Sprinkler Activation Floods 3 Floors
at the Holiday Inn

July 13, 2003 0602hrs:

Crews from Waldorf received an early wakeup call to the Holiday Inn for a reported building fire. The initial dispatch advised the alarm bells were sounding with no known location of the cause. Engine 32, led by Sgt Ben Jenkins, arrived on the scene minutes later at the main entrance with nothing showing from the building. Sgt Jenkins met with the on-duty manager who advised there was a fire inside room 381. Engine 32 quickly relocated to the Northern wing, along with Engine 122 who was just arriving on the scene. Once at the North wing, units discovered the water flow alarm was sounding and a large quantity of water was flowing from the building. The fire hydrant in front of the building was blocked by a suburban and a large boat causing a delay in establishing the water supply to the fire department connection. Engine 122's crew, led by Chief 12B Mike Levesque, advanced a 400' 1 3/4" attack line into the building as Engine 32's crew proceeded to the 3rd floor. Upon reaching the room, Engine 32's crew found a single sprinkler head flowing but no sign of fire. Truck 1 (La Plata) placed a temporary wedge into the sprinker until water to the system could be shutdown. A temporary sprinklerhead was installed and the sprinkler system was turned back on. Water damage to the hotel was extensive as the rooms next to and below on the 1st and 2nd floor were also flooded. The cause of the sprinkler activation was undetermined and ruled accidental by Chief 3, Dan Stevens, after speaking to the Maryland State Fire Marshall office.

Units Responding: Chief 3, Engine 32, Engine 122, Engine 112 (Bryans Road), PG Engine 363 (Baden), Truck 1 (La Plata), PG Tower 24 (Accokeek), PG Rescue Squad 40 (Brandywine), along with units from EMS 3 and 12.