’s apartment unit.

The specific method used to start the fire remains under investigation.

Officers arrested Ranita Ezeonu at the scene. She was booked into the Boulder County Jail on suspicion of the following charges:

  • First-degree arson
  • Reckless endangerment
  • Harassment
Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Syracuse, NY – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in university dorms; No injuries reported

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A trash can fire in Syracuse University’s Brewster Hall activated a sprinkler that flooded several rooms on Wednesday, the Syracuse Fire Department confirmed.

The SFD responded to the alarm a little before 2 p.m. The sprinkler extinguished the flames with “limited” fire damage, an SFD spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange. There were no reported injuries.

At least two dorm rooms were affected by water damage, according to SFD reports.

“There was significant water damage but limited fire damage thanks to the sprinkler system doing its job,” the spokesperson wrote.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, an SFD spokesperson said.

SU’s Department of Public Safety had no immediate comment.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers