Category Archives: Fire

by | August 2, 2012 · 9:39 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Las Vegas Hotel "Swamp Cooler" Fire Injures 14 People As Smoke On Upper Floors Forces Evacuation

“…an accidental malfunction in the swamp cooler, a device that cools air through the evaporation of water, caused the fire…The unit caught fire and sent smoke into the hotel, prompting the evacuation of some of the upper floors of the building…”

A malfunctioning swamp cooler is being blamed for a roof fire at Las Vegas’ Treasure Island Hotel that left 14 people with minor injuries, officials said.

The fire broke out atop the hotel Tuesday morning, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The fire was put out by 9:36 a.m. Emergency responders checked out 14 people for smoke inhalation and treated them at the scene, officials said. The fire caused an estimated $20,000 worth of damage to the hotel, said Clark County Fire Chief Bertral Washington.

For more:  http://www.fireengineering.com/news/2012/08/02/vegas-hotel-fire-blamed-on-swamp-cooler.html

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by | July 31, 2012 · 6:29 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Boston Hotel Parking Garage Fire Caused By Contractor's Welding Torch; Additional Safety Concerns Discovered

“… an independent contractor was in the basement of the parking garage building a new restaurant when a welding torch malfunctioned, causing the small fire…”

“…Boston fire say they discovered that some of the exhaust fans were not working and gave the hotel until the end of the day to fix them or risk being shut down. Fire officials also said it appeared a standpipe was leaking and it had to be fixed…”

A major Boston hotel has addressed some safety concerns after they were discovered while crews battled a small parking garage fire on Monday. The fire broke out in Level 1 of the Westin Hotel garage just after 10 a.m. Monday, according to Boston fire. The fire started on a control knob of a 3-foot high acetylene tank, and fire crews doused the tank to keep it cool, according to Boston fire.

Boston fire’s Steve MacDonald said the contractor had the proper permits for the torches, but they will be amended to include a fire watch any time welding is taking place at the site.

Jorgensen said the exhaust fans have been fixed. Water that was believed to be leaking from a standpipe was actually from the fire department’s hoses, Jorgensen said.

Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/metro/Construction-torch-sparks-hotel-garage-fire/-/11971628/15827854/-/1547r64/-/index.html#ixzz22D4JvIDV

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by | July 12, 2012 · 7:08 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Washington Restaurant Fire Caused By Lightning In Early Morning Hours

Lightning from a thunderstorm that rolled over the state this past weekend may have ignited a blaze that destroyed a Bainbridge Island bar.  Fire Marshal Luke Carpenter said the department has no hard evidence the early morning lightning storm sparked the fire, but the timing seems to match.

 The Kitsap Sun reported the 122 Bar & Restaurant in Winslow closed at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the bar’s owners. The lightning storm surged over Bainbridge at around 2:30 a.m. on Monday.  Much of the 122 Bar & Restaurant in Winslow was in flames by the time firefighters were alerted around 4:45 a.m. Nearby residents reported smelling smoke hours before large flames were spotted on the building’s roof.

For more:  http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120711/NEWS03/707119794

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by | July 3, 2012 · 6:28 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Washington Restaurant Damaged By Early Morning Grease Fire Which Spread Into Vents

“…The restaurant wasn’t open yet…but they likely were getting food ready for their lunch buffet when the fire broke out…Crews had to cut holes in the roof and also attacked the fire from inside…”

A grease fire that spread into the vents of a Kennewick restaurant prompted a large call-out of fire crews Saturday morning.

The building already had been evacuated when the first crews got on scene, but firefighters did do a sweep inside to make sure everyone was out, said Kennewick Fire Capt. Linc Swenson.

Ten units from the Kennewick, Richland and Pasco fire departments and Benton Fire District 1 were dispatched to the restaurant.

Fire crews, however, were able to get the fire contained within 10 minutes, Swenson said. It took another 10 minutes before they were sure flames hadn’t spread into the attic. “It went out with a little bit of water and quite a bit of tenacity,” Swenson said.

The biggest challenge was getting onto the roof, because of the way it’s designed and the power lines on one side of the building, he said. Fire crews were on scene for about two hours. There were no injuries. Most of the damage inside the restaurant was in the kitchen, Swenson aid.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/07/01/2202089/kennewick-restaurant-damaged-by.html#storylink=cpy

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by | June 26, 2012 · 6:16 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Missouri Hotel Fire Causes Significant Exterior, Smoke And Heat Damage To Rooms; Fire Wall And Favorable Winds Spares Structure

“…Firefighters were initially concerned the blaze would spread deep into the hotel, but the unusually heavy-duty firewall and a fortunate south wind spared the brick-faced structure from catastrophic damage…The fire also did significant damage to the exterior of the hotel, and also destroyed the hotel swimming pool’s pumping apparatus…”

Interior demolition and clean-up at the Maryville Comfort Inn Motel, damaged May 19 when an adjoining empty restaurant building was gutted by fire, is nearing completion, paving the way for renovation of four smoke- and heat-damaged rooms later this summer.

Chuck Hetrick, general manager of the hotel, located at the south end of Business 71, said crews were wrapping up removal of smoke-impregnated insulation from the attic above the damaged rooms in preparation for installation of fresh insulation and new sheetrock.

A concrete-block firewall that separates Comfort Inn from what is left of the restaurant is to be torn down, which will allow a north-end interior stairwell to be widened.

Though Comfort Inn has remained in operation in the weeks since the blaze, Hetrick said occupancy is down. In an attempt to let potential customers know the lodge is open for business, a large sign visible from Main Street bears the message, “We are open.”

For more:  http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/news/x1805322006/Repairs-underway-at-fire-damaged-hotel

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by | June 22, 2012 · 11:59 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: West Virginia Motel Fire Caused By Manager Frying Food In Room; Structural And Electrical Repairs Delay Reopening

“…(the street) was closed for about four hours because of the fire, and electricity had to be cut to the motel because of damage to the wiring…the Red Cross was called to find places for the few motel guests to spend the night…”

No one was injured in a fire that broke out early Friday at the Jefferson Motel. Kanawha County Fire Coordinator C.W. Sigman said a manager at the MacCorkle Avenue motel was frying some food at about 12:45 a.m. when the grease caught on fire and set fire to the room. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the manager’s area, he said.

Sigman said the motel will not be allowed to reopen until repairs are made and the electrical system is fixed and inspected.

For more:  http://wvgazette.com/News/201206220029

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by | June 18, 2012 · 6:12 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Ohio Restaurant Kitchen Fire Causes $60,000 In Damage; Source Is Cooking Material Buildup In Vent System

“…The cause of the fire, which was contained in about 20 minutes, was blamed on a buildup of cooking material inside the ducts at Boi Na Braza’s cooking range vent system…”

A minor fire that broke out in the ductwork of a restaurant in the Carew Tower Sunday night caused $60,000 in damage, Cincinnati firefighters announced early today. Firefighters responded to the eatery for a similar incident in October.

This time, the fire was contained to the restaurant’s ductwork on the sixth floor of the Carew Tower. No one was injured.

Boi Na Braza and a neighboring restaurant, Morton’s The Steakhouse, were evacuated and closed early on Father’s Day, typically a busy evening for most eateries. The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza also was partially evacuated while fire crews investigated.

For more:  http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20120618/NEWS/306180012/Carew-Tower-fire-damage-60-000?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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by | June 15, 2012 · 6:20 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: New York Hotel Electrical Transformer Explodes Causing Power Outage; Two Guests Injured, Hotel Partly Evacuated

All hotel guests were not required to evacuate, but  the incident did cause a headache for some of the 3,000 guests staying there, especially due to the power outage. Some guests on upper floors chose to exit the building and had to walk down several flights of stairs.

On Wednesday afternoon, guests at the New York Hilton Hotel got an unexpected jolt as a transformer exploded in the electrical room. The explosion in the Midtown Manhattan hotel caused electricity to go out and injured two people.

Firefighters arrived at the scene around 1p.m. to find smoky conditions, injured workers, and people trapped in elevators.  Several took to the basement to put out the basement electrical fire.

Two workers were injured as they got caught in the blast while tending to an electrical panel in the basement. One man suffered from a head injury and was treated at the scene. The other was taken to NY Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center and treated for minor burns on his hands, the New York Daily News reported.

For more:  http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/1930/20120614/electrical-explosion-nyc-hotel-knocks-out-power.htm

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by | June 10, 2012 · 6:45 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Ohio Hotel Fire Started In "Mulch Pit" On Side Of Building; $2 Million In Structural Damage, $200,000 Contents

 “…a mulch bed on the side of the building caught fire, sending flames through a stairwell and into the attic…eight rooms on the third floor of the Microtel were directly affected and it took about three hours to control…”

Fire officials have determined the origin of a Jackson Township hotel fire on May 25 that shut down parts of Interstate 77. The State of Ohio Fire Marshal said a mulch bed on the side of the building caught fire, sending flames through a stairwell and into the attic. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation and officials have not located the ignition source, the fire department said.

Last month, NewsChannel5 consumer advocate Jenn Strathman reported that weather was to blame for an increase in mulch fires in northeast Ohio. In Lorain County, Avon Fire Chief Frank Root III said they have seen 12 mulch fires in 2012, compared to just one by this time last year.

Fire officials said eight rooms on the third floor of the Microtel were directly affected and it took about three hours to control the blaze. Fire departments from across the area responded to the scene and one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

The incident caused about $2 million in damage to the building and another $200,000 on contents.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_stark/fire-officials-say-mulch-was-origin-of-jackson-township-hotel-fire#ixzz1xOv21qxJ

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by | June 7, 2012 · 6:25 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Wisconsin Restaurant Kitchen Fire Spreads To Second Floor Storage Area; Significant Water And Smoke Damage

“…some employees at closing time discovered a fire in the kitchen and attempted to put it out with extinguishers…the fire extended into the second floor that was mostly used for storage and contained a lot of combustibles…there was water damage to the basement and smoke and fire damage throughout the two-story structure….”

Firefighters arrived at Carvetti’s, 642 W. Main St. at 1 a.m., “they encountered heavy smoke and a heavy fire load on the second floor. The fire was pretty heavily involved,” said Capt. Mark Moller-Gunderson. The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation.

Lake Geneva Police Department Detective Ed Gritzner said the task force continues to investigate the fire, but “we don’t think any criminal activity is involved. We just need to talk to a few more employees to see what they have to say since the kitchen appears to be where the fire originated,” he said.

In fighting the blaze, fire crews made an aggressive interior attack while the ladder company opened the roof. Other firefighters chased down fire pockets before fire crews conducted overhaul and salvage work.

“They had the bulk of the fire knocked down in 15 to 20 minutes and prevented more serious damage from the fire that had a pretty good start,” Moller-Gunderson said.

For more:  http://gazettextra.com/news/2012/jun/06/fire-damages-lake-geneva-eatery/

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