Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Macon, GA – (READER REPORTED) 8th floor fire contained to one apartment with help from sprinklers

***Thank you to a Sprinkler Saves reader who pointed out that sprinklers helped contain this fire to a single apartment.***

The Macon-Bibb Fire Department is still at an apartment complex after a fire started on the eighth floor Monday night.

The fire started around 6 o’clock at the Dempsey Apartments, located at 523 Cherry Street.

“There was significant damage to the floor,” chief Marvin Riggins said. “Fire investigators are checking to see if other floors were affected, and how the fire started.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Vicksburg, MS – Sprinkler system keeps apartment kitchen fire from spreading; No injuries

Food burning on a stove was the cause of a fire early Friday afternoon that heavily damaged the kitchen of a third floor apartment at Carmel Manor, 910 Bowman St., Vicksburg Fire Chief Charles Atkins said. He said firefighters were called about 1:09 p.m. He said a sprinkler system in the apartment managed to keep the fire from spreading and contained it to the kitchen area. He said the apartment, an adjacent apartment and a second floor apartment had water damage. No one was injured.

Apartment Building, Residential

League City, TX – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) Single sprinkler helps firefighters extinguish apartment fire

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE — FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED **

On Tuesday, February 09, 2016, at 8:35 p.m., the Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at the Broadstone Walker Commons Apartments located at 1751 West Walker Street.

Before arriving on the location the Fire Department was notified of fire leaping out a third story balcony with heavy fire and smoke visible. Once on location, firefighters deployed an “Apartment Lay” up three flights of stairs and connected a 1 ¾ inch attack line to suppress the fire. During this time, the fire sprinkler system with one sidewall sprinkler head activated, which controlled and suppressed the majority of the fire.

The quick action from the firefighters completely stopped the advancement of the fire from entering into the attic and open spaces. A fast responding fire sprinkler system and aggressive team of firefighters absolutely save the complex from extensive fire damage and thousands of dollars of direct fire loss, not to mention the lives perhaps saved. The fire is currently under investigation by the League City Fire Marshal’s Office.

Apartment Building, Residential

Pearland, TX – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) Sprinkler system halts grease fire at apartment building

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE — FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED ** The Pearland Fire Department responded to a report of a grease fire in a unit of a 3-story apartment complex located in the 2200 block of Business Center Dr. on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Upon arriving, fire department officials discovered that the fire had been extinguished by a fire sprinkler system installed in the apartment unit where the fire began, extinguishing a fire in the kitchen of the unit.

Because the fire sprinkler system installed in the unit worked as it was designed, no property damage or loss of life occurred during this incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Manchester, NH – Apartment fire mostly extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries

A sprinkler system quickly put out a fire in Manchester Sunday evening. Around 5:30 p.m., firefighters were called to a home on Harvell Street, where a second-floor apartment had caught on fire.  No one was home, but firefighters said the front door was unlocked.  The apartment’s sprinkler system put out most of the flames.

“The first company on scene [saw] smoke showing from the second floor, so we had an initial attack lined to the second floor and knocked the rest of the fire down,” said District Fire Chief Hank Martineau.

Firefighters don’t yet know how the fire started but said it appears to be accidental.

Apartment Building, Residential

Westport, CT – Kitchen fire in multi-family residence extinguished by sprinkler system

A sprinkler extinguished a kitchen fire at a multi-family residence at 1655 Post Road East before arrival of firefighters, said Assistant Chief Brian Meadows. All residents safely evacuated the residence, operated by the Westport Housing Authority. Cause of the fire was under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office. Temporary accommodations for residents displaced by the fire were arranged by the Westport Housing Authority and American Red Cross.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system contains high rise apartment fire to 10th floor apartment

An investigation by Charleston Fire officials revealed the fire that displaced about 152 Joseph Floyd Manor residents originated on a sofa in the living area of a 10th floor apartment. The specific cause of the fire is still unknown.  Crews helped residents move to hotel rooms Monday night after the fire broke out.

Three fire departments responded to the 10th floor of the Mount Pleasant Street apartment complex and found heavy smoke, said Ryan Kunitzer of the Charleston Fire Department.  Kunitzer said a fire sprinkler contained the fire in a 10th floor apartment. Emergency personnel assisted residents off the floor.   He said the city Building Official determined the structure was uninhabitable until a full assessment could be completed.

The Red Cross, the City Housing Authority and CARTA assisted emergency crews with moving the residents to local hotels after water used to control the fire affected multiple floors, Kunitzer said. Charleston, North Charleston and St. Andrews fire departments responded to the fire, in addition to the Charleston Police Department and Charleston County EMS.

Fire officials said that 93 of the estimated 152 Joseph Floyd residents were relocated to a nearby hotel. The other 58 residents went to stay with family or friends.   Officials also confirmed that one resident was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross and Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority officials opened a shelter for the residents. The shelter, located at Grace on the Ashley Baptist Church, opened Tuesday afternoon. There, residents can get a safe place to stay, meals, and other services.

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Grand Forks, ND – Fire at low-income senior apartment building controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

According to the GFPD there was a fire at Riverside Manor contained to one unit. Fire officials say the fire only took about 15 minutes to extinguish. The building’s sprinkler system played an important role in controlling the blaze.  No one was hurt as a result of the fire, but officials say safely evacuating everyone had its challenges.

“These are elderly people so getting those units evacuated in a timely matter with smoke on that floor, that’s a big deal,” said Btn. Chief Rick Aamot. Residents on the third and fourth floor were evacuated down the buildings lobby.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Vancouver, WA – Apartment fire caused by unattended candle is limited by sprinkler system

Sprinklers at a Vancouver apartment complex limited the fire damage from a Tuesday morning blaze to a single unit, fire officials said. Firefighters were called to Redwood Acres apartments, 3409 N.E. 62nd Ave. in Vancouver’s Bagley Downs neighborhood, about 5:15 a.m., Vancouver firefighter Pete Adams said. Arriving crews reported a working fire coming from the third floor and that all of the occupants had evacuated, Adams said.

The sprinklers kept the fire from spreading, and arriving crews doused the flames, bringing it under control in about 20 minutes, Adams said. There were no injuries. The unit affected was heavily damaged by fire, adjacent units sustained smoke damage and the units below sustained some water damage, Adams said. Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said that the total damage is estimated at $60,000.

The two people who lived in the fire-damaged unit were displaced, Adams said, but apartment management was making plans to house them in a different unit. Scarpelli said the fire was caused by an unattended candle left in the bedroom near the head of the bed.

“The important note here is that a lit candle is an open flame, it’s definitely a fire hazard,” Scarpelli said. “This was definitely a preventable fire. … It was fortunate that the apartment complex had a sprinkler system that was completely operational and functioned the way it was designed.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Reno, NV – No injuries in apartment fire after sprinkler system activates to assist firefighters

American Red Cross volunteers are assisting 14 people who were displaced after an apartment fire near 4th Street and Morrill Avenue on Friday, Jan. 5, 2016. A Reno Fire Department spokesman says firefighters responded to a report of a kitchen fire at the apartment complex about 2:30PM. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within minutes of arriving on the scene. However, 14 units, including the one with the kitchen fire, were damaged when the automatic sprinkler system was activated.

No one was injured and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers are meeting with the residents and will ensure everyone has a safe place to sleep, has food, clothing, medication and other essentials.