Category Archives: Apartment Building

Temecula, CA – Arson fire at apartment building doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A Temecula man was arrested Friday, July 29 for allegedly breaking into his ex-lover’s apartment and starting a fire. Jack Wayne Hill, 45, was arrested on suspicion of arson, burglary, making criminal threats, vandalism and stalking and booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta. Bail information was not immediately available.

According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Jon Wade, deputies had been called to the apartment in the 28800 block of Pujol Street, just west of Interstate 15, over the past week to contend with complaints that Hill was allegedly harassing the victim and had caused damage to her vehicle.

The woman, whose identity was not released, obtained a criminal protective order Wednesday, barring the construction worker from coming close to her or her residence, Wade said.

About 8 a.m. this morning, Hill allegedly went to the property, forced his way inside and ignited a fire. County fire personnel were the first to respond but discovered that the sprinkler system in the building had doused the flames. 

Deputies located the suspect at his job site, where he was taken into custody without incident.  Court records show no documented felony or misdemeanor convictions for Hill in Riverside County.

Cheyenne, WY – Apartment kitchen fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire in a three story, multi-unit apartment complex in the 300 block of Montalto Drive Monday morning was short-lived because of an installed sprinkler system, said Chief Darrick Mittlestadt of Laramie County Fire District 1.

When firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 8:40AM they noticed that the apartment complex was evacuated and water coming out of a first floor apartment. When firefighters went inside the apartment they found light smoke and a sprinkler head in the kitchen area activated. The fire was out when firefighters made their way into the kitchen.

According to investigators, an occupant of the apartment was cooking oil in a pan on the stove. The stove was unattended when the oil caught fire and started to burn the cabinet directly above the stove. The heat from the fire caused the sprinkler head in the kitchen to activate. The damage was limited to the kitchen area.

Firefighters said properly working smoke alarms and that the quick action of the sprinkler system limited the damage to the residence and prevented injury to the occupant.  Damage was estimated at $1,000.

LCFD #1 wants to remind everyone the importance of working smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. You should test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries twice a year, when you change your clocks. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.

Charlottetown, PE, Canada – Sprinklers limit spread of fire that started on deck of loft apartment building

At least six people have been displaced after a fire late Friday afternoon at the Y Lofts condo building in Charlottetown.  There were no injuries.  Charlottetown Fire Chief Randy MacDonald said the call to the 18-unit condo building, located at the corner of Euston and Prince Streets, was received at 5:20 p.m.

When crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from the roof of the building, which was formerly the YMCA. The building was evacuated prior to fire crews arriving, he said. MacDonald added the fire seemed to have started on the outside deck of a third floor unit. It then spread to the roof. The fire was “held to the outside” by the building’s sprinkler system, he said.

Shortly after 6 p.m., MacDonald said the fire was “knocked down” and mostly contained with crews dealing with hotspots. He also noted a challenge to fighting the fire was the warm weather. To keep fire fighters safe, they took “quick breaks” and kept hydrated throughout the incident, MacDonald said.

Fire officials are investigating the cause.

College Station, TX – Fire at off-campus apartment building contained by sprinkler system

Occupants of the Domain at Northgate apartments stand in front of the building after being evacuated for a fire in one of the units Friday afternoon in College Station. The building’s smoke detectors and sprinkler system activated and contained the fire in the second-floor apartment where it originated. An estimated 50 to 60 people were evacuated and residents whose apartments were damaged are being relocated. The College Station Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire.

Reno, NV – Apartment fire caused by careless smoking contained by sprinkler system

The Reno Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 895 Kuenzil Street at 3:43 a.m.  The fire started in a third floor apartment from a carelessly discarded cigarette.  The fire caused moderate fire damage but was contained to the living area by an activated fire system.

The two sleeping occupants who were home at the time of the fire escaped without injury. 14 tenants of the apartment complex were temporarily relocated by the American Red Cross.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, if you have a fire in your home, the risk of dying decreases by 82 percent when fire sprinklers are present. Statistics show fire sprinklers can stop a fire in less than 90 seconds.

Although there were no injuries reported on this incident, The Reno Fire Department would like to remind everyone smoking materials (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States, and to take necessary safety precautions.

Campbell River, BC, Canada – Storage locker fire at apartment building knocked down with help from sprinkler system

No injuries were reported, but there is smoke and water damage in a storage locker room and adjacent living units after a fire in a multi-unit apartment building in the 300 block of Dogwood St. on Tuesday.

“At 9:45 a.m., Campbell River fire crews responded to a report of alarms ringing and fire inside a multi-unit apartment building, and they arrived to find a smoke-filled hallway on the first floor with an active fire inside a storage locker room at the end of that hallway,” deputy fire chief Chris Vrabel said in a press release. “A water sprinkler suppression system had activated and prevented a much more serious situation, which enabled the entry crew to quickly knock down the remaining fire.”

The majority of residents were allowed back into the building by 11:30 a.m. The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

Pontiac, MI – Apartment fire started by child playing with lighter is put out by sprinkler system

At 1 p.m. Tuesday, a fire was reported on Center Street near Cottage Street at a four-story apartment building in Pontiac.  All residents were evacuated, and the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire before crews arrived.

Later, investigators learned the fire may have started due to a child playing with a lighter. There was minor fire damage to the apartment building, but significant smoke and water damage following the sprinkler system activation, Lyman said.

“It’s important to keep flammables away from children,” said Lyman. “(The residents) were lucky they were able to get out” of the building.

Sioux City, IA – Apartment bedroom fire extinguished by single sprinkler

An apartment sprinkler was able to extinguish a small fire in a Sioux City apartment complex Friday night prior to the arrival of firefighters, officials say. According to a Sioux City Fire Rescue news release, firefighters responded to an alarm at Prestwick Apartments, 4230 Hickory Lane, shortly before 10 p.m. Friday.

After investigating, firefighters located a single sprinkler head spraying water in a bedroom in one of the apartments.  Firefighters stopped the water and found remains of a small fire that had occurred on the dresser, the release said.  The occupant of the apartment was not home.

Upon investigation, the firefighters traced the source of the fire to an unattended candle. Damage was limited to the top of the dresser and a television near the candle, the release said.  Officials say sprinklers in buildings significantly reduce fire loss and deaths.

Danville, VA – High rise apartment fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

Two Danville House apartments were damaged in a Saturday afternoon fire blamed on unattended cooking. The Danville Fire Department responded to the call on the eighth floor in apartment No. 802 at 600 Main St. at about 1:45 p.m., according to a news release.

A fire in the kitchen had been extinguished by a sprinkler system but filled the apartment with smoke. “After confirming there was no additional fire, the engine company stopped the flow of water from the sprinkler head,” Battalion Chief Brian K. Alderson said in the release. “Water was running down into apartments on the seventh floor.”

Crews redirected water out a window and covered furniture and other valuables with salvage covers, Alderson said. Power to the affected apartments also was turned off. Firefighters stayed on scene until about 340 p.m. There were no injuries.

The apartment on the eighth floor received smoke, heat and water damage, and another apartment on the seventh floor received water damage. The Danville chapter of the American Red Cross is helping one occupant and her pet.

Another occupant will stay with family. “All other tenants were allowed to return to their respective apartments,” Alderson said.  The cause of the fire was unattended cooking, according to the release.

“The DFD reminds everyone to stay alert and in the kitchen when cooking,” Alderson said. “The sprinkler system at the Danville House kept this fire from becoming a large fire that would have displaced many residents.”

Conroe, TX – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED**
The City of Conroe Fire Department was notified of an apartment fire at 500 Hickerson St. near N Frazier St. (Hollow Creek Apartments) at approximately 10:34 AM on June 22, 2016. Conroe Firefighters arrived at approximately 10:38 AM and discovered that there had been a fire in the kitchen of one of the apartment units which activated two sprinkler heads and extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or occupants of the building.  Fire damage was confined to the kitchen area.  Water damage was confined to the apartment of origin.  The cause of the fire was unattended cooking and was determined to be unintentional.

For the second time in one week 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. The Conroe Fire Department would like to remind the public that unattended cooking is the leading cause of residential fires in Conroe, and throughout the United States, each year.  Being mindful while you cook, however, can go a long way toward helping to prevent these fires:

**Keep an eye on what you fry
**Be alert when cooking
**Keep things that can catch fire away from the cooking area