Hotel Fire at Clarion Suites, South 4th Avenue
Date:
12/28/2009Summary:
Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found smoke coming from room #148. A fire was found to have activated a sprinkler head which knocked down the flames and controlled the fire.Contact:
On Sunday December 27, 2009 at 8:45 pm a fire was reported at the Clarion Suites hotel, 2600 South 4th Avenue. Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found smoke coming from room #148. A fire was found to have activated a sprinkler head which knocked down the flames and controlled the fire. Firefighters finished extinguishing hot spots and confirmed the fire had not extended into other areas. The damage was limited to the area of the room where the fire had originated.
The cause of the fire was found to be a device being used by the room's occupant. The device, referred to as an "electric spoon," is used to heat individual cups of liquid. After the occupant used it, it had not been turned off and the occupant left the room. The device overheated, with the surrounding counter and wallboard catching fire.
Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to personal property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat (155 degrees for a residential sprinkler) activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex.
Clarion Suites personnel replaced the activated sprinkler head and the building's sprinkler system was returned to service. As recently as last month, an apartment fire was extinguished in the same manner by a sprinkler system at the Villa Nueva Apartments, 750 South 15th Avenue.
Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.
For More Information
For more information about fire safety and injury prevention, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 373-4855
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