YFD, MCAS crews respond to a fire sprinkler alarm

For the second time within a week Yuma firefighters responded to an alarm indicating a fire sprinkler activation, this time at a uniform rental and linen company on Monday morning.

According to City of Yuma Fire Department spokesperson Mike Erfert, the activation happened at approximately 1 a.m. at the Alsco facility, located at 231 S. Florence Lane.

The Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Fire Department responded to the alarm as well and when firefighters arrived on scene they saw heavy smoke inside the building.

Once inside the building firefighters found that several large bags of restaurant linen — each weighing approximately 250 pounds — had caught fire, and had already been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system.

Firefighters confirmed the fire was fully extinguished and had not spread.

Investigators determined that heat had built up in one of the tightly compacted bags, causing temperatures to reach a point where the linen products ignited.

The bag and contents where the ignition occurred, and some other surrounding bags were badly damaged, as well as some equipment below where the bags were hanging.

Had the fire not been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system, extensive damage to other parts of the facility would have occurred. This is the second commercial fire sprinkler save in less than a week.

On Thursday, fire crews responded to the Palo Verde Apartments after extreme heat caused from a stove top and oven that had been left on set off a nearby sprinkler.

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 property and endanger those nearby.

Contrary to many Hollywood movie portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.