The garage at a home in North Austin caught fire on Monday around 5 PM.  Investigators believe that the fire was caused by a vehicle in the garage.

Austin firefighters arrived at the home on Little Emily Way, near Parmer and Yager lanes, and the garage was completely engulfed in flames and spreading toward the house.  The firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire and prevent it from destroying the house.  However, the home did suffer some damage in the fire.

Fortunately, everybody at the house was able to get out safely and without injuries.

If you or someone you know needs their fire alarms inspected, contact the Austin fire alarm inspection professionals of Ace Fire Equipment at 512-835-2020 to learn more.

A home in Midland, Texas was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning.

According to officials with the Midland Fire Department, crews responded to the 4900 block of Rustic Trail shortly after 3:00 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators say the blaze possibly started in a roll-off dumpster in front of the house, which was under construction.

Witnesses in the neighborhood reported hearing a large “boom” sound before the fire.

Crews on the scene said the fire was so hot, they were forced to soak a neighboring home and two fire trucks being used to battle the blaze to protect them from heat damage.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the blaze.

To protect your property from the risk of fire, trust the Austin fire sprinkler installation professionals of Ace Fire Equipment. Contact us today at 512-835-2020.

A motorized wheelchair may have been the cause of a house fire in Corpus Christi that displaced a family of four earlier this month.

According to officials with the Corpus Christi Fire Department, the fire occurred on July 19 after a motorized wheelchair began making popping noises. The fire spread through out the living room of the house. Two adults and two teens were able to make it out of the home safely.

Motorized wheelchair fires are not uncommon. In 2000, Invacare Corp. issued a massive recall of motorized wheelchairs because of fires caused by a short-circuit of the chairs battery-charger wiring harness. The recall involved 215,000 motorized wheelchairs.

The manufacturer of the motorized wheelchair involved in the Corpus Christi fire has not been named.

To protect your property from the risk of fire, trust the Austin fire sprinkler installation professionals of Ace Fire Equipment. Contact us today at 512-835-2020.

Firefighters battled a fire at a tire shop in Dalhart Monday night.

According to officials with the Dalhart Fire Department, the Dalhart Consumers Fuel Association on Highway 287 caught fire shortly after 7:30. When firefighters arrived at the scene the tire shop was engulfed in flames and smoke. The office received heavy smoke damage.

The fire appeared to be under control by Tuesday morning, but the Dalhart Fire Department is still monitoring the site. A dollar amount of the damage caused is not yet known.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Fire sprinkler systems are an important part of any fire prevention system. Sprinklers can quell a fire and stop it from spreading. The Austin fire sprinkler installation professionals of Ace Fire Equipment are here to help. Please call 512-835-2020.

The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating a Texas fire that killed a firefighter Saturday.

According to officials with the Wharton Fire Department, Captain Thomas Araguz III and two firefighters ran into a blaze at Maxim Egg Farm in Boling, Texas. The group, including the 30 year-old Araguz, became trapped after about 10 minutes inside the building.

“The heat and the fire really did rapidly intensify,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Jay Evans said. “It was at this time two firefighters made an escape.”

It took nine hours and more than thirty different fire departments to subdue the flames. Araguz’s body was found shortly after 7:00 a.m. Sunday.

A team of twenty-four ATF agents and specialists are investigating the cause of the fire.

“ATF is investigating this tragic fire with the Wharton County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office. We will work together in partnership to determine the origin and cause of this fatal fire,” said ATF Special Agent Dewey Webb.

A man in East Texas saved a woman from a burning mobile home Monday.

According to officials with the Cherokee County Fire Department, Ricky Wilburn saved a woman from a mobile home fire that occurred along County Road 1616 outside of Jacksonville shortly after 11:00 a.m. Monday. A woman was asleep in her trailer when the fire started, and woke to find flames at her bedroom door.

“She was hollering for somebody to help her,” said Wilburn. “The fire was done down to this door and I tried to open it and it was nailed shut.” Wilburn says he broke out his window and ripped off the screen yelling for the trapped woman to come towards him.

“I just reached in there, I felt her arms and I just jerked her through the window,” Wilburn said. “That’s all I knew to do because the fire got to her bedroom… She was as black as your britches when she got out. I mean that smoke was like burning tires.”

The woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and is expected to make a full recovery.

For information on how to protect your home, business, or other property from the risk of fire, contact the Austin fire prevention services professionals of Ace Fire Equipment today at 512-835-2020.

Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a massive warehouse fire in South Central El Paso Friday night.

The blaze occurred at the Los Angeles El Paso Express warehouse on the 1700 block of Delta Drive shortly after 9:00 p.m. Friday. Authorities say firefighters quickly placed a second alarm on the fire, and summoned more than 65 firefighters to put down the flames. It took crews more than four hours to put out the fire, as thick black smoke could be seen from miles away.

“The smoke was pretty smothering,” said Martha Lopez, who lives near the warehouse. “It did make it quite difficult to breathe. I have an elderly mom, and we were both struggling.”

Response crews remained on the scene of the fire through the night and well into Saturday afternoon.

Investigators continue to probe the cause of the fire and asses the damage done. Preliminary reports on the scene indicated that pallets were fueling the blaze, but it is unclear what exactly was inside the warehouse.

No injuries were reported.

An adequate and suitable fire prevention system can help to preserve property and save money and jobs in the process. If you or someone you know needs a better fire prevention solution, contact the Austin sprinkler installation professionals at Ace Fire Equipment by calling 512-835-2020.

An explosion that rocked 211 N. Weaver Street in Gainesville on Monday afternoon destroyed the entire inside of a local eatery.

The restaurant, El Taco Riendo, suffered massive damages from an explosion ruled as an accident by the fire marshal. According to witness reports, when the flames erupted, a microwave was blown out of the back of the building, followed by workers and patrons. A toddler was thrown out of a door by one of the women in the building in an attempt to save the child. Others were seen, scorched from deep burns, scrambling out of the building as quickly as possibly.

As of Tuesday, one person was in serious condition while four others were in critical condition. No one was killed. The injured victims of the blast were taken to southward to Dallas’ Parkland Hospital.

The store was just a few miles from the Oklahoma border, and noted for its friendly, customer-first attitude.

An investigation is still open on exactly what caused the explosion, although many recognized that, beyond the kitchen, there was little else to the building itself.

A fire that destroyed a convenience store near Pearland, Texas, may have been intentional, authorities think.

The Brazoria County Fire Marshal told local news sources that he believed there was good reason to be suspicious of the fire’s circumstance. According to his statements, items that could have been used to burn down the store were located nearby, and evidence from the fire was promptly sent to the Pasadena arson lab.

The fire was reported to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department around 3 a.m. on Monday, as the Alvin Pantry convenience store located at the intersection of Texas 35 and CR 129. Reports indicated no injuries from the fire, although the building was destroyed.

The store had been in business for 16 years prior to the incident.

Fires like these that ruin businesses and leave workers and owners without an integral part of their livelihoods are avoidable disasters. An adequate and suitable fire prevention system can help to preserve property and save money and jobs in the process. If you or someone you know needs a better fire prevention solution, contact the Austin sprinkler installation professionals at Ace Fire Equipment by calling 512-835-2020.

Fire marshal Tim Hansen said a grease fire began on the stove of an Austin restaurant Saturday afternoon while food was being prepared before the restaurant opened for business that day.  A cook put a lid over the flames and the sprinkler system was activated, but it wasn’t enough to put out the flames.

A 65-year-old Austinite was stopped at the intersection in front of the restaurant when he noticed smoke pouring from the building.  When he pulled over to see what was wrong, the owner of the establishment ran out and told him to call the fire department.  Instead, the man ran inside, grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the flames.

After putting out any kind of a fire, it is crucial to still call the fire department to make sure the flames have ceased completely. In February, a blaze that began as a grease fire in a Minneapolis restaurant destroyed the entire restaurant and four attached businesses.

To protect your business from risk of fire, trust the Austin sprinkler installation professionals of Ace Fire Equipment.  Contact us today at 512-835-2020.