Category Archives: Apartment Building

Windsor, ON, Canada – Fire at senior high-rise apartment building controlled by sprinkler system

Fire broke out late Wednesday night in a unit in a high-rise apartment building across from Coventry Gardens in Windsor. John Lee, with Windsor Fire and Rescue, says no one was injured.

“We got a call about 10:15 p.m. to the Amica building. It is a vulnerable occupancy [building]. It’s a nursing [and] rest home, senior’s living. There was a fire on the second floor in one of the units. The sprinkler system activated. The resident got out safely,” he said.

Windsor Fire and Rescue says because the sprinklers activated and kept the fire under control. An investigator will look into what started the fire on Riverside Drive, near Pillette Road.

Pearland, TX – Patio fire at apartment building extinguished by sprinkler installed in balcony

** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported** –
The Pearland Fire Department responded to a report of a cooking fire located on the patio of an apartment unit in the 2500 block of Business Center Drive on Wednesday, April 6. Upon arriving, fire department officials discovered that the fire had been extinguished by a fire sprinkler system installed on the patio of the unit where the fire began.

Because the fire sprinkler system installed on the balcony worked as it was designed, no property damage or loss of life occurred during this incident. Fire sprinklers are required in all new multi-family dwellings in Pearland, as well as specific commercial structures because of requirements and guidelines set forth by the locally adopted Code of Ordinances approved by Pearland City Council. Single-family homes are not required to install sprinkler systems, but for less than the cost of many cosmetic upgrades, these life and property saving systems can be installed.

The Pearland Fire Department encourages the installation of fire sprinklers in all structures, especially in homes where people are sleeping. For additional information, visit pearlandtx.gov/firesprinklers or contact the Pearland Fire Marshal’s Office at 281.997.4650.

Hackensack, NJ – Kitchen fire in high-rise apartment building contained with help from sprinkler system

Grease on a stovetop caught fire Wednesday evening, spreading flames to an apartment’s microwave and cabinets before firefighters put it out. The single-alarm blaze at 140 Prospect Ave. was reported at 7:11 p.m., Fire Lt. Justin Derevyanik said. Firefighters found smoke on the 14th floor of the apartment building and discovered that the fire had been partially extinguished by the sprinkler system in apartment 14A. Several other apartments suffered water damage.

Firefighters put out the flames within 10 minutes, Derevyanik said. Three residents suffered smoke inhalation as they were getting out of the building; a man and a woman were treated at the scene while another man was taken to Holy Name Medical Center. Twenty-six firefighters from Hackensack and Teaneck responded, as well as Hackensack EMTs..

St. Louis, MO – Early morning apartment fire controlled by sprinkler system

Residents at a Midtown apartment complex are evacuated overnight after a fire in one of the units. It happened around 12:50 a.m. at the North Sarah Apartments at C.D. Banks and Vandeventer. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The building has three floors and has 19 units.

Fire department spokesperson Captain Garon Mosby says the fire started in one of the bedrooms of that second floor apartment. There were two people, a man and a woman, in the unit at the time.

The sprinkler system in the apartment did activate and that took out much of the fire.  Crews were able to keep the fire contained to the bedroom of that one unit.  The building where the fire happened is three floors and has 19 apartments.

Most of the residents, roughly 30 people, were evacuated but some did stay inside a sheltered space.  This was a first alarm fire meaning 30 firefighters responded.  Captain Mosby says there is nothing suspicious about the fire.  The preliminary cause is a candle that was left burning in the bedroom where the fire started

Oxford, MS – Grease fire at off-campus apartments extinguished by sprinkler system

*** Fire Department Reported *** – Grease fire at 9:46 p.m. at The Connection – a resident put water on the grease fire which caused the fire to reach the sprinkler system which put the fire out.

The Connection at Oxford is less than one mile from campus, and you’ll save gas, by riding the OUT Bus, which takes you directly to class as well as many on-campus sites, and off campus shopping within the city, along with the famous Oxford Square! Party like a rock-star on The Connection at Oxford Party Bus, directly to the best party places on the Oxford Square! No need to worry about traffic, parking or hailing a cab; we take you there and bring you back to The Connection. Many Rebels already live here and is a great place to hang out with your friends and enjoy our weekly events

 

Norfolk, VA – No injuries in off-campus apartment fire at Old Dominion University contained by sprinklers

A total of 198 people were displaced Monday after a fire at The District apartment complex near Old Dominion University. There were no injuries , Fire-Rescue spokesman Bill Tull said, but a section of the building where the fire took place was shut down for the night.

When firefighters got to the complex on 39th Street in midafternoon, Tull said, they encountered smoke on the fourth floor. He said a small pan of food had caught fire in one of the units, activating the sprinkler system. Water pooled on the fourth floor and flowed down into the lower floors, Tull said. It also reached the complex’s electrical system, and occupants were evacuated.

Firefighters were trying to mitigate water damage, and officials were evaluating the damage overall. The District also called in its electrical contractor.

Fire-Rescue personnel were helping residents retrieve personal items until enough security personnel could take over.

Jalen Ford, maintenance technician for The District, said residents were either being moved to vacant rooms in the complex or sent to the Marriott on ODU’s campus. Ford said he didn’t know when residents would be able to return to their rooms.

“It shouldn’t be days or weeks,” he said. “As soon as they get the water out, they’re just making sure everything electrical is working, there’s no water in the electrical systems, and just making sure all the residents are safe. So as soon as they get all the water out, everything should be back to normal.”

An ODU spokesman and officials at the Marriott declined to comment on the relocation efforts.

 

Veronica Lyell, a senior at ODU, said she lived next door to the fourth-floor unit where the fire occurred.

Eugene, OR – Apartment balcony fire contained by sprinkler system

Eugene/Springfield Fire units responded to an apartment fire at the Heron Meadows complex in west Eugene early Sunday morning. The call came in just after 5:40 a.m. Firefighters hurried to building 783 on Throne Drive. The apartment complex is just off Royal Street.

Fire officials say the fire was small and started on the balcony of a second-floor unity. The apartment’s sprinkler system contained the fire to just the balcony where crews extinguished the flames. Officials say no one was injured and the fire was accidental..

Olympia, WA – Sprinkler system knocks down fire at apartment complex

One family was displaced from an apartment at 1309 Fern St. SE in west Olympia late Friday after a fire, according to the Olympia Fire Department. Firefighters responded to reports of a kitchen fire and found that the sprinkler system had activated by the time they arrived. One resident sustained cuts to the hand after breaking open a glass door to access a fire extinguisher. No other injuries were reported.

Damage to the apartment was estimated at about $5,000. The fire likely was an electrical fire. The family is being assisted by the American Red Cross. The rest of the apartment complex was undamaged. The Olympia Fire Department responded to the fire with four engines, one ladder truck, two medic units and a command unit

La Mesa, CA – Car fire at apartment complex controlled with help from sprinkler system

A car fire at a La Mesa apartment complex was knocked down by a sprinkler system and quick work by firefighters before it could do any structural damage, Heartland fire officials said Saturday.

Firefighters from La Mesa, El Cajon and Cal Fire responded to the blaze shortly after 8 p.m. Friday at the Alterra Apartments in the 8700 block of Fletcher Parkway, according to Heartland Fire spokesman Sonny Saghera.

The fire sprinkler system was already activated when firefighters arrived within four minutes of being dispatched, Saghera said.

It took fire crews less than 10 minutes to get the car fire out and the sprinkler system off before any damage was done to the apartment units above the garage. There were no injuries, evacuations or water damage, and no damage to other vehicles. The cause and damage amount were not released by Heartland Fire.

Evanston, IL – No injuries in high-rise apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler

A fire in a high-rise building can be one of the most frightening and dangerous incidents for any resident and one of the most challenging and complex operations for any fire department. Firefighters must contend with numerous factors like location of the fire beyond the reach of ground ladders, wind driven fires, tremendous manpower and resources needs, as well as the evacuation of residents.

On March 12, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Evanston Fire Department responded to 1900 Sherman Ave. for the fire alarm activation. Upon arrival they were informed of a kitchen fire on the 11th floor with water flowing in the stairwell and smoke showing on the 11th floor.

The fire investigation team found that a kitchen fire in an 11th floor unit had been extinguished by a sprinkler head activation, allowing an invalid resident and guest of the unit to escape to safety into the hallway to await assistance. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation and transported to the local hospital for follow-up care. The Red Cross assisted three residents, who were displaced for two days.

It was just last November that the Cook County Housing Authority, under the direction of the Evanston Fire Prevention Bureau retrofitted 1900 Sherman Avenue with sprinklers throughout the building, including the residential units. “There is no doubt in my mind that the upgrade to the suppression system saved the day for us, but more importantly, the lives of the residents and limited the damage to this property,” stated Fire Chief Klaiber.

Evanston Fire had no report of injury to personnel.