Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, OR – 6th floor apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

A man was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation Wednesday after a fire broke out in a Northwest Portland apartment.  The man, who wasn’t publicly identified, was the only person injured in the blaze that closed Northwest Everett Street between 20th and 21st avenues, said Lt. Rich Chatman, a Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman.  Chatman said a couch in a sixth-floor unit caught fire and that the building’s sprinkler system extinguished the flames.  The building was evacuated as a precaution, Chatman said. Firefighters efforts were hampered briefly by one resident who did not want to leave the building, Chatman said. The man had a weapon but the confrontation ended peacefully, he said.  Firefighters responded to the fire around 3:50 p.m. Some began leaving the area within an hour.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Myrtle Beach, SC – Townhouse fire put out by residential sprinkler system; Neighboring homes spared

Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue credits a home’s sprinkler system for saving the house and the family. Lt. Jonathan Evans says a cooking fire was put out at a home in Market Common before firefighters could even arrive.

“First off, the sprinkler system is already in your home, so it goes off, it’s going to be a lot easier for it to put out the fire than us. Sometimes it takes us a little bit longer to get to you, get the hoses off and all that stuff. Plus, the amount of water it puts out – it puts out about 20 gallons per minute compared to the 250 or 300 gallons per minute that we put out, so on top of the fire damage you already have, by the time we get there, that water damage is going to be that much more because we want to make sure that fire is out,” Evans said. Evans says if you can’t afford to have a sprinkler system installed in your home, having a fire extinguisher or installing the Stovetop Firestop can help prevent extensive damage from small fires.

Other - Residential, Residential

Charleston, SC – Early morning fire at short-term rental property contained by sprinkler system

Firefighters with the City of Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire in downtown Charleston this morning just after 3:30 a.m., according to Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. The alarm company reported an automatic fire alarm at a residential short-term rental property on Spring Street.  Emergency responders from the Charleston Fire Department were dispatched to the alarm and arrived in less than three minutes, according to Julazadeh.

Additional information was provided by a 911 caller advising that a fire had occurred in the kitchen and the incident was upgraded to a structure fire, sending additional resources from Charleston, North Charleston, and Saint Andrews Fire Departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department, he said. Emergency responders arrived to a four story building, that included retail sales on the first floor and a three story rental unit above, as the tenants were self-evacuating.  Responders searched the property, verified the fire was contained by the fire sprinkler system, controlled the water flow from the sprinkler, and ventilated the building. Investigators from the Fire Marshal Division Fire Investigation Team responded to the scene to review the incident.

The home was occupied at the time of the emergency and the residents woke to the sound of the activated fire alarm, he said. Occupants discovered the fire in the kitchen area and noted an activated fire sprinkler, called 911, and utilized a fire extinguisher to further suppress the fire. The occupants then proceeded out of the building as the fire department arrived on scene. Investigators determined the fire originated within the kitchen trashcan and was likely caused by discarded cooking items.

“A number of critical fire safety elements were instrumental in providing for the safety of the occupants and minimizing the damage to the building,” said Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. “First, fire inspections were previously completed as part of the approval process of the rental in order to verify code compliance and maintenance of the fire protection systems. Second, the fire alarm system detected the incident, alerted the occupants, and provided automatic notification to 911. Third, the fire sprinkler system contained the fire and prevented a significant loss to the property or the adjoining properties that are in close proximity. All of these components created a life safety system that prevented injury and minimized the potential loss.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Wisconsin Dells, WI – Apartment fire knocked down by sprinkler system; Fire started outside unit

A sprinkler system kept a small fire from being much worse last Sunday in Wisconsin Dells. Kilbourn volunteer firefighters responded to reports of an outdoor blaze at the three-building Stepping Stones complex on Vine Street near downtown.  Thanks in large part to the main apartment building’s built-in, outdoor sprinkler, plus quick action with a fire extinguisher by a Wisconsin Dells police responder, the fire was mostly out by the time the firefighters arrived.  “By the time we got there the sprinkler system had knocked it down pretty well,” said Kilbourn Assistant Fire Chief Pat Gavinski.  The building occupants were not at home at the time, Gavinski said, and the cause of the outdoor fire is still undetermined but it did start outside.  The built-in sprinkler’s role in controlling and ultimately extinguishing the blaze was certain in the mind of Gavinski and Dells Fire Inspector Jerry Wolfram

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Flint Twp, MI – Fire at Baker College residence hall put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

All 46 residents have been cleared to move back into their rooms at Baker Hall East, except for three who live in the fire-damaged room. According to Baker College, they were the only students with property damage after the Wednesday evening incident and they’ve since been relocated.  The Flint Township fire department says it was a small cooking fire in their suite that was put out quickly when the sprinkler system activated, which caused water damage.  Baker College plans to cover the cost of their lost items.

(02/15/17) – A small cooking fire forces a Baker College dorm to be completely evacuated Wednesday night. The Flint Township fire department says the fire activated the sprinkler system at Baker Hall knocking out the flames pretty quickly. The unit was on the second floor, causing water damage on the first and second floor.  Crews had to evacuate everyone in the three story building for the night.  Power was also cut to the first two floors.  No one was hurt.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hickory, NC – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight apartment kitchen fire; No injuries

Hickory firefighters were dispatched to a reported fire alarm at Kenworth Hall located at 426 2nd Ave SE. Firefighters responded with two engines, one ladder, one rescue truck, and two command units.  The first crew arrived to find heavy smoke on the second floor of the apartment complex. Firefighters also found the sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire in the kitchen. Firefighters worked to remove the smoke from the building and minimize the water damage. One apartment was damaged by the fire and two apartments sustained water damage, the Red Cross responded to assist the tenants. There were no injuries.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Athens, GA – Fire in University of Georgia residence hall controlled with help from sprinkler system

UPDATE: University Housing sent a letter to Brumby Hall residents this morning at 8:42 a.m. with a report of the evacuation. The letter said the fire alarms went off due to “a fire in the trash room of Brumby Hall,” causing the sprinkler system to activate. The letter also said no dorms were damaged with smoke or water. No one was injured as a result of the fire, “thanks to the cooperation of residents and the action of housing staff and emergency personnel.”  “Security of residents is our utmost priority,” the email said. “Therefore residents are required to evacuate the building anytime the alarm sounds.”

ORIGINAL: At approximately 7 p.m. Monday night, the fire alarm in Brumby Residence Hall at the University of Georgia sounded. Students were stranded outside for over three hours after two additional fire alarms were sounded following the initial alarm. When students were evacuating once the alarm was sounded, a resident assistant was heard notifying students departing from the emergency exits, “No, it’s not a false alarm.”

Payton Eason, a freshman psychology major from Villa Rica and resident at Brumby, was worried after hearing that the fire alarms were not false. “I thought this was going to be just another false alarm that we have almost weekly at Brumby. Turns out, there’s actually smoke, and the hall is literally on fire. Now, we’ve been here for more than two hours, sitting out here stranded,” Eason said.

Eason explained she was working on homework when the alarm sounded. “I have lots of homework due tonight at 10 p.m…Unfortunately, all my books, notes, and Macbook are up in the dorm so I guess I’m just stuck here until it’s all clear,” Eason said.  By 8:45 p.m., the alarm was off, but students were still stranded outside waiting for the all-clear from authorities to reenter the building.  Taylor Johnson, a freshman biology major from Columbus, heard prior to being cleared to return to the residence halls that the first floor was flooded from trying to extinguish the fire.

“My friend received a message and said that someone threw something in the trash chute that caught fire. It caused the sprinklers to go off and now the first floor is flooded,” Johnson said. As of 10 p.m., students were still not allowed to reenter the residence hall. By around 10:50 p.m., students began making their way back to their dorms in Brumby.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norman, OK – Sprinkler system helps put out fire that started in apartment building’s utility closet

The Norman Fire Department reported that there were no injuries as a result of a fire today at an apartment complex.

Norman Fire responded at about 2:45 p.m. to a report of a blaze at The Edge at Norman apartments, 2200 block of Classen Boulevard. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found visible flames and heavy smoke coming from an apartment within the complex. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire.

Norman Public Information Officer Sarah Jensen said the initial investigation showed that the fire started in the apartment’s utility closet where the hot water heater and heating and air conditioning units were housed.

Due to the building’s fire sprinkler being activated, two units within the building sustained water damage.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Richmond, KY – Fire at senior living center suppressed with help from sprinkler system

Move-in day for many residents at Pebblecreek Crossing on Big Hill Avenue took a turn for the worse when a small fire in a lower-level apartment sent Richmond fire trucks racing to put out the flames Friday evening. The fire began when a new resident sat boxes on top of a stove that was turned on, according to Pam Turner, member of the Pebblecreek Crossing management team.  Assistant Fire Chief Mark Murphy said Richmond Fire and Rescue received a call around 8:49 p.m. about a possible fire at the city’s newly constructed senior living facility.

Approximately three tankers and three command units arrived on the scene. Madison County EMS and Richmond police also responded. Murphy said firefighters were met with heavy smoke when they opened the apartment door, but the sprinkler system had put out much of the fire. Firefighters were then able to put out hot spots and remove debris.  The assistant fire chief said there was some smoke damage to the apartment as well as some minor fire and water damage. Two people were treated by EMS.