Fire safety debate: Older motels, no sprinklers
[10/31/2007] - Over the years, fire sprinklers have become a mandatory safety equipment, and are required by building codes in newer motel units. But older buildings are excluded. The manager of Bend's Sugarloaf Mt. Motel, Eli LaFranchi, said heat is what sets off the sprinklers at their newer facility: "When there's heat in the room and it expands rapidly, it will set that off." link

Beach fire kindles memory of frat house fire
[10/30/2007] - CHAPEL HILL -- The fire that killed seven students Sunday on Ocean Isle Beach has revived memories of a fatal fraternity house fire in Chapel Hill. link

Buskirk Hall Basement Break Room Fire Contained Thanks to Sprinklers; No Injuries
[10/29/2007] - Huntington, WV (HNN) - A fire in the basement of Buskirk Hall, a Marshall University residence hall, Sunday evening, Oct. 28 at about 7:40 p.m. was quickly contained to one room, according to Deputy Huntington Fire Chief Tim Provaznik. link

Fire codes a concern after Powell hotel fire
[10/29/2007] - Why was a sprinkler system not required at the motel in Powell? The building, constructed in 1983, is grandfathered in by current fire codes. In the city of Powell Wyoming a mandatory sprinkler system in a motel was not required until the mid-90's. link

UNC Chapel Hill remembers frat house fire
[10/29/2007] - 10/29/07 -- CHAPEL HILL) - The Ocean Isle fire is opening up old wounds for the UNC community still healing from a tragic fire. Five UNC students died 11-years-ago when flames ripped through the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house near campus. link

Fire forces evacuation at SJ Kohl's
[10/29/2007] - A San Jose department store was evacuated Monday night after a fire broke out at its loading dock. link

Propane Tanks Blamed For Accelerating Massive Condo Fire
[10/29/2007] - BOULDER, Colo. -- An investigation into a condo fire that left 50 people in Boulder homeless showed much of the damage could have been prevented. link

Wildfires reignite debate on sprinklers
[10/29/2007] - Here we go again with the residential fire sprinkler debate. When the Fresno City Council adopted an ordinance requiring fire sprinklers in new single-family homes last year, a local construction lobby shot it down in court. link

Sprinklers douse high-rise fire at San Jose State
[10/28/2007] - Sprinklers on Saturday doused a fire in a San Jose State University high-rise dorm but caused extensive water damage, San Jose fire officials said today. Someone melting wax for candles in a ninth-story common area caused the blaze when the person walked away from the stove, San Jose Fire Captain Craig Schwinge said. link

No one injured during Novelis Corp. fire
[10/28/2007] - TERRE HAUTE — A sprinkler system helped limit a late Sunday morning fire at Novelis Corp. from spreading, a firefighter at the scene said. link

Another fire at aging Tempe apartment complex
[10/28/2007] - An apartment fire Saturday morning in Tempe injured a man and displaced at least nine others at a complex with a history of serious and sometimes deadly fires, a Tempe fire official said. The blaze underlines the need for older apartments, such as Lakefront at West Bay where the fire broke out, to install fire sprinklers even though the city doesn’t require them, said fire investigator Mike Reichling. link

Southern California Fires Spark Safety Talks in Fresno
[10/27/2007] - 10/27/2007 - The fires in southern California are behind a plan to improve fire safety in Fresno County. The county fire department is pushing a proposal to require fire sprinklers in new homes built outside of city limits. link

No sprinklers in burned building
[10/27/2007] - Construction on the Gold Run apartment building that caught fire Friday began in 1986, right as debate began in Boulder over whether to require large new buildings to include fire sprinklers. link

Fire at historic hotel
[10/26/2007] - St. Petersburg, Florida- The fire started just after 8 PM at the Kelly Hotel. Employee Catherine Fowler says it startled guests, "They were going down the hallway banging on the doors and they said we had to evacuate because there was a fire on the fifth floor. link

New codes require sprinklers
[10/25/2007] - The city council agreed Tuesday to adopt an amended building code that, among other changes, requires fire sprinkler systems for all new residential construction and major remodels. link

No injuries from short-lived apartment fire
[10/25/2007] - No one was injured in a Tuesday evening fire at an apartment complex on Moon Road in Columbus, Deputy Fire Chief Greg Lang said. link

Two owners, two staffers arrested in fatal Citrus Heights care home fire
[10/25/2007] - As flames tore through a Citrus Heights elder care home late the night of Nov. 26, two elderly women could not escape their beds, one of them blocked by rails and another trapped by a locked wheelchair, according to an investigation by the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. link

Most Carrboro apartments have no sprinklers
[10/25/2007] - Week after week, the Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department takes the time to go out into the community and stress the importance of fire safety and prevention. And week after week, the information goes in one ear and out the other of many of the people they are trying to educate. “We go out there, and most [people] don’t take it serious because they think it won’t happen to them,” said Carrboro Fire Chief Travis Crabtree. link

Cumberland Mall re-opened after small fire
[10/25/2007] - A small but smoky fire prompted a three-hour evacuation of Cumberland Mall Thursday. The fire broke out shortly before 11 a.m. in the stock room of the Finish Line store on the second floor of the mall, Cobb County fire Lt. Dan Dupree said. link

Fire Forces Kauffman Foundation To Evacuate
[10/25/2007] - KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A small fire on the second floor of the Kauffman Foundation in the 4800 block of Rockhill Road forced workers to evacuate Thursday morning. link

Sprinkler system helps contain fire at NNU dorm
[10/23/2007] - BOISE -- Nampa fire officials credit a sprinkler system from preventing a major fire disaster in a dormitory at Northwest Nazarene University this morning. link

Fire prevention exercise shows how quickly a dorm room can go up in smoke
[10/22/2007] - According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire has killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined. NFPA advises that the best way to avoid damage, injury, and death as a result of a fire is to have preventative measures in place—smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and flame retardant materials. To draw attention to the dangers of fire and ways to protect against them, the D.C.  Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department teamed up with Gallaudet to host Fire Safety Day on campus on October 10, in observance of National Fire Prevention Week. link

MU’s Greek houses desperately need better fire protection
[10/22/2007] - Mayor and City Council: I am writing to urge you to continue to support the fire code approved in January that requires sororities and fraternities to install a fire sprinkler system. No additional time should be given for compliance with the requirement past 2013. In fact, because of the life safety issue involved here, the date for compliance should be accelerated. link

Old Hotel Reborn From The Ashes
[10/18/2007] - A tragic landmark in downtown Atlanta has been brought back to life with stunning success. The old Winecoff Hotel, site of the nation's deadliest hotel fire, 61 years ago, has been reborn as the Ellis Hotel on Peachtree. The Winecoff was an abandoned blight for decades, but now, it takes its place once again on the top tier of downtown hotels. link

Law that would make indoor sprinklers mandatory comes under fire
[10/18/2007] - The roads signs in Lake Jackson show you how to go this way and that way. But now, this town is heading in an entirely new direction when it comes to fighting fires. link

Businesses take advantage of city’s sprinkler rebate
[10/18/2007]

Fire empties Windsor hotel, but sprinkler puts it out
[10/17/2007] - WINDSOR - Dozens of guests lined the street outside the Windsor Town House Hotel this morning after a fire alarm roused them from their sleep. The fire broke out inside a closet in a first-floor room of the hotel on 19 Maple Ave., forcing workers to shut the business down for about an hour, Windsor Fire Marshal Ray Walker said today. link

Sprinkler rule gets initial OK
[10/17/2007] - LAKE JACKSON — Starting in January 2009, all new residential properties built in Lake Jackson must have sprinkler systems, if an ordinance passed on first reading this week wins final approval from City Council. Council gave unanimous initial approval Monday to an ordinance adopting the 2006 International Construction Codes. link

Sprinkler system extinguishes blaze at Yorktown theater
[10/17/2007] - An automatic sprinkler system did its job during an early morning fire Tuesday at Yorktown Cinema in Lombard, officals said. link

City officials never acted on sprinklers
[10/15/2007] - A confusing evacuation following Friday morning's Hartwick Tower blaze has renewed long-standing city council debates to improve fire safety. Although no one was hurt in the fire, a third floor condominium was gutted, causing more than $15,000 in damages in what was the fourth major student housing fire in the area in less than three years. link

Town houses built with strength and style in mind
[10/14/2007] - The forthcoming residential development of Largo Preserve will bring more Key West-style architecture to North Port. The homes also will be able to withstand Key West-style winds: The two models now open demonstrate that hurricane- and fire-resistance is behind those pretty façades. link

Sprinkler system douses arson fire in downtown White River
[10/13/2007] - WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. --A sprinkler system is being credited with extinguishing an arson fire in the basement of the historic, downtown Gates-Briggs Building. link

National Fire Sprinkler Association tips
[10/12/2007] - Sprinklers: Common Myths Myth: Smoke sets off fire sprinklers. Fact: Sprinklers are activated by heat, not smoke. In fact, the heat necessary to set off your average sprinkler is anywhere from 150 to 165 degrees, in other words only the kind of heat a fire would create. Myth: A fire sets off all the fire sprinklers. link

Former Underdahl car dealership catches fire
[10/11/2007] - A fire broke out at the former Underdahl car dealership on Second and Huff Streets about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. There was no structural damage to the building and no one was hurt. Jim Thompson of Spectrum Painting, said his crew arrived to make a bid on repainting the building’s interior and saw 30-foot flames. link

Sprinkler system keeps Hartford tannery fire damage to $1,000
[10/11/2007] - HARTFORD - A sprinkler system kept fire damage at a tannery to about $1,000, although firefighters spent two hours taking apart the dust storage collection system to make sure the flames were out. link

Scottsdale Sprinklers Law a Success
[10/10/2007] - Scottsdale is celebrating Fire Prevention Week by focusing on the success of its law requiring sprinklers inside all new homes, which Fire Marshal Jim Ford said is one of the best things the city has ever done. The law was first passed in 1985 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 1986. Ford said it has saved at least 13 lives. link

Consider sprinklers to increase fire safety
[10/10/2007] - October is National Fire Safety Month and the perfect time to evaluate how safe our homes and families are from the threat of a residential fire. link

Fire displaces dozens of retirees at facility in Lauderhill
[10/8/2007] - LAUDERHILL - Dozens of retirees who live at an assisted living facility on Northwest 28th Street had to be relocated early Monday after a fire broke out in the laundry room, said Lauderhill fire Lt. Jeff Levy. A working sprinkler system in the Retirement Life Center went off at 5:30 a.m. and doused the blaze, probably saving lives, Levy said. link

Lint ignites Bend animal shelter dryer fire
[10/8/2007] - A commercial dryer caught fire at the Humane Society of Central Oregon on Sunday, causing an estimated $25,000 damage, but a sprinkler system contained the blaze before fire crews arrived. A lint buildup was the most likely cause, firefighters said. link

Sprinkler system douses flames at Tahoe Seasons Resort
[10/8/2007] - Update 2:10 p.m.: A sprinkler system activated inside the Tahoe Seasons Resort appears to have snuffed much of a room fire, according to witnesses at the scene of the South Lake Tahoe fire earlier today located at Saddle Road and Keller. link

Mid-rise policy moves forward after fatal fire
[10/8/2007] - Seventy-two mid-rise office buildings in the city of Houston do not have building-wide sprinkler systems installed, according to numbers provided by the Houston Fire Department. link

Sprinkler systems may be mandatory in new homes
[10/6/2007] - Of course, protecting her firefighter husband from harm is an added benefit of the mandatory fire sprinkler initiative Councilman Cathy Vitale plans to push this month. link

Just do it
[10/5/2007] - A Carrboro fire code that requires multifamily homes to have sprinklers failed to protect one woman from being killed and others from being injured in a blaze that destroyed the 14-unit G building of Colonial Village at Highland Hills apartments Sunday. link

Sprinkler systems might be required in LJ
[10/5/2007] - LAKE JACKSON — The city is considering an ordinance making fire sprinklers a requirement for all new properties. The ordinance, which was discussed by City Council this week, would adopt the 2006 International Construction Codes that requires all new residential and commercial property to have a fire sprinkler system. The ordinance will be presented to council for first reading Oct. 15 and for second reading Nov. 1. link

Fire-sprinkler system does its job
[10/5/2007] - A fire in the garage of a three-story, custom Skyline Drive home that was ignited by stain-soaked rags was extinguished by a single sprinkler head with minimal water damage to the structure. And the incident serves example of value of installing fire sprinklers, officials said. link

Cary firefighters hold annual open house
[10/4/2007] - National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 7-13. The Cary Fire Protection District will host its annual open house on from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Headquarters Station No. 1, 400 Cary-Algonquin Road. link

Officials Concerned Over New Caney Hotel Fire
[10/4/2007] - Fire guts a Texas hotel, as water and the sprinkler system comes up dry. The fire happened September 18th in New Caney, just north of Houston. Fire officials say both they hydrant and hotel sprinklers were not even connected to any water. Fortunately, no one was inside the hotel. link

Voluntary fire upgrades insufficient
[10/3/2007] - It may be too soon to gauge the response to the Charleston Water System's dramatically reduced cost of connecting and operating sprinkler systems in local commercial establishments. But the voluntary approach alone seems inadequate in view of the tragic deaths of nine firemen in the June 18 Sofa Super Store inferno. link

Officials say closet fire at Hotel Bethlehem was arson
[10/3/2007] - A fire Saturday night in a janitor's closet at Hotel Bethlehem has been ruled arson and fire officials touted the building's sprinkler system for quickly dousing the flames. link

8:45 a.m.: Fire breaks out in AU dorm lounge
[10/3/2007] - A fire broke out in the student lounge of Morrison Hall shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to AU official Chris Williams. link

Bear Creek Township fire causes damage to two apartments.
[10/3/2007] - A small kitchen fire caused damage to two apartments in Bear Creek Township early Tuesday. link

Hotel Bethlehem fire is ruled arson
[10/2/2007] - A small fire Saturday night at the Hotel Bethlehem has been ruled arson. The fire was quickly contained by the hotel's sprinkler system, said Bethlehem deputy fire commissioner Robert Novatnack. link

Students stable after deadly fire
[10/2/2007] - The two women injured in a fire that consumed a Colonial Village at Highland Hills apartment building are UNC students, and both are listed in fair condition, UNC Hospitals officials said Monday afternoon. link

Haunted House bedeviled by fire code
[10/2/2007] - VERMILION — After 23 years in the same location, operators of the Vermilion Haunted Schoolhouse are now running a haunted schoolyard after learning state fire codes prevent them from operating indoors. link

Fire Dept. orders sprinklers installed
[10/2/2007] - Medford - If there is one lesson state and fire officials want club, bar and function hall owners to learn from the deadly Station Nightclub fire that killed 100 people in 2003, it’s that the installation of sprinklers saves lives. link

Fire at Lowe’s reported Sunday night
[10/1/2007] - A late-night fire Sunday at Lowe’s is under investigation, according to the Joplin Fire Department. The Joplin Fire Department said it received a report of a fire at Lowe’s, 2600 S. Range Line Road, at 8:03 p.m. and arrived three minutes later. The fire was declared under control at 8:24 p.m. link