Commercial building fire on NW 23rd Ave under investigation
Press release from Gainesville Fire Rescue
Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) crews responded early Tuesday morning to 1310 NW 23rd Ave regarding a commercial fire alarm. Once on-scene, crews from GFR Station 5 reported smoke coming from the back of the building. The incident Commander, Chief Don Campbell, requested that dispatch upgrade the response to a confirmed building fire due to the smoke and obvious sprinkler activation. As crews arrived, they went to work making access to the building, searching for any occupants, and locating the seat of the fire. According to Chief Campbell, the fire was “held in place by the building’s sprinkler system” until crews could extinguish the fire completely.
Fortunately, no occupants were inside during the fire, and no firefighters were injured in the response. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, sprinklers are effective because they react quickly, releasing 10-25 gallons of water per minute, reducing the risk of death or injury from a fire dramatically. This quick response allows people the time to evacuate. GFR would like to remind everyone that the advantages of sprinklers are not isolated to businesses. To learn more about home fire sprinklers, visit the NFPA website or search for “NFPA – Fire Sprinkler Initiative” and help your local responders by “Bringing Safety Home”!