The Alto Italian Restaurant and Bar in the historic Bellefonte Victorian Manor was saved by a single sprinkler head that doused a fire that broke out after hours.
Alpha spokesman Steve Bair said the blaze started on a storage shelf in a rear stairway of the restaurant around 11:15 p.m. Monday, when no one was around. "This is a terrific sprinkler save," he said Tuesday. "The sprinkler system activated and it controlled the fire and limited some water damage to the kitchen and basement. A single sprinkler head did a great job." Activation of the sprinkler sent a signal to 911, and when Alpha fire crews arrived on scene, the fire was almost out, Bair said, and firefighters didn't have to pull out their hoses for long. "We really used very little water," he said. Compared to a fire hose, a sprinkler head puts out a lot less water. Firefighters got the smoke out of the building, and were able to leave by 12:45 a.m. The Alto house is formerly known as the Victorian Manor, and was built in 1892. The landmark building has been modified several times over the years, including in 2007, when the sprinklers were put in. "This is the kind of stuff that gives Lemont its character," Bair said. Without the sprinklers, "we would have had a lot more work," he said. "There definitely would have been a lot more fire damage and a lot more fire damage and a lot more water damage." Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/2010/07/27/2116369/historic-lemont-structure-save d.html#ixzz0utWb8SZH -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of George Church Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:19 AM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: success in PA We got a call just after midnight from a customer, please come over and change the sprinkler. A fire started in Lemont just outside State College PA (home of Penn State's extraordinary Nittany Lions) at the Alto Restaurant- an old victorian mansion- and one sprinkler activated and controlled the fire. Their washer was broken so they put their rags in a plastic bag and set it on the washer. About an hour after closing the bag caught fire. Our QR sprinkler went off shortly, and the only damage appears to be a scorched wall and window. The owner noted we saved his building and he's now delighted in his investment a few years ago. Events like this make all the due diligence of doing it correctly worthwhile. They DO work!!! There is an antifreeze system (50-50 premix) in the attic; this fire was doused by the wet system. Sorry,no ammo for the Research Project. Design was done for us by independent design firm Upright Sprinkler Design Company from Springdale outside Pgh. George L. Church, Jr. President Rowe Sprinkler Systems, Inc. 7993 US Hwy 522 PO Box 407 Middleburg, PA 17842 570-837-7647 570-837-6335 fax [email protected] _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
