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

May 14, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

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

May 13, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

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

May 12, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

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

May 11, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

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

May 10, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

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

May 9, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

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.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system contains fire at school; No injuries reported

May 8, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

A malfunctioning bathroom fan is believed to be the cause of a small fire at Stride Academy on Tuesday afternoon.

According to a Critical Incident Report from the St. Cloud Fire Department, they were called to the school around 4:50 after the school’s fire alarm was activated. They arrived and were told by the staff that there was a smell of smoke in the building. Crews went inside and found a small fire had started in the attic space. The automatic sprinkler system had activated, preventing it from spreading.

Everyone got out of the building safely, and no one was hurt.

College/University (on campus), Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, School / University

Holland, MI – Two separate fires contained by sprinkler systems; No injuries reported

May 7, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

Two fires broke out at Holland-area buildings within 48 hours of each other, and both were stopped by fire suppression systems before causing major damage, according to the Holland Fire Department.

The first fire was reported just before midnight on Feb. 8 at the Resthaven Farmstead, a senior living community in Holland. Crews were initially notified of a waterflow alarm, which was upgraded to a structure fire. Firefighters arrived to find that a bag of linens had caught fire in a kitchen storage area. The fire marshal’s investigation determined the cause was spontaneous combustion of products within the linens. The building’s sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire before crews arrived.

The second fire happened on the morning of Feb. 10 at the Hope College DeWitt Student and Cultural Center, located at 141 East 12th Street. At 7:02 a.m., Holland firefighters and police were dispatched following a waterflow alarm. Hope Campus Safety had been investigating the alarm and discovered smoke in the basement. When firefighters arrived at 7:08 a.m., they found that a fire had occurred in a basement office. The Holland Fire Marshal determined the fire likely started near a desktop light. Again, the building’s suppression system had done its job before firefighters got there.

No injuries were reported at either scene, and the Hope College fire had minimal impact on classes and normal building operations, the department said.

The Holland Fire Department credited proper maintenance of the sprinkler systems for the outcomes at both buildings and is urging all building owners with sprinkler systems and fire alarms to keep them maintained and functioning as designed.

The Holland Township Fire Department, Holland Police Department, and American Medical Response provided assistance at both fires.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Batavia, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at manufacturing plant; No injuries reported

May 6, 2026 viking210 Leave a comment

Equipment caught fire at the Suncast Corporation manufacturing facility in Batavia over the weekend. No workers or any attending firefighters were hurt during the blaze.

The Batavia Fire Department responded on Feb. 7 to 701 N. Kirk Road.

The building had been evacuated after the automatic sprinkler system was activated inside the room containing the fire. Several employees attempted to put out the fire using portable fire extinguishers prior to the evacuation, according to a release by the fire department.

Fire crews located part of the machinery equipment actively burning inside the powder coat booth area. The automatic sprinklers successfully contained the fire to the equipment involved, according to the release.

No smoke or odor exited the building. The fire crew was able to fully extinguish the fire in around 30 minutes. Employees were able to enter the building and return to operations following the incident, according to the release.

The fire department said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Cost estimates from the fire damage is not yet available.

A total of 32 fire personnel were on-scene.

Several local fire departments assisted at the scene, including the St. Charles Fire Department and the Geneva Fire Department.

Sprinkler Saves

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