Greensboro Fire Officials Credit Sprinklers with Big Saves Over Last Two Weeks

GREENSBORO - Greensboro fire officials are crediting the presence and deployment of automatic fire sprinklers in limiting three fires recently, including one at a crowded nightclub.
Between March 4 and 9, the fire department responded to three fires in which commercial sprinklers curbed the potential damage. According to fire officials:
March 4, 23:48 hours 4927 W. Market St - Fire Sprinklers contain a suspicious fire inside the Club Rio nightclub filled with 600+ patrons. No injuries were sustained. The call was reported as a fire alarm from a fire sprinkler water flow switch. More than 600 patrons evacuated successfully with no injuries.
Investigators classified the fire, which started in a rear storage area, as intentional in nature and it remains under investigation. As is common in fire sprinkler activations, the fire was contained by two sprinkler heads activating (many fires require only one head) and no additional fire or smoke damage occurred. Club personnel also used a fire extinguisher.
March 5, 02:57 hours 1127 Knox Place - Commercial residential multi-family occupancy. Approximnately three hours after the Club Rio fire, a residential unit at this Knox Place apartment sustained fire damage on the deck as a result of discarded smoking materials. No injuries were reported and minimal damage occurred to the exterior deck of this unit. One fire sprinkler head activated and controlled the fire. The potential for heavy damage and multiple occupant relocations was prevented.
March 9, 02:15 hours 1403 Cunningham Street - Commercial residential multi-family occupancy. The resident at this location was cooking french fries and fell asleep. The fire was controlled by one sprinkler head activation in the kitchen area. No injuries were reported and minimal damage sustained.
Related:

Fire at Club Rio Intentionally Set; 600 in Club

GREENSBORO - Investigators said a fire inside a busy Greensboro nightclub nearly two weeks ago was intentionally set.
More than 600 people were evacuated safely and nobody was injured in the fire at Club Rio at 4927 West Market Street on March 4, a Greensboro Fire Department press release said. The fire was reported around 11:45 p.m. when the fire alarm went off.
The fire started in a rear storage area of the club. Sprinklers quickly kept the fire from spreading, and club personnel also used a fire extinguisher to contain the fire.
The fire remains under investigation. Firefighters have said the fire appears suspicious and intentional.
In the press release, fire officials credited the use of sprinklers for saving not only Club Rio, but also two apartment buildings on Knox Place and Cunningham Street over the next five days