Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Sioux Falls, SD – Sprinkler system prevents apartment fire from spreading

A sprinkler system liked prevented more widespread fire damage to a downtown Sioux Falls apartment building. Firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the Huey Apartment Building at 112 N. Phillips Avenue Thursday night. When they went inside, they found water coming from an upper floor and found smoke on the third floor. They found heavy smoke in one apartment, but the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. No one was in the apartment at the time of the fire.

Crews evacuated the building and took some displaced residents to the downtown Holiday Inn to keep them out of the cold. There is light smoke damage on the floor of the fire, as well as water damage in the apartment below. Six apartments in the building have damage. Sioux Falls Fire Rescue’s Fire Prevention division is investigating the cause of the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Duluth, MN – Apartment fire mostly extinguished by automatic sprinkler system

One person was being treated for smoke inhalation after a fire at Duluth’s Esmond building last Wednesday morning.  The fire was reported just after 7:30 a.m. in the apartment complex at 2001 W. Superior St., according to the Duluth Fire Department. The building, formerly known as the Seaway Hotel, sustained some damage, but no residents were displaced.  The fire department reported that the fire started in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment. The tenant was assisted out of the building before fire crews arrived, but was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Officials said the fire was mostly extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system, but smoke filled the third-floor hallway. The building was evacuated, and all residents were accounted for before being allowed to return to their rooms.  The fire department said five other units sustained water damage, which was estimated at $25,000 to the structure and $4,000 to contents. The American Red Cross was assisting affected residents. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the fire marshal.

Apartment Building, Residential

Auburn, ME – No one hurt as sprinkler system helps control apartment fire

Two families were displaced by a fire that damaged two units at the Auburn Mall Apartments at 75 University St. late Saturday afternoon.

The Auburn Fire Department said the 5 p.m. fire started on a kitchen stove in one of the units at the 12-unit building.

No one was hurt.

It took the department about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

Apartment Building, Residential

Conroe, TX – (Fire Dept Reported) Apartment fire held in check by automatic sprinkler system

The City of Conroe Fire Department was notified of an apartment fire at 2213 N Frazier St. (Oak Creek Apartments) at approximately 12:08 p.m. on December 15, 2017. Conroe Firefighters arrived at approximately 12:16 p.m. and discovered a fire in the living room of one apartment unit which had activated two fire sprinkler heads. The sprinkler heads held the fire in the smaller stages until firefighters were able to complete extinguishment.

The occupant of the apartment was transported to Conroe Regional ER with smoke inhalation. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or other occupants of the building. Fire and water damage was confined to the apartment of origin. The fire is believed to have originated in a living room couch. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

For the second time in three days within the City of Conroe, the importance of properly installed and maintained automatic fire sprinkler systems in residential occupancies has been demonstrated. It is likely that the automatic fire sprinkler system saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and property loss to the building’s owners and occupants. Further, no adjacent occupants were displaced and possible injuries and deaths to citizens and firefighters were prevented.

Automatic fire sprinkler systems have over 100 years of proven performance protecting life and property. This incident represents the third time in 2017 that an apartment fire has been extinguished in the area of origin with the assistance of an automatic fire sprinkler system.

Apartment Building, Residential

McKinney, TX – Sprinkler system prevents major damage to apartment complex due to unattended cooking

The McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to an incident at 11:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Retreat at Stonebridge Ranch, 1920 Grassmere Lane, for an appliance fire and water flow alarm.

Upon arrival, first responders discovered there was a grease fire and the fire sprinkler system had activated, extinguishing the fire in the apartment kitchen. A single sprinkler head is credited for the minimal fire damage, saving an estimated $1.5 million in property loss and reinforcing the value of fire sprinkler systems in residential structures.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was determined to be unattended cooking.

“Another sprinkler save successfully demonstrates the effectiveness of automatic fire sprinkler systems in a residential apartment building. Undoubtedly, this single sprinkler activation prevented a major loss,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Andrew Barr. “Further, this reinforces the recommendation to not leave the kitchen area while cooking at any time.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), kitchen fires account for 49 percent of all home fires and fire injuries with unattended cooking being a factor in 33 percent of all kitchen fires.

For additional information on fire protection systems, code requirements or other fire prevention topics, visit www.mckinneyfire.org or call 972-547-2862.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norwalk, CT – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in controlling apartment fire; No injuries reported in 54-unit complex

Dozens of residents were displaced when fire broke out at a condominium building on Richards Avenue in Norwalk Monday. Officials from the Norwalk Police department said firefighters responded to a large fire at a condominium complex at 100 Richards Avenue around 4:30 p.m.

The 54-unit complex had to be evacuated as firefighters spent hours trying to control the fire. Flames were limited to one section of the building, but water from the sprinkler system and fire fight left all of the units close to uninhabitable.

Everyone who lives in the building got out safely and firefighters were able to rescue several pets, including Heather Smith’s dogs Annie and Mabel.  “I feel a little sick to my stomach. Right now I’m just glad to have these guys,” Smith said.

Firefighters from Norwalk, Rowayton and Darien all responded. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  The Norwalk Fire Department and Red Cross are assisting the victims and looking for donations. Gift cards or checks can be mailed or dropped off to the Norwalk Fire Department C/O Deputy Emergency Management Director Michele Deluca at 121 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk CT 06854.

Apartment Building, Residential

Palo Alto, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at 88 unit affordable housing complex

Seven residents were displaced by a kitchen fire at the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto on Saturday evening that resulted in significant water damage, a fire official said.  Crews responded to the 88-unit affordable housing complex, located at 33 Encina Ave., around 5:30 p.m. where a fire was reported on a second-floor unit, Deputy Fire Chief Catherine Capriles said.  Sprinkler heads extinguished the fire by the time crews were at the scene and residents had already evacuated, she said.  The fire was caused by unattended cooking oil on a hot plate, according to Capriles.  Residents in the involved unit and others below were displaced by the blaze, which left a significant amount of water damage, she said. The American Red Cross was called to assist seven people.  The fire left an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 in damage, Capriles said. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Milford, CT – Early morning fire at senior apartment building controlled with help from sprinkler system

A firefighter suffered a minor injury but no tenants were injured in a fire early Tuesday morning at a senior housing apartment complex at 264 High Street. Firefighters said that at 4:23 a.m., Milford Fire Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a fire on the fifth floor of the 46-unit senior housing apartment complex. Milford firefighters arrived in three minutes and found active fire venting out of a fifth floor window.

“The structure is equipped with a fire sprinkler system, which had activated and slowed the fire’s progression,” said Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi. Firefighters deployed a hose line and made an aggressive interior attack, bringing the blaze under control very quickly. The fire was confined to the single fifth-floor unit, although smoke and water damage affected other units and floors within the structure. The occupants of the unit that burned managed to escape safely prior to the firefighters arrival. “Multiple tenants were evaluated on the scene by Milford Fire Paramedics but no injuries were reported,” Fabrizi said. “A Milford firefighter suffered a minor eye injury and was treated on the scene.”

The Milford Housing Authority was on the scene to assist any tenants affected or displaced by the fire. An investigation was conducted by the Milford Fire Marshal’s Division, and a cause has not been released at press time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wilmington, NC – Fire department credits sprinkler system with extinguishing apartment balcony fire

A fire sprinkler was credited with confining a fire to a balcony, the Wilmington Fire Department said in a release.  A fire was reported on the balcony at 4940 Pepys Lane shortly after midnight Friday, possibly caused by fireworks, the release said. A sprinkler, activated over the balcony, extinguishing the fire.

“There were no injuries to any civilians or fire personnel reported,” the release said. “This one sprinkler head activation required less firefighters to be on scene mitigating a fire problem, saved a four-story, multi-family residential building and quite possibly saved human lives.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Cambridge, MA – No injuries in overnight apartment fire contained with help sprinkler system

A fast-moving fire in Cambridge could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the sprinkler system. Firefighters were called to a four-story apartment building at the corner Auburn and Magazine streets around 1 a.m. after flames broke out on a second floor porch. The fire then spread to two more buildings.

“I started hearing cracking and popping. We really didn’t think much of it and then I looked out my window and saw all these embers falling,”resident Andrew Colello told WBZ-TV.

“I hear a crash and there’s like a fireman knocking down my door, waking all my roommates up, getting us out of there.”

A total of 20 units were evacuated safely because the sprinklers helped contain the fire, acting Fire Chief Gerard Mahoney told reporters. No one was hurt. There’s no word yet on a cause.

The four-alarm fire came just days before the first anniversary of a massive 10-alarm fire on Berkshire Street in Cambridge. “This thankfully, had a far different outcome than that did. But we don’t like to see anybody displaced at any time, particularly in the holiday season,” Mahoney said. About 60 people were displaced in Thursday’s fire.