Apartment Building, Residential High Rise Stamford, CT – Laundry fire in high-rise apartment building held at bay by sprinkler system January 31, 2016 viking210 1 Comment Though tenants had to wait outside for a bit as firefighters did their work, nobody was hurt and nobody displaced after a drier caught fire in a 12-story high rise on Strawberry Hill Avenue late Friday night. The fire department got the call for a fire at the Carlton Plaza apartment building, situated roughly between the Stamford Police Department headquarters and Stamford High School as the crow flies, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Fire Capt. Michael Terenzio said that the fire started in or near a drier on the third floor. It is as yet unclear whether a malfunction in the drier started the fire, and the fire marshal is still investigating. “The third floor was evacuated, no one lost use of their apartments, everyone did react to the fire alarm system and it looks like the damage was confined to the object that was on fire, except for, obviously, smoke damage,” said Terenzio. “Everyone was probably out for an hour or so.” After that, the 120 tenants were able to go back to their units. The captain said the building’s sprinkler system worked as it should and helped keep the fire at bay until firefighters were able to bring up a hose. As a precaution, firefighters recommend regularly cleaning highly flammable drier lint out of traps and ducts.
Apartment Building, Residential Henrico, VA – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No other apartments affected January 28, 2016 viking210 Crews responded to a kitchen fire at an apartment complex in Henrico’s Northside. It happened around 4 p.m. in the 5500 block of Cliffbrook Circle, near Brook Road and I-95. Officials say someone in the apartment was cooking at the time and left the stove briefly unattended. When she came back, the pan caught on fire and the sprinkler immediately went off, extinguishing the fire. The fire was marked under control and was determined as “accidental in nature and caused by cooking in the kitchen.” The woman who was cooking was evaluated on scene but not taken to the hospital. Everyone who was in the apartment made it out ok and will be displaced for a short period of time. Two women are being assisted by the American Red Cross, according to fire officials. No other apartments were affected in the fire.
Apartment Building, Residential Kingsport, TN – Apartment fire that started in utility closet doused by sprinkler system January 24, 2016 viking210 Fire sprinkler helps save 5 families forced out of apartments. More than 20 people are out in the cold after a fire in their apartment building. It started in one unit’s utility closet, where the furnace and water heater are kept.
Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Porterville, CA – Patio fire at senior apartment complex held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported January 23, 2016 viking210 Fire sprinklers on the patio of an apartment at Santa Fe Plaza, a housing complex on North Third Street in Porterville, prevented a fire from spreading Friday afternoon. “This is one of the places we’re always concerned about because of the number of residents,” said City Fire Battalion Chief Glen Hall. The fire began on the patio of a first-floor apartment, but was contained by the overhead sprinklers. “The fire was held in check by the sprinkler system,” said Hall, adding that it appeared to be contained to a box on the patio and the structure was not burned at all. Also, the sprinkler only activated on the patio, so there was no water damage to the apartment or any other part of the complex. However, smoke filled the first floor of the north wing of the complex and the alarm sent more than a dozen residents outside. “I saw smoke billowing … and I grabbed my cat and split,” said resident Sharon Ritchie, who stood outside with several other residents as firefighters inspected the building and worked to clear the smoke. “I heard the alarm go off and the hallway was full of smoke,” added Norma Fox who lives jus a few doors down from where the fire stated. The fire was reported at about 1:50 p.m. and the city had a full response with five engines, including a ladder truck, and one engine from the county. More than a dozen firefighters were joined by two Porterville police officers who assisted residents out of the smoke-filled complex. One lady in a motorized chair waited outside until a firefighter brought her dog to her. Seeing her dog brought a big smile to her face. Medical personnel were called to the scene to check out the residents, but no one was injured or sickened by the smoke. One lady said she was winded after walking down three flights of stairs. Hall said the fire was still smoldering when firefighters arrived and they extinguished it at that time. He said there are 105 apartments in the complex, but only the north wing was affected by the fire. The residents, including the one who lived in the apartment where the fire occurred, were allowed to return to their apartments after about 45 minutes outside. The cause of the fire is under investigation
Apartment Building, Residential Rockledge, FL – No injuries as sprinkler system helps stop apartment fire January 21, 2016 viking210 An automatic fire sprinkler’s fast action water damaged a Rockledge apartment after fire broke out in the kitchen on Tuesday, according to Brevard County Fire Rescue. The incident occurred at the Polo Glen apartment complex at 3603 Middleburg Lane, they say. Firefighters used a vacuum to absorb some of the water. There were no injuries to the single resident of the apartment.
Apartment Building, Residential Niagara Falls, NY – Sprinklers assist firefighter in controlling fire in multi-family residential building January 18, 2016 viking210 Downtown fire crews received a report of a working structure fire on Main Street in a large, multi-family dwelling. Engine 3, Platoon 4 was first into the building and dragged a hose line to the third floor while notifying residents to evacuate the building. Between the building’s sprinkler system and firefighter hoselines, significant water damage was sustained. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Apartment Building, Residential Estero, FL – Fire caused by man burning love letters is controlled with help from sprinkler system January 17, 2016 viking210 The Florida Everblades hockey player facing arson charges was burning love letters from a girlfriend last month when the blaze got out of control, according to an arrest report that reveals new details in the Dec. 30 arrest of Justin Agosta. The 25-year-old told firefighters who responded to his apartment along the 11200 block of Everblades Parkway in Estero that he was upset with his girlfriend when he bought gasoline at a nearby gas station to douse the letters. Agosta said he tried to put the fire out with water and a towel when it got out of control near the entrance of his apartment and caused damage to the front of his building and walls where soot collected. The fire sprinkler went off and Agosta dialed 911 to alert firefighters. Agosta was arrested and taken to the Lee County jail about 1 p.m. that Wednesday. Agosta’s next court appearance is Feb. 1. He has not missed a game playing for the team since his arrest.
Apartment Building, Residential Chevy Chase, MD – Sprinkler system holds high rise apartment fire in check January 14, 2016 viking210 Dozens of Montgomery County firefighters responded to the blaze at the Willard Apartments at 4701 Willard Avenue. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Spokesperson Pete Piringer said the fire originated on the 16th floor of the high rise building. According to Piringer, hundreds of residents were evacuated and some residents with mobility issues had to be assisted out of the building by firefighters. A sprinkler system held the fire in check until firefighters could put 14the blaze out, Piringer said. The fire originated in the sunroom of a 16th floor apartment and damages are estimated at $25,000, according to Piringer. He said the fire was electrical in nature and the cause was related to an extension cord. Two residents were transported to a local hospital for exposure to the fire and smoke. Their injuries are not life threatening, Piringer said. According to Piringer, the fire has displaced six residents from their homes.
Apartment Building, Residential High Rise Westboro, MA – Fire in trash chute of high rise apartment building controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries January 5, 2016 viking210 Fountainhead Apartments residents who were displaced Friday night after sprinklers were set off by a fire in a trash chute will be allowed back into their units starting Saturday afternoon, according to management. Danielle DeHart, regional property manager at the Fountainhead Apartments, said most of the displaced residents will be allowed back into their units, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. “At 2 o’clock, we’ll start letting the building in slowly with the assistance of local police,” Ms. DeHart said. Ms. DeHart said “well over 200 residents” from about 170 apartments were affected. She said the Fountainhead is asking the tenants of 11 units to allow additional drying time. “We were very fortunate that nobody was hurt and everybody responded very quickly from the management team and also the local police and fire personnel,” Ms. DeHart said. “It was the smoke, of course, that triggered that the sprinkler system. It wasn’t the fire itself.” Ms. DeHart said the lesson to learn here is to be conscientious about what you throw away. She said estimates on the damages is not available yet. “Right now, our focus is on the residents and getting everybody where they need to be, certainly, cold January time, so that’s our priority No. 1, and then we’re worry about the building after that.”
Apartment Building, Residential Grand Forks, ND – No injuries in New Year’s Eve apartment fire suppressed by sprinkler system January 4, 2016 viking210 Residents of a Grand Forks apartment complex rang in the new year in the cold because a fire broke out inside a second floor unit on Garden View Drive shortly after 11:00. About two dozen people were inside at the time. However, people living in the unit where the fire started were not home. The fire was contained to the single unit, but several other units and the hallway sustained smoke and water damage. Everyone was allowed to return to their apartments last night except for the one where the fire started. “The fire was pretty much extinguished by the sprinkler system, or at least contained by the sprinkler system, so there would have been minimal fire as I understand it by the fire crews that responded,” Grand Forks Fire Capt. Bob Kramer said. The fire marshall said the fire is accidental because of unattended cooking on the stove.
