Dozens of Massachusetts Homes Exploded. A Gas Expert Weighs In. | Corona, CA
September 17, 2018 CJ Suppression Services, Fire Protection News, Fire Protection Services, Fire Protection Systems, Fire Safety, Fire Suppression Systems, Fire Updates, Inert Gas Fire Suppression, Residential Suppression, Seasonal Fire SafetyCJ Suppression, CJ Suppression Services, Corona CA, fire prevention, fire safety, fire suppression services, Fire Suppression Systems, fire suppression systems ca, fire updates, gas fires, gas leaks, inert gas fire suppression, seasonal fire safety, suppression, suppression services, suppression systems, tenant improvementsCJ Suppression
by RACHEL GUTMAN
WCVB / AP
Investigators still don’t know what happened, but there’s one likely explanation.
Late Thursday, dozens of explosions erupted in three towns in northern Massachusetts. As many as 70 fires, explosions, and suspected gas leaks were reported to state police, with at least 39 homes affected in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. One person was killed when a chimney collapsed on his car, and at least 25 more people were reportedly treated for injuries.
In a statement, Columbia Gas said a total of 8,600 customers will be without service until safety teams can ensure that their homes and businesses are leak-free.
A widespread series of explosions like the one in Massachusetts is “really rare,” says Robert Jackson, a professor of energy and environmental science at Stanford University. Jackson’s studies focus on the environmental impacts of natural gas, and he has mapped thousands of gas leaks in cities around the country, including Boston. He told me that such an event is “unprecedented in recent years,” since explosions are usually isolated to a single building.
Jackson is not involved in investigating the Massachusetts explosions, but he was able to offer some insight into what could have caused such a strange, dramatic incident. The most likely explanation, he says, is the one most reports have speculated: Pipelines in the towns became suddenly over-pressurized. In the same way that high-voltage power lines traverse hundreds of miles before breaking off into lower-voltage tributaries in neighborhoods, natural-gas delivery systems consist of both long-distance, high-pressure pipelines and local ones that are only nominally pressurized and deliver gas into homes. Neighborhood pipelines are usually designed to withstand two to three times their normal operating pressure, but any increase makes gas more likely to escape.
“I can’t imagine another explanation for this event than a flush of pressurized gas,” Jackson says.
If local lines indeed were suddenly inundated with high-pressure gas, Jackson says, that could result in an explosion in one of two ways. First, the pipes themselves could explode. Second—and more likely, according to Jackson—excess pressure could have caused gas to leak out of pipes and valves and into homes, where it could be ignited by a pilot light and send whole buildings up in flames.
In most cases, according to Jackson, such rapid pressurization would be caused by a failure at a valve that separates high- and low-pressure pipelines. As for what would lead to such a failure, Jackson says, it could be that “somebody made a mistake. To flip the wrong valve, leave a junction open. Human error is the most common source of natural-gas explosions.”
Columbia Gas’s website announced an improvement campaign just a few hours before the explosions began, though no evidence has yet linked the explosions to pipeline updates or botched repairs. (A spokesperson for Columbia Gas did not respond to a request for comment.)
A flush of gas could also occur if older valves leak or break. In 2015, Jackson and his colleagues found that cities like Cincinnati that replaced their aging pipelines had 90 percent fewer gas leaks a mile than older cities like Boston that relied on older, cast-iron pipes. Across the country, Jackson says, many local pipelines are more than a century old—including in Boston, the closest major city his team studied to Thursday’s explosions.
Even though natural-gas leaks are fairly common, serious consequences aren’t. From 1998 to 2017, 15 people a year, on average, died in incidents related to gas distribution in the U.S. “Significant incidents”—those that do things such as cause an injury or death, result in at least $50,000 of damage, or lead to a fire or explosion—happen about 286 times a year.
That might sound like a lot. But then again, the streets of Boston carry an average of four gas leaks a mile.
Do you know what a datacenter is? Datacenters are built specifically to house millions of dollars of expensive electronics and contain custom-built solutions for everything from cooling to power continuity and generation. Due to the 24/7 nature of datacenters, most systems are designed for redundancy and fail-safe operation with cabinets of battery-powered, uninterruptible power supplies reside to complement generators.
But what if there’s a fire? Computers present a unique fire suppression challenge – they’re easily damaged by water, are typically contained in a metal box that will shelter a fire from overhead sprays, and they require significant amounts of electricity that presents an electrocution risk for standard suppression systems. Because of this, typical datacenter suppression systems come with two complementary systems – one wet, and one dry.
Modern alternatives tend to be either inert gas systems (where an inert gas is pumped into the datacenter to smother the fire by depriving it of oxygen) or clean agent systems, where halocarbon molecules are pumped in and absorb heat, extinguishing the fire.
While dry systems are often the first line of defense, due to their ability to extinguish fire without damaging equipment, a second water-based system is typically available. Best practices often dictate that the pipes above the datacenter itself be dry – that is, pipes are not filled with water until a fire is indicated, at which point the pipes are filled. Typical configuration allows the clean agent or inert gas system to attempt to put out the fire long before the heat allows a sprinkler to discharge.
The Hermitage has had quite a few brushes with fire, starting from 1834, when a chimney fire heavily damaged the house. While rebuilding the house to be more fashionable, Jackson also added several precautions in case of a future fire, including a metal roof and white fireproof paint to cover the smoke-damaged brick.
This year, the Hermitage is receiving yet another renovation to improve its fire protection system. The new system is funded in partnership with the State of Tennessee and was created with the expertise of the Nashville Fire Marshal’s Office.
For the past thirty years, the mansion utilized a traditional fire sprinkler system, which functions by soaking an area with large quantities of water to suppress a fire until the fire department can arrive and extinguish it. The old system was dependent on strong water pressure to expel water, but continued building in the area has since diminished the Hermitage’s water pressure. The combination of the low water pressure and the site’s existing piping meant that the Hermitage was no longer able to support a traditional sprinkler system.
The new fire protection system utilizes automatic mist fire suppression, allowing it to extinguish fires faster than the traditional system while using far less water. The reduction in water sprayed also means less damage to historic objects inside the mansion and the structure itself in the case that the sprinklers do engage. This results in less time and money spent on cleaning and repairing in the aftermath of a fire.
Useful for various purposes, high-expansion foam systems provide protection for the following applications: aircraft hangars, basements, cable tunnels, flammable packaging areas, flammable liquid drum storage areas, hazardous waste facilities, LNG tank farms and loading facilities, mines, roll-paper warehouses, shipboard engine rooms, bilges, and holds, storage buildings, warehouses, and fire breaks.
November 30, 2017 CJ Suppression Services, Fire Protection Services, Suppression MaintenanceCJ Suppress, CJ Suppression Services, CJ Suppression Systems, fire inspections, fire protection services ca, fire safety, fire safety training, Fire Sprinkler Service, fire suppression services, fire suppression system, Fire Suppression Systems, fire suppression systems ca, Riverside Ca, suppression, suppression servicesCJ Suppression
Here at CJ Suppression, we offer a multitude of fire protection services that fit all your fire needs. We are dedicated to supplying top notch service and providing our customers with quality end results. How can we help you with fire safety? Here’s a list of services we provide:
Inspections/certifications. Per the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 25 California Edition codebook, all fire protection systems are required to be inspected and certified. Our trained technicians perform all required inspections.
Title 19 (5-year Inspection). This procedure inspects all components of your fire protection system and is performed every five years.
Backflow. Testing and certification is required annually in most jurisdictions.
Flow tests. The most popular reasons for hydrant flow testing is for system inspection/certification or water flow requirements being obtained for system hydraulic calculation design.
Kitchen hoods. We perform installation, inspection, testing, certification and cleaning of kitchen hoods per NFPA codes requirements.
Maintenance. Maintaining of all fire protection systems is key to ensure proper operation during a fire event. We can provide a structured maintenance program with automatic scheduling within our in-house database, so you don’t have to worry about scheduled maintenance or surprise fire department inspections.
Repairs. We provide repair service of any type of fire protection system from underground fire line to overhead wet, dry or special hazard systems.
24-hr emergency service. Our on-call staff can facilitate support for any type of emergency around the clock.
Employee training. We provide education and training sessions of all types of fire protection systems to employees and or management.
Why It’s Important to Design Your Fire System | Corona, CA
May 31, 2017 CJ Suppression Services, Fire Protection Services, Fire Protection Systems, Fire Sprinkler Service, Fire Suppression Systemsbusiness, commercial sprinklers, custom, fire prevention, fire protection, fire protection service, fire safety, fire services, Fire Sprinkler Installation Corona CA, fire sprinkler system, fire sprinkler systems, fire suppression, fire suppression services, fire suppression system, Fire Suppression Systems, fire suppression systems ca, fire system, suppression, suppression services, suppression systemsCJ Suppression
When starting a new business, it’s important to prepare for the worst. Accidents happen, so staying prepared is necessary in order to continue to be successful. If you have a new business or are looking for a fire system, consider creating a personalized fire system, customized to your space’s needs.
Because not every business is the same, developing a fire system can ensure you are protecting your business, and everyone in it, is a smart choice. Through a series of comprehensive steps, you can create a system well suited for any environment. In this multi-step process, you can discover what exactly needs protection, and how much protection is needed. An experienced engineering department will then conduct detailed studies to determine the optimum approach to providing the correct system application that will cost-effectively meet your specific needs.
After the assessment, you will have several options with appropriate alternatives based on an assessment of the fire protection and life safety needs:
Fire sprinkler design drawings with as much detail required
Designs based around the latest NFPA codes. All schematic CAD drawings include underground fire supply, riser details with location within structure, main and branch line locations, and sprinkler head type and location.
Bi drawings include back up specifications, water analysis, and hydraulic calculations.
The fire at the airport was reported first at about 11:19 p.m., according to a Corona police news release. Witnesses told police and firefighters that they saw a vehicle possibly shooting fireworks into the vacant field.
The fire was about 7 acres when firefighters arrived, but grew to about 20 acres before it was contained, said Corona Fire Department spokesman John DeYoe. He said no structures were damaged and no firefighters were injured.
The Riverside Police Department helicopter, Air 1, reported seeing the vegetation fires in the area of the 71. The helicopter flew in closer and saw what looked like aerial flares being fired from a moving vehicle.
Corona police officers later spotted a matching vehicle in the area of East 6th Street and Rimpau Avenue in Corona and stopped it. A 20-year-old man and a 19-year-old man — who were not immediately identified — were found inside along with a flare gun and flares, according to the news release.
Both men were booked into jail with bail set at $10,000, according to officials.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, the fires along the 71 had both been put out, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log. Fires like these are a trend during these warmer months. Protect yourself.
Storage Units and Fire Safety | Corona, CA
April 19, 2017 CJ Suppression Services, Fire Protection Services, Fire Protection Systems, Fire Safety, Fire Suppression Systemscommercial, fire prevention, fire protection, fire safety, fire suppression, fire suppression services, fire suppression system, Fire Suppression Systems, Riverside Ca, suppression, suppression services, suppression systemsCJ Suppression
Corona firefighters responded to a second alarm structure fire at a self-storage facility on Pomona Road and Lincoln Avenue on Monday afternoon. Firefighters quickly located the source of the reported fire and found the contents of multiple storage units burning. The fire was quickly extinguished as firefighters checked for extensions to other storage units and made efforts to salvage contents of the burned storage units. No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
How often are we even concerned about our storage units? As far as we are concerned, all of our possessions are kept safe and sound inside the metal unit until we are ready for it. It’s scary to think that you can lose everything so quickly. If you have precious items stored in an off-site unit, it is essential that you are aware of all the necessary services and products needed to ensure the safety of your things. Make sure you ask about their fire safety precautions.
If you are the owner of a storage unit company, installation of fire suppression systems within storage facilities can be done easily and effectively. CJ Suppression provides interior installation and on site fire line and fire hydrants that meet city and state safety regulations.
For all businesses, it is highly important to take the initiative about special hazard systems, installations, system designs, and other aspects that will enhance the longevity of your storage units, and your customer’s possessions. Avoid risking any problems and call today!
If you would like to learn more about fire suppression systems, contact CJ Suppression Inc. at 888-821-2334 or visit  for additional information.
An Office Fire Can Start from Anything | Corona, CA
March 17, 2017 CJ Suppression Services, Fire Protection Services, Fire Protection Systems, Fire Safety, Fire Suppression Systemscar fire, commercial, commercial sprinklers, fire prevention, fire protection, fire protection service, fire sprinkler systems, fire suppression, fire suppression services, fire suppression system, Fire Suppression Systems, office fire, Riverside Ca, suppression, suppression services, suppression systemsCJ Suppression
VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) — A fire broke out early Friday morning after a pickup truck plowed into a two-story office building in Ventura, leaving one person hospitalized, authorities said.
Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the scene, near the intersection of Walker Street and Moon Drive, about 1:12 a.m. and battled flames that had made their way from the first floor to the roof, according to the Ventura City Fire Department.
An injured man who had been inside the truck was transported to a hospital in unknown condition. Emergency responders were unable to locate the vehicle’s other two occupants, who may have fled the scene, fire officials said.
The blaze was brought under control within 23 minutes of the firefighters’ arrival and was extinguished one hour later, officials said.
No firefighters were injured. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
It is important to understand that a fire can happen at any time, and as you can tell, by anything. This may be a chance occurrence, but if you aren’t prepared for an office fire, you are risking much more than your investment. You are risking the health of your employees and everyone around you as well. There are lots of services and equipment available on the market today that will put your mind at ease when it comes to a fire igniting in your office space. Make sure you have all the fire suppression technology necessary to keep everyone (and everything) in your building safe.