Category Archives: Nursing Home/Senior Living

Tinley Park, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at senior living facility

Firefighters rescued one person from a fire at a senior living facility in south suburban Tinley Park on Monday evening, according to authorities.

The fire was reported at around 5:15 p.m. at Hanover Place, 16851 S. Harlem Ave. According to authorities, the fire occurred in the living room of a first-floor unit, though a cause remained unclear late Monday.

One woman was freed by firefighters and transported to an area hospital with slight burns.

“It’s kinda scary you know… especially I just moved in… you know you thought it would never happen here,” said resident Debbie Drackley.

One resident who moved in less than two weeks ago said she was startled to hear a fire alarm while cooking dinner.

An automatic fire sprinkler system contained the fire before firefighters arrived on scene, said Tinley Park Fire Chief Steve Klotz.

“The fortunate thing is the sprinklers hold the fire in check, but the water starts getting into other units,” he said.

Four units sustained water damage and were deemed uninhabitable for the time being, authorities said.

Staff and residents had to evacuate the building, but have since been medically cleared and allowed to return.

Residents and officials say they’re thankful the fire wasn’t worse.

“Kudos to the sprinkler system for saving, obviously, the room plus many, many other lives that could have been in danger,” Klotz said.

Quincy, IL – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at senior center; No injuries reported

Two engines from the Quincy Fire Department responded to a fire at the Quincy Senior Center, 639 York, on Monday night.

The Quincy Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in the basement, but it received no indication of what was on fire was given. The first crew arrived on scene at 8:10 p.m. No smoke or other signs of fire were observed from the exterior.

The first-arriving crew made entry into the basement and discovered a fire in an industrial dryer. One sprinkler head had tripped, and the fire was kept in check and extinguished by the sprinkler system. Two other crews arrived on scene and assisted blocking the flow of water from the sprinkler head. They then squeegeed the water into a floor drain. The sprinkler system was shut down until a sprinkler technician arrived and reset the system.

No civilians or firefighters were injured at the scene. The dryer appears to be a complete loss. The laundry room, south hallway, and kitchen in the basement sustained water damage.

An investigation determined that mop heads and rags, which previously had cleaning solution on them, had been drying in the dryer.

The fire department had 10 members on scene from two engines, as well as a quint and the assistant chief.

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for attic fire at senior living center; No injuries reported

Residents with mobility issues had to be carried from the upper floors of a Midtown senior living facility after a fire in the attic space disabled the elevators.

Tucson Fire crews were dispatched to the facility in the 1500 block of East River Road at 9:35 a.m. for reports of smoke coming from an attic space, according to a social media post from TFD.

The fire was under control by 9:53 a.m. No residents were injured. A maintenance worker was transported from the scene with a medical issue unrelated to the fire, the post said.

Several residents were carried from the facility. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading, but the water caused significant damage to more than a dozen units, the post said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Gatineau, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at long-term care facility; No injuries reported

Ten people have been displaced by a fire at a long-term care home in Gatineau overnight.

Gatineau fire crews responded to CHSLD Lionel-Émond just before 2 a.m. and confirmed a fire in a storage room on the fourth floor.

Twenty five people from the third and fourth floors were safely evacuated from the building and there are no injuries reported.

The fire was under control around 2:45 a.m. largely due to the automatic sprinkler system in the building.

Ten people were relocated to the Hull Hospital due to fire and water damage to their units.

Damage to the building is pegged around $170,000.

Atlanta, GA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire in senior living high-rise; No injuries reported

Seniors living in an Atlanta high-rise building got a scare after a fire broke out overnight.

The fire happened at the Friendship Towers on Northside Drive around midnight.

Firefighters tell FOX 5 that senior residents had to be evacuated after someone set fire to trash on the 13th floor of the building.

Thankfully, the building’s sprinkler system was able to keep the flames under control and no one was injured.

Arson investigators are now working to find out who started the blaze.

If you have any information about the fire, call the Atlanta Police Department.

Waukesha, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at senior living facility; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system reportedly extinguished a fire at Linden Grove, 425 N. University Dr., in Waukesha at 5:35 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Staff brought residents outside the building and gave them blankets to keep them warm while firefighters investigated the fire’s aftermath. The residents were reportedly brought back into their rooms within approximately one hour. Attempts to obtain further information about the fire before deadline were not successful.

Surprise, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Surprise Fire-Medical Department and Arizona Fire and Medical Authority crews responded to a fire at a senior living facility Saturday evening.

Crews were sent to Kingswood Place, a senior living facility near Bell Road and Parkview Place, where a small fire had broken out in a bedroom. Sprinkler systems were able to keep the majority of the fire at bay as firefighters arrived, according to Surprise Battalion Chief Larry Subervi, a spokesperson for the department.

About 25 residents were displaced during the fire, but after an hour all were able to return to the building. Four residents were not able to return to their rooms due to damages from the fire or the sprinkler system. They were relocated to different rooms at the facility.

A medical treatment center was set up for residents during the fire for heat-related complaints, but no residents were significantly injured, according to the department.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation.

Kingswood Place could not be reached for comment.

Prescott, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Ninety people are without a home after a fire broke out at a Prescott senior living community on Friday evening.

Around 6 p.m., crews were called about fire and smoke that was reported from a third-story apartment at the Prescott Lakes Senior Living Apartments near Prescott Lakes Parkway and Highway 89. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm due to the building’s size and number of residents inside.

The Prescott Police Department was the first on the scene and saved the resident in the apartment and those in nearby units. Fire crews soon arrived and quickly accessed the apartment on fire. With help from the fire sprinkler system, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the complex.

Some residents evacuated; however, others could not leave their apartments and were told to shelter in place by the fire personnel after it was determined they were not in danger. A Prescott police officer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One resident fainted after being evacuated and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. No other injuries were reported.

Prescott Fire says there was extensive water damage from the sprinklers and fire personnel on all three floors, including an electrical room that powers half of the complex. Therefore, fire officials, the City of Prescott Building Department and utility companies determined it was unsafe for residents to return to their apartments, leaving 90 people and several pets displaced.

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross has arranged a temporary shelter at the Humboldt Unified School District Offices in Prescott Valley. Around 11 residents have chosen to stay at the shelter, while many others are staying with family, friends, and at hotels. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Prescott Fire says the outcome would’ve been different if the sprinkler system were not in place. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, buildings with fire sprinkler systems successfully confine fire spread to the room of origin 95% of the time, compared to 71% of properties without.

Wauconda, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at senior apartment building

A sprinkler system contained a blaze at a senior apartment building in Wauconda until firefighters arrived Thursday afternoon.

The Wauconda Fire District responded to Liberty Arms, 260 Larkdale Row Drive, at 3:09 p.m. and found a fire in a second-floor unit was being kept in check by a sprinkler head, according to a news release.

Crews extinguished the fire, which officials said was related to unattended cooking.

Five people were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the news release said.

Damage was estimated at $300,000. The Red Cross was helping displaced residents.

Lauderdale Lake, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at assisted living facility

Nearly 30 residents of an assisted living facility had to be evacuated after a fire broke out late Tuesday night.

About 50 firefighters arrived to St. Joseph Residence, off Northwest 30th Street, to help evacuate nearly 30 residents, a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) news release said.

Just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters were met with smoke and a small fire in a room on the third floor of the facility. The flame was apparently caused by an unattended candle, but the sprinkler system inside the building kept it at bay.

The news release said most of the evacuated residents live on the second, third and fourth floors and were experiencing smoke and water damage from the sprinklers.

Only two residents needed medical transport, but their conditions were stable as of last night, per BSFR.

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