Four Alarm Fire Near U.C. Berkeley

A four-alarm fire at a mixed-use building near the University of California at Berkeley took 6 hours to be contained early Saturday morning. No firefighters or other injuries were  reported as fire crews continued to tackle the fire the had spread and become a major fire.
The fire at the five-story building with 39 units on the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street was first reported at 8:48 p.m. on Friday November18. As of 12:15 a.m. in the morning the fire had spread throughout the entire building and had not been contained according to reports by the Berkeley Fire Department.
A fire unit was at the scene by 9:00 p.m. and the fire progressed to a third-alarm fire by 9:15 p.m. Several local agencies had responded to the fire, including firefighters from Alameda County and Oakland.

The building has commercial space on the first floor and 39 residential units on the other floors. Businesses contained in the building include the long-time Telegraph fixture Cafe Intermezzo and Raleigh's Bar and Grill. Residents were evacuated, many residents found housing quickly, and the Red Cross was on hand to assist those who needed help in finding housing.

No reports if the building had any early warning fire alarm systems and or fire suppression systems
 

16 Dogs died in Kennel Fire

A fire killed 16 dogs, including puppies, Wednesday in a suburban breeder's backyard kennel, which an inspector later said was illegal.
Police said eight of the dogs were puppies under 5 months old.
Elmsford Fire Chief Richard Hoke said the dogs died in their cages and probably were killed by breathing smoke rather than by burns. He said no dogs survived the morning blaze in Greenburgh, about 25 miles north of Manhattan.
The fire destroyed the 20-by-20-foot shed behind a home.
Greenburgh police Lt. Brian Joseph Ryan who identified the owner, whom he said raises large Italian mastiffs of a breed known as the Cane Corso. It was not immediately known if all the dead dogs were that breed, but Hoke said they all seemed to be the same breed.
Greenburgh Building Inspector John Lucido said the kennel violated town codes because only three grown dogs are permitted per household and because a kennel business is illegal in the neighborhood.
He said the owner was warned about a similar violation in 2006, "but he brought the number of dogs down to be in compliance."
He added that his department had received no complaints since 2006.

Cane Corso puppies often sell for more than $1,000. masterk9rus.com, did not list prices but invited PayPal deposits on several dogs with names including Sparks, Hanibal and Movado.
"We aim to improve the Cane Corso breed," the website says. "Our dogs are family raised and bred for temperament, health, show and working capability."
Ryan said eight of the dead dogs were 5 months to 7 years old, the rest younger.
He said a preliminary report from detectives and fire marshals suggested the cause of the fire may have been a heat lamp or space heater, but the investigation continued.
Officials said they did not know if heaters were being used because of an electricity outage. A weekend snowstorm cut off power to many customers in the area.
No charges had been filed, Ryan said.
Ernest Lungaro, director of humane law enforcement for the Westchester County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the SPCA took two of the dogs for necropsies to determine the cause of death. He said the owner was cooperating with the agency's investigation into whether cruelty laws had been broken.
Ryan said the fire was reported to Greenburgh police just before 7 a.m. The Elmsford Fire Department was then called, although the fire was just outside Elmsford, in an unincorporated area of Greenburgh.

California Home Care Facility Fire

A fire at a California home care facility for the disabled has killed four adults and left two others hospitalized, authorities said Sunday.
The fire was reported at around 11:45 p.m. Saturday in Marina, a small coastal community in Monterey County, about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
Three Marina police officers suffered smoke inhalation when they tried to rescue people inside the burning single family home, police watch commander Robin Nowak said. The officers have been treated and released.

The four people who were killed were residents of the home, Nowak said. Nowak didn't know who operated the home.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene Sunday. ATF officials didn't immediately return a call to The Associated Press seeking information on the investigation.
The fire was reported by a driver on nearby Highway 1 who saw the flames, Bay Area KION-TV reported.

The Associated Press

Published: Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011 - 12:29 pm

Last Modified: Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011 - 2:06 pm

Residential Fire Sprinklers Saved the Lives of a Father and Daughter

A kitchen fire that started late one February evening could have claimed the lives of a father and daughter--if not for residential fire sprinklers.

The fire started when a burner left unattended ignited in the kitchen that evening. Firefighters discovered smoke, but no fire--the residential fire sprinklers had extinguished it before it could spread to other areas of the house.

Over 70% of fire fatalities happen in the home. Of those, around half start in the kitchen. Leaving a pan of food unattended, even for a minute, is enough to start a serious fire. Burners take a while to cool, even when turned off. It's not safe to leave a pan or anything else flammable near a burner, even when it's not turned on. Fires also start in microwaves when food is left inside too long, or when people use non-microwave-safe utensils and containers.

While many kitchen fires are a result of carelessness or inattention, they can happen even when owners take all reasonable precautions. Modern kitchens contain lots of electrical appliances, any of which could have faulty wiring that causes a spark. Gas leaks are another hazard.

There has never been a fire fatality reported in a home with residential sprinkler systems installed. With a sprinkler head in the kitchen, residents can feel safe--even in the most fire-prone area of the home.

Credits offered for sprinkler installation course

The National Association of Home Builders  now offers creditsfor a no-cost sprinkler installation course highlighting provisions in NFPA 13D: Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes. The course, developed by the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, provides an overview of sprinkler operations, installation and life safety benefits.


 

What makes fire sprinklers so effective

A fire starts when intense heat is concentrated in an area with plenty of oxygen and fuel. To survive, fires need to eat, breathe, and stay hot. A spark from an overloaded power strip, an unattended candle, or flammable materials left too close to a radiator are all common sources of fire in the home.

Fires can't live without fuel, air, and heat. To put out a fire, you need to remove one of those three things. Here's how it works:

• The fuel. If it runs out of fuel, a fire will extinguish on its own. Firefighters sometimes clear a ring around brush fires to keep them controlled.
• The air. Fires can also be contained if they're smothered quickly enough. That's why you can put out a small fire by dropping a blanket over it and stamping it out.
• The heat. Fire can't burn if it gets too cold. Water puts out fire by dropping its core temperature below a certain amount. 

Fire sprinklers work by removing a fire's heat. Fire sprinklers drop water at the core of the fire, extinguishing it before it can burn out of control. And because they work so quickly, the fire is usually controlled before it can do significant damage.
That's why fire sprinklers are the most effective method of fire prevention you can buy.