Seattle Police are investigating after they say at least four fires were intentionally set in the U-District Sunday night. The Seattle Fire Department responded to four fires around 10:15 p.m. Two fires were set near the intersection of 8th Ave. NE and NE 42nd Street. One fire was started in a dumpster and the other was started when someone set a couch on fire.
- PUB DATE: 9/20/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13 Seattle

Tacoma firefighters were called to extinguish a brush fire Monday morning that flared up in a grassy field west of South Tacoma Way. No injuries were reported. Tacoma Fire Department assistant chief Sionna Stallings-Alailima said crews were dispatched at about 10:55 a.m. to 4336 S. Adams St. She said the fire was reported about 100 yards west of that location, between Adams and South Tyler Street.
- PUB DATE: 9/20/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The News Tribune - Metered Site

Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) has launched a first-of-its-kind solution that combines early warning smoke detection with advanced indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, furthering its efforts to create safer and healthier buildings. Built on the flagship VESDA-E™ line of aspirating smoke detectors, the VESDA Air solution has a unique five-in-one IAQ sensor within a single box, which can help improve building safety by identifying life safety, asset protection or IAQ issues before they escalate into problems.

VESDA Air complements Honeywell’s ready now Healthy Buildings solutions that can help improve occupant well-being, meet energy efficiency goals and, importantly, change the way occupants experience a building.

Honeywell’s VESDA technology actively samples air – rather than passively waiting for smoke to reach traditional spot sensors – to identify trace amounts of smoke and enable early intervention before it disrupts operations. Honeywell engineers have integrated into the same VESDA system a highly sensitive IAQ sensor that measures critical IAQ parameters, including volatile organic compounds[i] (total VOCs) listed by ASHRAE as ‘contaminants of concern,’[ii] fine particulate matter of 1.0 micron (PM1.0) and PM2.5 or larger with unprecedented accuracy, CO and CO2 concentration, temperature and humidity. Ideal for premium commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, hospitality, manufacturing and schools, the new sensor provides instrument-grade IAQ sensing for data uniformity and accuracy.

“The emphasis on indoor air quality isn’t going away – and that’s a good thing as more organizations work to create safer, healthier environments that help boost occupant well-being and productivity,” said Udaya Shrivastava, vice president and chief technology officer, Honeywell Building Technologies. “We challenged our engineering teams to find a way to complement the capabilities of our aspirating smoke detection systems with highly sensitive IAQ monitoring. The system identifies not only the minute presence of smoke, but also the presence of air quality contaminants of concern – allowing building operators to react and respond to out-of-bounds parameters quickly, before they escalate into unsafe situations.”

The plug-and-play cartridge-based IAQ sensor works much the same as replacing a printer’s ink-jet cartridge, thus avoiding costly calibration and other maintenance. This convenience helps to reduce total cost, minimize waste and provide accurate IAQ data.

The scalable solution can be used in both new construction and existing buildings. In new construction, installation of an integrated VESDA Air solution can reduce the total cost of installation (TCI) and total cost of maintenance (TCM) as compared to installing and maintaining standalone smoke detection and IAQ monitoring systems. In buildings with a fully functional smoke detection system, a ‘smokeless’ IAQ-only system can be installed to provide accurate, actionable data to adjust ventilation parameters.

[i] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, What are volatile organic compounds (VOCs)? Updated September 14, 2020. [Accessed June 3, 2022]

[ii] ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2019, Ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality. Appendix D. [Accessed June 3, 2022]

Fire claimed a key part of a church’s charity in the South Sound. A 15-person passenger van belonging to Christ’s Church Federal Way was destroyed by flames on Sept. 2. The fire was determined to be arson. There is a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect. As much of a loss as it is for the church, Pastor Jeff Moorehead said he forgives those responsible.
- PUB DATE: 9/19/2022 5:00:00 PM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13 Seattle

The City of Stephenson (MI) and the Stephenson Volunteer Fire Department recently donated a 1997 Chevrolet C-Series fire engine to a Dickinson County (MI) volunteer fire department in need, EHExtra.com reported.

The act of kindness comes months after Stephenson Fire received a donated fire engine of its own. In January, the fire department took delivery of a 1993 Pierce Lance Heavy Rescue Engine, donated by the New York-based Greenlawn Fire District via the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, the report said.